FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 23, 1909. 
tsS 
in a leisurely manner, made some jokes about 
the morning dip, and prepared breakfast; then 
for a general survey of the situation. French¬ 
man’s Bay is a shoal basin at the mouth of 
a creek, with a channel to the open lake pro¬ 
tected by rotting piers. Commerce long ago 
deserted the bay, and its uncharted channels 
are suitable only for small yachts and stone- 
hookers. The first spring thaw had nearly 
cleared the bay of ice, and this second jam was 
the result of a freshet of the upper waters of 
the creek, which according to custom are al¬ 
ways later in thawing out. Indeed, it was the 
rising temperature and southerly wind that had 
loosened up the back .country, and everything 
had come down with a rush. 
Some cakes of ice had piled up on a shoal, 
others had joined them, and the outlet of the 
bay had become partly choked. The water was 
finding its way out to the open lake, but most 
of the ice was accumulating. The Early Bird 
was trapped, for it was by no means desirable 
to attempt to force a lightly-built yacht through 
a mass of ragged ice; but for the moment the 
matter was of no account, for the southwest 
wind had dropped, leaving a dead roll washing 
into the harbor, and it would have been difficult 
and useless to attempt to work out in any case. 
We therefore amused ourselves with such mild 
adventures as the deserted haven afforded, and 
so passed the day until well on in the after¬ 
noon. 
For a while the sun had shone, and the air 
was almost warm; some streaks of wind came 
out of the west, but died away; there was no 
sign of an easterly wind, which would have been 
very welcome; the sky became overcast, and the 
lake assumed that sullen but majestic appear¬ 
ance which is always more impressive than 
the racing of blue waves under a summer sun. 
It reminded me of the opening chapter of 
Fenimore Cooper’s “Pilot”—but to the practical 
mind of the crew the question was, “How long 
are we going to be stuck here?”—and then a 
spatter of rain sent us to the shelter of a shed 
to discuss the situation. 
A sharp squall off the land lasted long enough 
to set the ice moving, and just before it fell 
dark we were able to make our way out into the 
open lake. With a light offshore breeze, we 
were back in Toronto Bay before midnight, 
and so ended the first cruise. But the evening 
papers of Monday had first-page stories of 
floods at Oakville, floods at Port Credit and a 
lively freshet on the Don. At both Oakville 
and Port Credit many yachts were hauled up 
to the bank, and these, in the vernacular of a 
ship builder, had “washed at the blocks”—that 
is, the river in both cases had risen several 
feet, with great rapidity, and had reached, and 
in some cases floated yachts that were well 
above any previously recorded high-water mark. 
Some of the boats were badly knocked about 
and strained; a large cutter, minus her garboard 
streaks, had sunk in the mud; and the minor 
casualties were numerous. The Early Bird had 
escaped without a scratch, thanks to the fact 
that she was fitted out and in use. So with all 
due respect to the senior member, it was quite 
evident that the bank of a creek is not always 
the safest place for a yacht; and it is pleasant 
to add that the Early Bird, after so good a start, 
maintained her reputation, and finished out a 
highly fortunate and interesting season. 
William Q. Phillips. 
Canoeing. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 
Atlantic Division—Frederic C. Pitcher, 31 
Nassau street, New York city, by Robert T. 
Wilkin. 
NEW MEMBER ELECTED. 
Atlantic Division—5921, Walter G. Sibley, 136 
N. 4th street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
British Canoe Plans. 
Canoeists are always interested in the do¬ 
ings of their fellows in foreign waters, and for 
that reason the article published in the latest 
issue of the Field to hand will be read by them. 
It may perhaps seem ptemature in October 
to be considering next year’s racing, but there 
are two good reasons for prompt attention to 
the matter with as little delay as possible. The 
lessons of the season, which has just closed, are 
fresh in our memory, and they should mould 
the line which should be taken. 
The autumn racing in the south and several 
impromptu spins in company over the course 
have furnished the comparison that was wanted 
between the new A, the existing B class, and 
the converted B canoes (we can call them 
for distinction the Ab’s). The new class was 
intended to give a more roomy and undoubtedly 
stable canoe, and to produce it under a simple 
rule quite clear of any “rating” formula with 
twistable quantities, and that such canoe, 
though larger, should in sailing be as nearly as 
may be a level match with the existing B class 
in medium weather. 
The result of the sailing together of A and B 
and A b has been that in light to moderate wind 
the B has slightly the advantage of A and A b 
on any point of sailing. The weather has. un¬ 
fortunately, been of changeable nature, but ex¬ 
perienced sailors have come to the above con¬ 
clusion. The Ab canoe in light airs holds her 
own with the A, for her sails are the same, 
while her surface and displacement are much 
less than the A’s. But in her extra weighted 
converted condition she has no chance in light 
weather of beating her late sister B canoes. 
Therefore, if racing is set in mixed classes the 
probability is that B’s would win all light-wind 
races, and most likely the powerful A’s would 
take the prizes in strong winds, and the con¬ 
verted B, and Ab, would fail to lead in either. 
The average weather of a normal summer is 
of moderate to light wind, so if mixed class be 
the order the B would be unduly favored. 
