704 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[May 4. 1907 
Canoeing. 
FLEECY CLOUDS DRIFTED ACROSS THE MOON. 
STRUCK THE MIZZEN MAST ON THE CLOSING DRAW. 
BARELY MISSED HITTING THE TUG BOAT. 
THE SCHOONER ALWAYS HEADED THEM OFF. 
A Trip at Night in a Racing Canoe. 
I look back upon it now with more fear than 
I felt at the time, although it was with a feel¬ 
ing of relief and thankfulness that we stepped 
from our canoes when we had reached our des¬ 
tination. ^ ,1 , 
It was purely force of circumstances that 
caused us to take the trip at night instead of 
the daytime, as originally arranged, although it 
we had anticipated the experiences that were to 
follow by this change of plans, nothing would 
have induced us to do it. . 
It was in the early fall of 1897 that Louis Lc 
Roy, a fellow member of the Ianthe Club, 01 
Newark, agreed to go with me to the regatta ot 
the New York Canoe Club, at Bensonhurst, 
where we intended taking part in the races. We 
arranged to start in the early afternoon of the 
Saturday before, expecting to reach oui desti¬ 
nation before dark, but when the day arrived it 
was one of those stifling hot days when the sun 
seems to scorch, and worse than all not a bieatn 
of air was stirring. We met at the club house 
as arranged; and, after discussing the situation, 
decided it would be really dangerous, to say 
nothing of the discomfort, to start out and paddle 
the distance in the extreme heat. It was near 
the full of the moon, and should have been a 
clear moonlight night, so we thought it better 
to have an early supper and start out right after- 
ward, and under ordinary conditions, we would 
have had a very enjoyable trip. 
LeRoy had an open racing paddling canoe, but 
carried a small sail for a fair wind, although 
lie had no leeboards. I was in Cricket which 
had the reputation of being decidedly cranky, as 
she was one of the lightest racing machines of 
the day, and I carried a hoisting rig of ninety 
square feet, and my racing sails I lashed 011 
deck, with the spars projecting about three 01- 
four feet beyond the bow. The moon rose as 
we were getting things ready and a gentle wind 
sprang up from the north, which gave us an 
easy run down the river. We had only gone a 
few miles when fleecy clouds commenced to drift 
across the moon, and about the same time the 
wind blew harder, until by the time we reached 
Newark Bay we were boiling along at a good 
rate, although I had lowered my mizzen sail and 
put a single reef in the main to keen in company 
with mv associate. By this time the moon was 
obscured entirely by clouds and the wind sud¬ 
denly taking a fresh hold, together with the 
rougher water of the open bay, made tilings 
decidedly uncomfortable for us. 
LeRoy, being in such a light open canoe was 
the first to take down sail entirely, and I tied 
in a double reef and finally a third to keep ne 11 
him, but as we had a fair tide we made quick 
time through the bay. What I thought was luck, 
but which nearly proved my undoing, was an 
overtaking tug boat going to New York, and 
which meant the long bridge would have to open 
to let them through. The tug gained on us but 
slowly and I calculated that we would reach the 
bridge at the same time and I would be able to 
get through without trouble. Having no horn 
or even a light I would be powerless in the noise 
of the wind and water to make myself heard by 
the bridge tender. The tug blew for the. draw 
to open, and I was still a little ahead of it, but 
in the remaining distance dropped behind and. 
to my horror, I saw the bridge commence to 
close.’ The waves were piling down between the 
abutments in such angry fashion 1 made up my 
mind it would be dangerous to undertake to 
come about and beat out. Besides theie was 
doubt if I had room to do it. Still there was 
the possibility of squeezing through, although 
at the last I fully expected to tear both masts 
out of the canoe when I should strike the clos¬ 
ing draw. I steered to the extreme outer side 
of the opening, to have every additional second 
of time, and could see the gap slowly closing in 
the dim light, as with a sudden roll at the last 
instant, I laid the canoe over and shot from 
under the overhanging end. clearing the main 
mast, but striking with the mizzen, although such 
a slight and glancing blow that no damage was 
done We were soon around the Bergen Pojut 
Light House and in the calmer water of the Kill 
Von Kull, which gave us a chance to come near 
each other and decide, as it was midnight, that 
we were hungry. We stopped at one of the shore 
hotels and had some sandwiches, discussing the 
while what had better be done. It was now 
very dark from the heavy clouds, and the wind 
had settled into a regular northeaster, but we 
thought, by stowing sails together, which meant 
lashing them on deck and taking, to the paddle, 
we could make good weather of it, although we 
realized when we reached New York Bay and 
went down through the Narrows we would have 
our hands full. And we did. LeRoy had never 
been down that way before and was unacquainted 
with the course, and owing to the rough water 
we did not dare keep very close together, so 
question and answer regarding our course, had 
to be shouted across the intervening space. 
