Tidal Rivers
On tidal rivers, when the wind is against the tide, it is often, even in the upper reaches, quite rough. The boat last described would do very well for a small tidal river, but the mast and sail would have to be cut down considerably to stand the strain of punching into the short hollow seas.
For the lower reaches, near the sea a larger boat, say, 18 ft. long, would be better, and she should be rigged with a shroud each side and a jib. In rough water an open boat is likely to miss stays and get in irons, and then the jib is invaluable for paying off her head on one tack or the other. The jib is also a great help in a beam sea or when running with wind on the quarter. The boat fitted with a jib must have the tack made fast at the end of the boom to allow room for the jib.
For an alternative rig the gunter lug is good.
When this sail is set, the yard stands parallel with the mast, and projects some way above it.
The heel of the yard is fitted with jaws, which slide up the mast as the sail is hoisted, and the upper part of the yard is pulled into the masthead by a parral line. Sometimes the luff of the lower part of the sail is laced to the mast.
To reef this sail, the yard is lowered, and, naturally, does not then stand quite parallel with the mast on account of the drift of the parral line. It is an easy sail to reef under way, and, of course, requires a comparatively short mast.
Instead of the foregoing centre-board boats, a keel boat or a boat fitted with a false keel could be used. Such a craft would want ballast for purposes of stability and to obtain draught for going to windward. Consequently, she would not be so buoyant and lively, and, therefore, in the writer's opinion, not so useful.
Open-Sea Work. In thinking of open boats for sea work, one naturally turns to the fishermen for a lead. All round the coast these men, the past-masters of open-boat handling, are to be found in every kind of boat and rig. It is a fact that one practically never sees any of their boats' sails fitted with a boom. A boom makes a sail more effective off the wind, but a boom sail is more pressing, and has not the "lift" which is the great feature of the boomless sail.
Further, in heavy squalls a boom is not so safe, even when the sheet has been let go, nor is it so easy to handle.
The first and most familiar rig of open boats on the sea is the dipping lug, with its tack made fast in the bows of the boat. This is a fine and safe rig in the hands of skilled men, but not suitable for amateurs for two reasons: (1) That every time the boat tacks or jibes, the sail must be lowered. shifted to the other side of the mast, and hoisted again; (2) that if, by careless handling, or struck by a sea, or by a shift of wind, she is taken aback, there is a fair chance of a capsize. Further, she is not an easy boat to sail single-handed on account of the "dipping"; also she must be "helped round" with an oar.
A better rig for the amateur would be a standing lug and a jib. The standing lug has a yard, but generally no boom. The halyard is bent as for a balance lug, but the tack is pulled in to the . mast. Better still for sea work would be two standing lugs, a main and mizzen, and a jib.
With this rig, if it comes on to blow, the little ship can be "hove to" under the mizzen and jib while the mainsail is reefed or stowed.
It is probable that the amateur who sails only in the summer will fit his sail with a boom for the greater effectiveness. That being the case, a standing lug or gunter lug will answer his purpose well.
Another rig-a very good one too-though comparatively seldom seen, is the spritsail rig.
In this no boom or gaff is used, but the sail is set by a diagonal spar or sprit right across it from the peak almost down to the tack. The luff of the sail is laced to the mast, so to set it the head of the sprit is fitted into a cringle or grommet at the peak, and the heel of the sprit into another grommet (the snotter) on the mast.
This sail is reefed "up" instead of "down," and in bad weather the sprit can be unshipped in a moment, leaving a small triangular piece of sail like a trysail. The sail can also be brailed up, for the explanation of which the reader can refer to the article on barge yachts. It is advisable for such a boat to be fitted with mizzen. a In Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire probably the "coble," designed in the first place for launching off beaches against heavy seas, would be the best boat to have. The "coble" is one of the most distinctive types of craft in Europe. She has high, sharp, powerful bows with a great sheer to throw off the sea, and a good grip on the water. Her keel ends amidships, and from there to the stern she has a flat bottom with a bilge keel each side. Her stern is very raking, and her rudder projects far below it. When beached, her rudder is unshipped, and she is backed in stern first. The rig is the dipping lug.
