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Jan. 5, 1907 .] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
21 
THE CAPE COD CANAL. 
For two hundred years the plan of connecting 
Cape Cod and Buzzard’s Bays by a canal has 
been under consideration without, however, 
bringing forth any results. Recently a firm of 
eminently successful engineers and contractors 
have taken over all that has been accomplished 
so far, including a charter granted by the State 
of Massachusetts in 1889. It is reported that 
work will begin very soon and that within three 
years there will be a tide water canal connecting 
the two bays. This will reduce the distance to 
Boston from the westward many miles. 
The Cape Cod peninsula and the shoals have 
always been one of the terrors of our eastern 
coast, and has been the grave of many gallant 
ships and brave crews. The great amount of 
tonnage yearly passing around the Cape, and the 
regular percentage of losses would seem to have 
been reason enough to have brought this project 
to a speedier conclusion. It is not only in the 
direction of safety that the benefit appears, but 
also in the increase of safe traffic. The scheme 
was opposed by a railroad which considered that 
its interests would be jeopardized by such a 
water way. However, after having acquired the’ 
steamship lines, the railroad has changed front 
and has come to realize that instead of hamper¬ 
ing traffic, it should seek to increase it by land 
and by water. 
From the view point of the yachtsman of the 
Atlantic coast, the Cape Cod canal will be a 
great boon. It will remove from the yachtsmen 
of the Sound an unwarranted stigma—for the 
contempt implied by saying a certain yacht was 
built to sail only on Long Island Sound, is not 
to be mistaken. Cape Cod has been an actual 
barrier to eastern cruising apd only those so for¬ 
tunate as to have time at their disposal and good 
ships under them, have been able to go round. 
The Sound then limited the cruising possibilities 
of the average man; so that in many cases yachts 
haye been built solely with a view to racing or 
cruising upon its waters. 
With the opening of the canal, a new cruis¬ 
ing ground will be available to the Sound yachts¬ 
men and one but little removed from the present 
limits of many of the annual cruises. The 
beauties of the coast of Maine are well known 
and appreciated, and are known as a yachts¬ 
man’s paradise to many who for years have gone 
eastward. The scenes are lovely, bold landscapes, 
clean water and good safe anchorages, and the 
inhabitants most kindly. It is true that the coast 
east of the Cape, like that west of the Cape, is 
subject to fogs, but these, though disagreeable, 
and sometimes dangerous, are not of greater 
duration than elsewhere. 
The canal will permit and encourage friendly 
contests between eastehi and western boats. The 
smallest may now come boldly to invade the 
waters of its rivals, and the long line of shift¬ 
ing sands, surrounded by their ever changing 
currents will have no terrors for the small boat 
sailor, or motor boat man. The canal will open 
a section of the country comparatively unde¬ 
veloped and will greatly increase the number of 
yachtsmen by bringing many localities admirably 
adapted to small as well as big boats within a 
reasonable distance of town. 
The financial arrangements of the company in¬ 
terested seem to be sound, and the names of the 
moving spirits in the project are of the best 
standing. There is every reason to believe that 
the work will be begun at once and pushed to 
its conclusion. It is a great work, much needed 
from a commercial’ point of view and one which 
will also greatly benefit the sport of yachting. 
Hunting the Monotype. 
The ancient and honorable game of hares and 
hounds has given life to many kindred contests 
in its day in other branches of sport, but it will 
come as news to many that it has now invaded 
even the yachting field. 
The novel'pastime, called Hunting the Mono¬ 
type, comes to us from sunny Italy, curious to 
relate, and is the invention of one of the mem¬ 
bers of that active little organization, the Sail¬ 
ing Club of Naples. In its birthplace it found 
immediate recognition, for there are no more en¬ 
thusiastic yachtsmen, than the members of the 
A HARE. 
Neapolitan aristocracy, but it also found its way 
to other points and it now flourishes throughout 
the Mediterranean. 
In its early trials the sport was not a complete 
success. Unforeseen complications, for which no 
provision had been made, arose right and left, 
and it was several months before sules covering 
all points could be formulated and adopted. At 
present, however, it is seldom that the referee 
has to be called upon. 