As we entered New York Bay and got the full 
sweep of wind and wave we realized for the 
first time the dangers of the path before us in 
such frail craft, for in the darkness of the night 
we could not.see and be prepared for the comb¬ 
ing waves that frequently broke under us as we 
could have done in the day time. In addition 
we had no lights of any kind, and consequently 
had to keep out of the track of the many tug 
boats and other craft that are continually plying 
those waters, which on account of the rough 
water and strong wind, was not always easy 
to do. 
As we approached St. George I pointed out a 
red light on what I took to he the end of a pier 
that was to he 1 lie next mark to head for, and 
as it was a half mile or so- distant, paid little 
attention to it myself, but watched for the white 
crests of water that were breaking in all direc¬ 
tions to windward. As we neared the red light 
we suddenly seemed to he drawing near it with 
irresistible impulse, which for the moment T 
thought was a swirl of the tide that was both 
carrying us sideways and forward with extreme 
rapidity. I altered my course, heading further 
out, but in another instant recognized the.outline 
of a tug boat with a car float just starting out 
from one of the docks. The red li°ht, which l 
supposed was on the dock, was really the tug’s 
port light. Owing- to the lateness of the hour 
the captain had not blown his whistle and con¬ 
sequently we had no warning. LeRoy was a 
few lene-ths ahead of me and to leeward, and 
that much nearer the tug when I gave a yell of 
warning at the top of my lungs and backed water 
rrvself. He did the same and barelv missed 
being hit by the larger boat, although I thought 
for a minute he would surely be run over. A 
few minutes more and we dodged two ferry boats] 
one from New York and the other just starting 
out. Then we headed directly across the bay, as 1 
we wanted to get under the lee of the Long 
Island shore as soon as possible, and with an ebb 
tide, knew that we would be going down through 
the Narrows at the same time. We had hardly 
reached the middle, struggling along as best as- 
we could to make headway and keep right side 
up, when a new danger loomed up in the shape 
of a three-masted schooner beating up the bay 
We first thought we could cross her bow, but 
as we pushed on a favoring slant of wind en¬ 
abled her to luff up, still heading for us. Ther 
we decided to wait and let her go ahead, but ai 
equally unfavorable change in the direction 0 
the wind forced her to bear away until we seemei 
to- be the magnet that was ever drawing her U 
us. In sheer desperation we at last paddled 01 
with all our strength and cleared her none to< 
much. I remember thinking what little chanci 
either of us would have if we should upset unde: 
those conditions, LeRoy in the open canoe tha 
would have offered no support if filled wit! 
water, and myself with the load of sails on dec] 
that made the canoe top-heavy from the weigh 
of water they held, and which would have mad 
it almost impossible to right if it had once gon 
over. Still we paddled on with the shore seem 
ingly getting no nearer, but with another, re 
and green light followed by several white light 
strung out at intervals getting uncomfortabl. 
near, which proved to be an ocean tug comiu 
in with three coal barges on long hawsers seem 
ingly strung out for a mile in length. We di 
not want to wait for that procession to go ahea 
of us, so again hit up the pace to cross the bo\ 
of the tug, which we accomplished with rei 
sonable security, but had no sooner done so tha 
she changed her course to go into Bay Ridg' 
putting us on the inside of the curve she wa 
makim" and this meant that each barge in stu 
cession turned a little nearer than her predece- 
sor, and with us it was a case of whether A 
could clear each one in turn or get run ov.e 
There was only one satisfaction in the terrii 
paddling we had to do which was that it brougl 
us that much sooner to the lee of the shoi 
where we turned and followed it in compar;] 
tively quiet water past Fort Hamilton ini 
Gravesend Bay. As the club float finally loomc 
up—and we crawled rather than stepped out < 
our canoes at 2 130 o’clock—we were both than! 
fill enough that the trip was ended. 
Geo. P. Douglass. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division.—Andrew A. Vail, Hacken 
sack, N. [., bv P. D. Frazer; A. J. II. Baki 
Hackensack, N. J„ by P. D. Frazer; Everett 1 
Walker. Hackensack. N. T., by P. D. Fraze 
II. N. Wilson, Ridgefield. N. J., by P. D. Fraze 
Western Division.—William A. Jack, Peonl 
III . , by H. C. Morse. 
Volunteers to bring Mr. G. P. Granbern 
new vacht Tanya, from South Portland, Mam 
to her new home port, New Rochelle, were 
numerous a month ago that George was thin 
ing of chartering a Maine steamer so all cu 
make the trip, but now it looks as if he worn 
have to hire one or two hands to fill out a cre’j 
* * 
Captain Jeffrey, of the steam yacht Virgin' 
who has i ust returned from the Caribbean 
kindly furnished us photos and an account I 
the trip for our next issue. 
* » * 
The English built steam yacht Candace, 175 
long, 23ft. beam, 12.5ft. deep, built at Huh- 
1003. has been purchased by Mr. W. S. Kilmu 
of Binghamton, N. Y. 
* »t * 
The yacht brokerage firm of Messrs. Cox 
Stevens have moved from 68 Broad street 
York, to new quarters in the Corn Excbanj 
Bank building at No. 15 William street. 