The tests have abundantly proved that for 
the best interests of the sport the two classes 
be kept separate in racing in all ordinary races, 
and where they must come together, as in the 
challenge cup races, they ought to be on level 
terms, and chance the weather they may find in 
the two and perhaps three separated days’ rac¬ 
ing. The difference in the boats is this—B is 
17 feet by 3 feet 6 inches, with practically no 
limit to lightness; A is 18 feet by 4 feet, with a 
minimum weight of keel of 130 pounds; Ab is 
simply a B loaded with 130 pounds. Each and 
all have the same sail area—viz., 150 feet—or 
can have it in actual area. Hence, though the 
A has more length and beam and greater sta¬ 
bility, she is more bulky, has more wetted sur¬ 
face and probably is some 240 pounds or more 
heavier than the B, yet she has only the same 
sail or driving power. 
Turning to the converted B (the Ab), it was 
the intention that the new class should give an 
opening to the old B (out-built) canoes in a 
new lease of racing life with a chance of prize 
winning. These canoes are of heavy build and 
keel compared to existing featherweights, such 
as Haze. Mayfly, and Kismet, and, of course, 
to possible dittoes thereof, and they have 
scarcely a chance even of a second or third prize 
in B class if three or more light craft are sail¬ 
ing. Now the tests show, so far as Ab sailing 
with A, that these old boats have a very good 
chance in light to moderate breezes. They are 
of smaller hull, less wetted surface, and much 
lighter than the full A, and, having the same 
allowance of sail, are consequently more easily 
driven in light winds. On the other hand, in 
fresh or strong winds the powerful A will prob¬ 
ably walk away, and in very light airs the large 
A seems to get along as fast as any. So it be¬ 
comes very important, if a good market is de¬ 
sired for outbuilt B’s, that the Ab, converted 
canoe, should be sailed apart from her light¬ 
weight sisters, as was intended in the drafting 
of the new rule. 
In another way the lesson of the converted, 
or weighted, B canoe in competition with the A 
is useful to the well-being of the sport. It 
shows that the new class can admit in very 
simple form almost any canoe, so that any club' 
wishing for a good standard sailing canoe able 
in every way for lake cruising, and yet also 
wishing to give sport to many sizes of existing 
canoes, will find the one class do well if they 
carefully adhere to the rule. That is, any craft 
not over 18 feet by 4 feet, with not more than 
150 feet of sail and not less than 130 pounds in 
keel or ballast. Minor points are: not less than 
J4-inch plank, one bulkhead, and quarter beam 
for the side deck. The simplicity is a great 
feature for the novice. The required weight en¬ 
ables the man who wants a safe, uncapsizable 
canoe to race such craft without being hope¬ 
lessly cast out by light displacement schemed to 
the fraction of an ounce. The rule undoubtedly 
gives a fast cruiser, and, provided racing-machine 
nature can be kept out, the class will be popular. 
If objectionable racing form be seen to be com¬ 
ing in, it will be easy to stop it by increasing 
one quantity—that is, the minimum weight. 
This, with the limited sail area, governs the 
class. Hull dimensions might almost be left free. 
There was much frowning early in the season 
at the idea that 'the new class would sap the B 
class, but even so it would only be changing— 
in effect, changing from one pocket to the other 
in the same coat. But in another way a seces¬ 
sion of owners from B to A class may be a 
positive gain to a club. Numbers of hopeless 
stern chasers whose boats had become outbuilt 
have in recent years seceded from canoe sailing 
altogether because there was no other class to 
which their craft could be converted. The rac¬ 
ing machine sliding-seated canoe commenced 
it, and the featherweights are undoubtedly carry¬ 
ing it on. There was no antidote to the poison; 
the class above was too large in its dimensions 
—viz., 22 feet by 4 feet 6 inches, and 200 feet 
of sail. In the new A class matters are quite 
easy, provided the classes are kept separate and 
prizes are fairly distributed or allotted to the 
class. 
Of course, it may fairly be said that the one 
new canoe may not present the full racing 
nature that can be extracted from the rule, es¬ 
pecially as that canoe was designed mainly for 
camping cruising; on large lakes, with racing 1 
only as an auxiliary function. It yet remains ’ 
to be seen how she moves in fresh winds and 
rough water. Her light-wind performances, 
judging from short times in which the boats 
have been sailing in the same wind—for the 
upper Thames is very uncertain and unequal in 
streaks, calms, and puffs—gives the impression 
that she is equal in pace to the B canoes, but 
that they slip away in the puffs and streaks, 
which do not last long enough to really start 
the heavier boat. Nautilus is, as far as figures 
obtained show, 275 pounds heavier than Mayfly, 
the light B canoe; their actual sail area is about 
the same amount. As to whether an A canoe 
can be built lighter than Nautilus, it is possible, 
and probably it will be done; but whether such 
reduction of weight in structure will leave suf¬ 
ficient strength to carry the heavy keel and 
extra strong spars and rigging is a matter which 
will be exploited by the man who is willing to 
risk perhaps his life. The leverage of the heavy 
bulb keel, especially in squally wind and rough 
water, sets up a transverse tortion which is im¬ 
mense. The spars and gear cannot be safely 
made lighter, for the heavy keel ballasting acts 
in a far more severe way upon the spars than 
does the elastic man balance given to the 
featherweight canoe. Possibly the plain plate, 
of required minimum weight, will be tried, but 
the depth of its center of gravity will be found 
wanting in a knockdown squall, and the one 
man’s balance power may not be good enough. 
To convert a light weight B will probably not 
be successful, for to carry a bulb keel of. 130 
pounds will necessitate considerable additions 
to the present structure, and probablv to spars 
and rigging; the total extra weight will decrease 
the already low freeboard to an uncomfortable 
extent, and make her spare buoyancy a very 
questionable quantity in strong winds and 
rough water. Nautilus. 
