944 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[June 12, 1909. 
Dory Sailing and Racing. 
The popularity of dory sailing and racing has 
grown wonderfully in the last few years, and 
one reason for this has been that a good dory 
can be purchased for from $60 to $250. Of 
course, the cheaper boat is a very simple affair, 
just an open boat of "the regulation type, hay¬ 
ing a small jib and leg-o’-mutton mainsail. 
They have no ballast and the centerboard is not 
weighted. There is hardly a harbor on the 
coast that has not several of these boats, and 
nearly every yacht club counts several in its 
fleet. Their owners sail them everywhere, and 
although the dory is rather a hard craft to 
handle under certain conditions, their owners 
become so expert that accidents are few, and 
should a dory capsize, it will not sink, so that 
the danger of those on board drowning is 
slight. Yachtsmen who have started sailing 
dories have become expert and some of the 
best amateur sailors in the country began with 
the dory. 
The dory originated in New England. Fish¬ 
ing was formerly done entirely with hand lines 
over the side of the vessel, and then the 
schooner need only a yawl. Later a number of 
small boats were carried, and when they 
reached the cod grounds, they scattered away 
from the vessel, each boat on “its own hook.” 
The dory pleased the fishermen because it was 
a good seaworthy boat, and so built that sev¬ 
eral could be nested on the decks of the fishing 
schooners and not occupy much room. With 
the thwarts removed, five or six would occupy 
very little more space than one boat. 
The frames of a fisherman’s dory are spaced 
27 to 30 inches apart. They are of white oak 
cut from natural crooks when the stuff can be 
obtained. The floor of the dory is almost flat, 
the sheer being only 3 or 4 inches. The stem 
post and the stern board rake at an angle of 
about 25 degrees and three streaks of white 
pine planking are used on each side, the edges 
of which are beveled so as to lap. 
It was some time before yachtsmen took a 
fancy to this type of boat, but they proved' to 
be so safe that after a while some more daring 
tried the experiment of rigging theni as sailing 
craft, and C. D. Mower designed a dory which 
has become popular everywhere. Later others 
tried to improve on that model, and for a 
time there was danger that the dory would be 
driven off the water through becoming a rac¬ 
ing machine, as so many good classes have been 
spoiled. The Massachusetts Dory Association 
was formed to frame rules for the protection 
of the dory, and racing-under that association’s 
rules has grown very popular in eastern waters. 
Two international matches have been sailed, 
and inter-club and inter-state matches are fre- 
riuent. 
On Gravesend Bay the dory has been de¬ 
veloped, and a committee of the association 
has framed rules to govern the class of what is 
known as Gravesend Bay Knockabouts. These 
boats are rather different in niodel from the 
regulation dory, but so near that boat, that a 
match has been arranged which is to be sailed 
off Marblehead this summer between four 
boats from Gravesend Bay and four boats of 
the Massachusetts Association. 
Several readers of Forest and Stream have 
asked for the rules governing these small boats, 
and for that reason, and because of the growing 
interest in the class, they are published. 
M.ASSACHUSETTS RACING DORY. 
Each boat shall be of clinker or lap^itreak 
construction, planked with pine, of not more 
than five streaks, and of a design approved by 
the Executive Committee. 
Length over all shall not exceed 21 feet. 
T>ength load waterline shall not exceed 16 
feet with 300 pounds placed amidships. 
Length on bottom shall not exceed 14 feet 6 
inches. 
Extreme beam shall not exceed 5 feet 8 
inches, exclusive of ribbon. 
Width of bottom shall not be less than 14 
inches, inside measurement. Scow type is 
barred; bow must come to a point, and the 
width on deck, one-half distance from aft to 
stem, must not be over 2 feet 8 inches. 
Depth amidships shall not be less than i foot 
7^2 inches, and not more than i foot Syi inches 
from top of floor to top of gunwale. 
Width of deck shall not be less than 9 inches 
(reinforced with stock not less than 9-16 inch 
thick). 
Forward deck to extend aft not less than 5 
feet 4 inches from stem. 
After deck shall extend as far forw^ard as the 
•after timbers. 
Curbing shall not be less than i inch high. 
Width of stern at top shall not exceed i foot 
9 inches. 
Greater variations than V2 of i per cent, 
from the above dimensions shall be sufficient 
cause for disqualification. Boats shall be meas¬ 
ured for eligibility when first built. 
Centerboard box shall be of pine, not less 
that ^-inch thick: top covered with oak not 
less than ka-inch thick. 
Length of box shall not exceed 4 feet 3 inches. 
Height of box shall not exceed i foot ii 
inches. 
Centerboard shall be of oak, not less than 
^-inch thick and completely housed. 
Rudder shall be hung on stern board its en¬ 
tire length. 
Scantlings—Stem shall be of oak not less 
■ than 2 X inches. 
Stern board shall be of oak, not less than 
J-^-inch thick and shall be "V-shaped, coming 
to a point at or below the waterline. 
Bottom shall not be less than ^-inch thick. 
False bottom shall not be less than f-^-inch 
thick, or, if bottom is solid board, it shall not 
be less than inches thick. 
Planking shall be of pine, not less than 9-16 
inch thick. 
Timbers shall be five in number, not less than 
2)4 X % inches at knuckles, and not less than 
1-54 X ^ inches at top. 
Gunwale shall be of oak, not less than x 
inches. 
There shall be at least two ribs between each 
set of timbers. These shall be of oak not less 
than I X inch. 
Deck shall be of pine, not less than 9-16 inch 
thick. 