Fishermen's open boats hardly ever have centre-plates, but carry some ballast in a movable form, and the majority of them have two masts, a good example for the amateur to follow for the reason given earlier.
It is impossible in an article of this kind to deal with the subject, except briefly, but there are many good books on small boats, such as E. F. Knight's "Small Boat Sailing."
C. C. L. IONIDES. [The Editors beg to acknowledge their indebtedness to the following gentlemen, who have kindly assisted them in the illustrations of the Yachting article: The Marquis of Ailsa, Mr.
Horace Cox, the late Mr. Dixon Kemp, Mr.
C. E. Nicholson, the late Mr. A. E. Payne, Mr.
William Fife, Mr. G. Umfreville Laws, the late Mr. G. L. Watson, Mr. Linton Hope, Mr. J. Pain Clark, and Messrs. Ratsey and Lapthorn.] was AMERICAN YACHTING. - Historical. The birth of American yachting, truly so called, may be said to have taken place in the cabin of the little schooner "Gimcrack," on the 30th of July, 1844, when the New York Yacht Club organised. Doubtless there were pleasure craft worthy of the name of yachts before that time, but with hardly an exception they have left neither history nor legend behind them, and the consideration of the subject must, therefore, begin at that point.
A number of gentlemen. representing most of the pleasure craft of any size owned in American waters, came together in the cabin of the "Gimcrack" by request of her owner, Mr. J. C. Stevens, to organise the club, whose history has been to a great extent the record of American yachting. The second yacht club in the United States was the Southern, of New Orleans, but this organisation never had more than a local interest, as its fleet was composed entirely of small open boats. Then followed the Neptune Yacht Club of the Highlands, which was organised in 1850, with headquarters on the Shrewsbury River, New Jersey, but, like its Southern sister, it was known only in its immediate vicinity. Next in order comes the Carolina, of Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1854; but it was not until 1857, when the Brooklyn Yacht Club was founded, that the New York Yacht Club had a rival.
The New York Yacht Club held its first regatta July 16th, 1845, and its rating for time allowance was 45 seconds per ton, Custom House measurement. The course was entirely an inside one in New York Bay, the outer mark being the South-west Spit Buoy. This was not only the first yacht regatta under the auspices of the L 5 4 WL.
WL "CYGNET."
WL Club, but the first recorded in America.
Schooners and sloops were classed together, and the only dimension given was the tonnage, as follows:-Schooners: "Cygnet," 45 tons, W.
Edgar; "Sybil," 42 tons, C. B. Miller; "Spray," 37 tons, H. Wilkes; "La Coquille," 27 tons, John C. Jay; "Minna," 30 tons, J. Waterbury; "Gimcrack," Com. J. C. Stevens. Sloops: "Newburgh," 33 tons, H. Robinson; "Adder," 17 tons, J. Rogers; "Lancet," 20 tons, G. B.
Rollins. The "Cygnet" won.
With some exceptions, there cannot be stated from any data now extant the exact type of these boats, but some were keel and some, probably, centreboard craft. No light sails were then used, except, possibly, a maintopsail.
Spinakers, balloon jib topsails, and even fore, and jib-topsails were unknown. a With a few words more about the clubs, it will be noticed how the type of the "La Coquille" and the "Cygnet," the comparatively blunt, low, and "mackerel stern," developed into the " waveform" and the "fin-keel." The general public interest in regattas was far greater then than it is to-day. The stores, exchanges, and banks were closed, and a general holiday prevailed. The shores of Bay Ridge, Staten Island, and that part of New Jersev from which a glimpse of the course could be obtained, were lined with people in holiday attire eager to catch the first view of the leader. As the number of clubs increased, however, and yachts were seen in every bay and harbour, the interest, except in international contests, was confined to the yacht owners and their friends.