Hunting the monotype, as the name indicates, 
is a chase, or race, on the principle of hares and 
hounds, with boats for hunter and quarry. The 
hares are chosen from the one-ton restricted 
class of the Bay of Naples; they are'one-design 
open boats, 24ft. over all, bulb keel, sloop rigged, 
and built specially for racing, though of a whole¬ 
some, seaworthy type. The hounds are bigger 
and faster. No limitations as to measurements, 
sail area, build, or size of crew have been placed 
on them, and but for the fact that it is often 
necessary to follow the hares into shallow water, 
there is no telling what monster yachts would 
enter. Speed being a secondary consideration, 
big, comfortable cruisers are often pressed into 
service and on these a merry crowd sails, bent on 
making a jolly outing of the contest. Not in¬ 
frequently, though, the great _ rivalry existing 
among the Naples’ Corinthians calls out the fast 
racing craft like Prince Fondi’s Acnaib and the 
Sailing Club’s Molly. Then it is a duel to the 
death, in which no stone is left unturned to se¬ 
cure victory. Strategy, cunning and inventive¬ 
ness then play an important part in the game and 
are often the deciding factors, as will be seen 
hereafter. 
Under the latest ruling, as many monotypes 
are manned as there are hounds entered, each 
hound being assigned to a specified hare and 
being forbidden to capture any other. Thus 
every couple indulges in an individual, separate 
contest. 
A double holiday is always chosen for the 
event and as Naples celebrates no end of relig¬ 
ious, national and municipal feasts there is no 
lack of opportunity. 
The hares are given a start of twelve hours 
over the hounds and may get under way any 
time after midnight of the day preceding the 
first holiday. They must sail for at least six 
out of each twenty-four hours, and cannot there¬ 
fore return to port until thirty hours have 
elapsed. If they have not crossed the finishing 
line by 2 o’clock on the following afternoon 
(thirty-eight hours after their start) the hound 
is declared 'winner. 
The hounds, starting at 12 o’clock noon, must 
sail six of the remaining twelve hours, and six 
of the next day, before they are allowed to hang 
around the finishing line. In order to be de¬ 
clared winners they must either keep their par¬ 
ticular hare from crossing the line in the specified 
time, or touch it with boat hook or oar, while 
outside. 
What makes the sport fascinating is the fact 
that skippers are allowed to disguise their boats, 
even to changing sails, rigging, flags and all, and 
to use any trick they may think of to outwit 
their opponents. When it is considered that 
each side employs a' whole staff of scouts and 
spies it will be realized what ingenuity is called 
into play. 
The Bay of Naples is ideally adapted for the 
sport. It is enclosed on three sides by land and 
a well defined area, measuring at a cough esti¬ 
mate twenty miles by fifteen, can be accurately 
mapped out. The boats are not allowed south 
of the Punta Della Campanella, or north of 
Ischia, nor can they cross an imaginary line 
drawn from the Isle of Nisida to the Isle of 
Capri. This section is rich in harbors and an¬ 
chorages where a small boat can run in to make 
changes, or hide. Leaving Naples toward Ischia 
only one really safe place of concealment is to 
be found, the “Gaiola” (little village) a small 
hole behind huge rocks, in the port of Manzi; 
but toward Santa Lucia shelters are numerous. 
San Giovanni, Portici, Torre del Greco, Torre 
Annunziata, Castellamare, Meta, Vico, Piano 
Sorrento, Massa and Capri all have anchorages 
where merchant vessels are always found and 
where a diminutive 24-footer can hide with the 
chances in favor of its not being located. 
One of the most successful hunts in the history 
of the sport took place recently and will bear 
telling about; first, because it will give the reader 
an idea of the variety afforded by these contests; 
second, because the only hare to elude its hound 
and make port, was sailed by a young member 
of the American colony in Naples, Mr. Robert 
Handley. 
The. start was set for a Friday, at midnight, 
Saturday and Sunday providing the necessary 
double holiday. Four couples were entered. 
Three of the hares went off promptly with the 
gun, hoping to do their six hours of sailing in 
darkness and lose the enemy’s spies before dawn; 