Carlings shall be of oak, not less than % x 1(4 
inches, and there shall be not less than four 
forward and three aft. 
Sails shall consist of a jib and mainsail only, 
and the mainsail shall be leg-o’-mutton type. 
No silk or so-called silk sails allorved. 
Jib area of triangle shall not exceed 3 square 
yards. 
Mainsail area of triangle shall not exceed 
19^2 square yards. 
Crew^ shall consist of not less than three per¬ 
sons nor more than four. 
No inside ballast allowed, or ballast in con¬ 
struction. 
No hollow spars allowed. 
Boats shall carry an anchor of not less than 
12 pounds, or over 18 pounds, and a roadline not 
less than 9-thread or over 12-thrcad and not 
less than 40 fathoms. Also a pair of oars not 
less than 8 feet long. 
RESTRICTIONS FOR GRAVESEND KNOCKABOUTS. 
Class X. or Gravesend knockabouts, shall 
consist of jib and mainsail, lanstreak. or clinker 
btult, centerboard boats, decked fore and aft, 
with open cocknit. and shall conform to the fol- 
lowung restrictions: 
Dimensions—Length from forward side of 
stem to aftermost point of transom shall not 
exceed 21 feet and the load ivaterline sh^ll not 
extend forward beyond a point 3 feet 6 inches 
aft of stem. Beam at widest uoint shall not 
exveed 6 feet 6 inches (exclusive of wearing 
strip) and at stern transom shall not exceed 
feet 6 inches. Freeboard at bow .shall not be 
less tban i foot 10 inches, and at lowest point 
not less than 14 inches. Draft at deepest noint 
(pxehisive of centerboard and rudder) shall not 
be less than 6 inches or more than 0 inches. 
Deck from stem to forward side of cockpit 
combing shall not be less than 9 feet in length, 
and on each side of cockpit not less than 9 
inches wide, the combing to be not less than 
2 inches in height above deck at lowest point. 
A variation greater than one-half of i per cent, 
from the above dimensions shall be sufficient 
cause for disqualification. 
Design—Scow type is barred. The bow must 
come to a point and the forward cross section 
at the intersection of load waterline must show 
a sharp or “"V” section; any approach to a flat 
“U” or scow-shaped bow barred. All curves, 
except sheer, shall be convex; no concave or 
reverse curves permitted. No skegs, fin, out 
side keel or bilge boards and no hood or cabin 
permitted. 
Centerboard—Shall be of wood, working on a 
fixed pin, and when lowered, that part of the 
board extending below the keel shall not exceed 
4 feet in length. When raised, the lower edge 
must be entirely within the hull, and the top 
edge must not extend more than 6 inches above 
top of planksheer at the point of least freeboard. 
Rudder—Shall be of wood, huug on after 
side of transom for entire length of transom, 
and shall steer with a tiller. 
Ballast—Boats shall carry not less than 200 
pounds or more than 250 pounds of ballast (ex¬ 
cept as hereinafter provided), not exceeding 
100 pounds of which may be carried in the 
centerboard, the remainder to be stowed in¬ 
side. A variation of not exceeding 5 per cent, 
more or less than these weights as ascertained 
by official certificate shall not be cause for dis¬ 
qualification. If ballast in excess of 250 pounds 
is carried, air tanks of not less tban i cubic foot 
capacity for each additional 50 pounds, or frac¬ 
tion thereof, must be carried permanently se¬ 
cured. All ballast considered to be fixed—i. e.. 
not to be shifted while racing or on the day of 
any race entered. No alteration in the weight 
of ballast permitted after first race entered 
without written notice, stating particulars of 
weight and the date when such alteration will 
be made, and receipt of approval by the execu¬ 
tive committee, such notice to be given not less 
than one week before race. This notice is 
binding on the owner, and failure to make the 
change on the date named will disqualify the 
boat. 
Spars—No hollow spars and no bowsprit 
permitted. 
Standing Rigging—Shall consist of a fore¬ 
stay and one shroud only on each side, which 
must be set up with turnbuckles. No struts or 
spreaders and no runners or backstays per¬ 
mitted. 
Sails—Shall consist of jib and mainsail, the 
total area, actual measurement, shall not ex¬ 
ceed 250 square feet. Mainsail shall not ex¬ 
ceed 85 per cent, of total area. Not less than 
two rows of fixed reef points. No battens over 
30 inches in length. One new suit of sails only 
per season, unless unavoidably destroyed. 
scantlings. 
Stem—To be of oak, siding not less than i^ 
inches. 
Stern Transom—To be of oak not less than 
eg-inch thick, and rake aft not less than 25 de¬ 
grees. 
Bottom Board—To be of oak not less than 
1^4 inches thick,- which must be in one thick¬ 
ness. and must not be less than 10 inches in 
width, outside, at the midship section. 
Planking—To be of pine or cedar not less 
than 54 -inch in thickness. Laps to be not less 
than L'l-inch and the outside edges of plank to 
be not less than ;4-inch in thickness for ap¬ 
proximately two-thirds ■ of the length of any 
seam. Edges of planks may be rounded. Ship 
lap barred. 
Frames—To be of oak or hackmatack natural 
crooks, sided and moulded not less than ^x2 
inches, or of oak. steam bent, sided and 
moulded not less than i x 1^4 inches, or 1)4 ^ 
11/, inches, these measurements being at the 
point of least dimension. These frames must 
be cut to fit planking and spaced not over 3 
feet apart, center to center. To have not Jess 
than three steam bent frames ^-inch x i inch 
cross section between each pair of large frames. 
Clamp—To be of oak or yellow pine not less 