In 1858 the Jersey City Yacht Club was organised; seven years later the first New England Club, the Boston, was founded. This was after the close of the Civil War, in 1865; but there is not space to enumerate all the clubs, which rapidly multiplied until nearly every town on the seaboard of ten thousand inhabitants possessed its club signal and its house. Indeed, this statement need not be confined to the seaboard, for all the large places on the great lakes and many on the smaller ones had their yacht clubs. As early as 1867 the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, California, was founded; so "the western slope" was only two years behind New England in opening its first home for the owners of pleasure craft. Among the later group of clubs in New York Bay or along the shores of Long Island Sound must be mentioned the Atlantic, founded in 1866, the Seawanhaka Corinthian in 1871, and the Larchmont in 1880 -all organisations which are second only to the New York Yacht Club; in fact, it is highly probable that there is a larger number of expert sailors, who habitually sail and command their own vessels, in these last-named clubs than in the older organisation. This is particularly true of the Seawanhaka Club. Although New England was somewhat late in the field, Boston is to-day more of a yachting centre than even New York, although she lacks Long Island Sound. Among her prominent clubs are the "Eastern" (founded in 1870), the "Beverly," the "Bunker Hill," the "Corinthian of Marblehead," and, in other New England towns, the "Hull," "New Haven," "Portland," Norwalk, "Riverside," Stamford, and many more.
Among other clubs which have permanent homes on the various harbours of the Sound are the New Rochelle, Corinthian Fleet, Sea Cliff.
Hempstead Harbour, Riverside, Indian Harbour, and Huguenot. Most of these clubs, outside of those previously spoken of, are composed of comparatively small boats, and have but little place in the history or development of yachting, except, perhaps, locally.
Probably the first yacht built in America was the "Jefferson," constructed at Salem, Massachusetts, 1801, for Capt. George Crowninshield, and built by Christopher Turner. Very little is known of her beyond the fact that she was twenty-two tons burden; she was afterwards converted into a privateer, and took some prizes in the war of 1812.
Fifteen years later "Cleopatra's Barge" made her appearance, and was so much admired that many people visited her daily during the later days of her construction. She was brigantinerigged and looked much more like a small war vessel of that period (1816) than a gentleman's pleasure-craft. Like her predecessor, she was built at Salem for the same owner, and was 83 feet on the water line and 9141 tons, a keel boat drawing II feet of water. There was little yachting in America, however, until the years immediately preceding the formation of the New York Yacht Club, when there was a sufficient number of yachts in existence to form a nucleus for the young enterprise to work with. The first cruise of the squadron took place when the Club was just four days old, and was called by the Secretary, John C. Jay. in his minutes, "An expedition to Newport." They stopped at Huntington and New Haven, rendezvousing at White Stone.
Now appeared upon the field the first famous American yacht designer, George Steers. In 1839, when he was but fourteen years old, he built a sail-boat 17 feet long, called the "Martin Van Buren," which was considered a marvel of speed. In 1841 Steers constructed for Mr. (afterwards Com.) J. C. Stevens a sloop 30 feet long, which proved a successful craft.
The "Cygnet," a keel schooner built for Mr.
Edgar, 45 tons, was launched in 1842, designed by the same hand, and was probably the best yacht of her kind produced in the country previous to the existence of the New York Yacht Club; but it was not until 1846, when Commodore Stevens, with Steers's help, constructed the Water Line CB CB "MARIA." "Maria," that the famous designer's name became noted beyond all others of his time. This celebrated sloop was IIO feet over all, 97 feet on load water-line, 266 feet beam, 52 feet draught, displacement 145 tons, sail area 5,850 square feet.
For some time the "Maria" was considered a marvel of perfection, although she was once beaten in a severe blow by a schooner. She was a centreboard, as her light draught would imply..
Her first race was sailed October 6th, 1841, which was also the first Corinthian race in the country, the boats being handled exclusively by amateurs. 66 In 1847 Steers built for James Waterbury, Esq., the scarcely less noted "Una," originally a sloop, but since altered into a schooner. This later production was much smaller than the Maria," being only 54 tons. The "Una" is still in existence, and is to-day a fine-looking. boat, which speaks well for the "Steers" construction. Most of the vessels of this designer became historic in the yachting world, and all of them were more than ordinarily fast for that time.
The second great period of American yachting was ushered in by the advent of the famous "America," Steer's greatest triumph. She was built for Com. J. C. Stevens, owner of the "Maria," and was a keel schooner of 170 tons.
The career of this vessel in foreign waters is so well known as to need only a passing mention here. It may be well, however, to give her full WL "AMERICA."
W.L WL dimensions. She was 94 feet on deck, 84 feet L.W.L., 82 feet keel, 226 beam, 116 draught, mainmast 81 feet, foremast 796, maintopmast 336, main boom 58 feet, main gaff 28 feet, fore gaff 24 feet, bowsprit outboard 17 feet.
In this enterprise were associated with Commodore Stevens his friends, Hamilton Weeks, George L. Schuyler, James Hamilton, and J. B.
Finlay. The "America" sailed for Europe early in July, 1851, and arrived at Havre twenty-one days later, in which port she was put in racing condition, and as soon as in trim sailed for Cowes, the headquarters of British yachting. The great race for the cup, now known as the America's," was sailed August 22nd, 1851, the course being around the Isle of Wight. The American schooner finished at 8 h. 37 m., while the first yacht of the Royal Squadron crossed the line at 8 h. 55 m. This time-record, however, is hardly fair to the "America," as her nearest opponent, the cutter "Aurora," was some miles astern until near the finish, when a lucky "fluke," so common in yachting, made her a fair second; the thirteen remaining vessels, however, were hopelessly beaten. While in English waters, the "America" was easily successful in a match sailed with the schooner "Titania." Before speaking of other yachts it should be noted that the "America" was the first yacht that ever crossed the Atlantic in either direction. Like the "Una," she is still in existence, and in her modern rig is still rated as one of the fast sailers. During the season of 1897 this grand old schooner, in a cracking breeze and rigged in modern style, beat the swift and scarcely less famous Burgess schooner "Puritan" (formerly the cup-defending sloop).
The next yacht worthy of mention is the centreboard sloop "Sylvie," IOI tons, drawing only 4 feet of water with her board up. She was owned by Louis Depau, Esq., and, like the "America," raced in English waters; but she was not successful. She had, however, the honour of being the first sloop-yacht to cross the Atlantic.
About the year 1854 balloon-sails and club and sprit-topsails came into use on racing yachts, though not such large ones as we see to-day.
In this year appeared the famous and, for years, invincible sloop "Julia," owned by James Waterbury, Esq., former owner of the "Una." This new craft was also designed by Steers. Her dimensions were 80 tons, Custom House measurement; for some years she was the pride of the yachting world, and considered the best of the Steers's boats, with perhaps the exception of the ever-famous "America." The "Julia" is still, like the "America," in existence, but is now the schooner "Nirvana"; she never was successful as a racer since her change of rig. The "Julia" was the last vessel of note modelled by Steers, as he died soon after at an early age.
In the next period in the yachting history of the country there was a dearth of great designers.
Plenty of yachts were built, but they were not much better than those which preceded them.
Although it was not until the days of Burgess that anything superior was designed, there was a gradual evolution in the construction of yachts which produced many good results. The Civil War for a short period turned men's thoughts in other directions and possibly delayed for a time advance in the sport. The schooner "Magic" was designed by R. J. Loper in 1857, and was afterwards famous for leading the New York Yacht Club fleet in winning the America's Cup Race of 1870, against the English schooner "Cambria," the owner of which, Mr. Ashbury, had offered the challenge. The "Magic" 97 17 tons, and was always considered a good rather than a remarkable boat, until she won her fame in the race above alluded to. In 1865, or during the war, the "Henrietta," owned by James Gordon Bennett and designed by William