CLASS RACING, 1893
The racing on the Solent (apart from the large classes) during the season of 1893 will be principally remembered by the advent of the 20-rater class. It was not adopted at the Conference of Clubs held at the Club House of the R.P.C.Y.C, in February as one of the Solent Classes, which remained at ½-raters, 1-raters, 2½-raters, 5-raters, and 10-raters; but the 10-rater class being practically defunct on the Solent during this year, the clubs were enabled to offer a capital programme to the 20-raters, for which class the Earl of Dunraven built the 'Deirdre' (L. 46.2, S. 2,590) from a design by Mr. G. L. Watson, the Earl of Dudley built the 'Vigorna' (L. 46.7, S. 2,569) at Gosport from a design by Mr. C. Nicholson (jun.), and Mr. F. C. Hill built the 'Dragon III.' (L. 45.3, S. 2,593) from a design by Mr. Fife (jun.); Mr. E. Jessop also purchased Mr. Hill's 'Dragon II.' (L. 45.7, S. 2,624), and raced her on the Solent for the first half of the season under the new name of 'Molly.' The 'Maladetta' (L.46, S. 2,608), designed by her owner, Mr. J. E. McGildowny, also competed in a few races in August, but without much success. The most extreme boat, Lord Dudley's, proved a complete failure as a racing machine. In type she was similar to the 'Pilgrim,' built in America for the Cup competition. 'Deirdre' was also a highly developed machine, but she was beaten by 'Dragon III.,' the more moderate design. However, both she and 'Dragon III.' generally found no difficulty in defeating 'Molly,' and on several occasions during the season 'Deirdre' was able to win the principal prize, as will be seen in the table on p. 268.
'Wee Winn,' ½-rater. Designed by Herreshoff for Miss Sutton, 1892.
'Daisy.' Designed by J. M. Soper, 1892.
The 5-Raters, 1893.
'Red Lancer's' record of 11 first prizes in 13 starts is exceedingly good. The start for the Squadron race on Aug. 3 is not counted against her, as the first prize should have been awarded to her. She always won easily in light weather, and it required half a gale for 'Dacia' to get in front of her. Before 'Red Lancer's' arrival, at the end of July, 'Dacia' scored by far the best of the Solent trio, the other two boats ('Quinque' and 'Fleur-de-Lis') being a good match inter se.
'Valentine' was sailed capitally, and made a good fight for a place in light weather; but she never won first honours, and was as clearly outclassed as she was in 1890 when she competed against 'Alwida,' 'Glycera,' 'Quinque,' and 'Archee.'
| 1893 | Starts | Prizes | Figure of merit | ||
| First | Other | Total | |||
| 20-Rating Class | |||||
| Dragon III | 29 | 19 | 08 | 27 | 52.00 |
| Deirdre | 29 | 09 | 10 | 19 | 25.00 |
| Molly (Dragon II.) | 19 | 01 | 05 | 06 | 04.00 |
| 5-Rating Class | |||||
| Red Lancer | 13 | 11 | 01 | 12 | 59.00 |
| Dacia | 27 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 35.00 |
| Fleur-de-Lis (Squall) | 41 | 11 | 09 | 20 | 22.00 |
| Quinque | 37 | 09 | 11 | 20 | 20.00 |
| Valentine | 12 | 00 | 02 | 02 | 00.00 |
| 2½-Rating Class | |||||
| Meueen | 49 | 26 | 14 | 40 | 44.80 |
| Gareth | 53 | 25 | 17 | 42 | 40.10 |
| Elf | 34 | 06 | 05 | 11 | 14.30 |
| Manx Cat (Polynia) | 46 | 03 | 16 | 19 | 05.30 |
| Papoose | 48 | 03 | 16 | 19 | 05.10 |
| Kismet | 34 | 02 | 06 | 08 | 04.80 |
| Faugh-a-Ballagh | 10 | 01 | 06 | 07 | 04.50 |
| Gavotte | 26 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 03.00 |
| 1-Rating Class | |||||
| Morwena | 36 | 20 | 08 | 28 | 45.40 |
| Sacharissa | 49 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 36.20 |
| Scud | 20 | 06 | 07 | 13 | 22.60 |
| Tipcat | 33 | 08 | 13 | 21 | 19.60 |
| Tartar | 34 | 06 | 12 | 18 | 14.30 |
| Wolfhound | 32 | 05 | 05 | 10 | 12.60 |
| Whisper | 04 | 01 | 01 | 02 | 12.50 |
| Doushka | 12 | 02 | 05 | 07 | 11.40 |
| Hark Holla | 05 | 01 | 01 | 02 | 10.70 |
| Whoo Whoop | 18 | 02 | 03 | 05 | 08.20 |
| Kitten | 10 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 06.50 |
| Roulette | 11 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 06.10 |
| Javelin | 33 | 01 | 05 | 06 | 02.50 |
| Fantasy | 36 | 01 | 11 | 12 | 02.30 |
| ½-Rating Class | |||||
| Wee Winn | 11 | 08 | 03 | 11 | 49.10 |
| Coquette | 52 | 25 | 14 | 39 | 40.80 |
| Koodoo | 07 | 04 | 02 | 06 | 34.50 |
| Ragamuffin | 12 | 05 | 04 | 09 | 28.60 |
| Pique | 14 | 03 | 08 | 11 | 15.20 |
| Mosquito | 51 | 09 | 18 | 27 | 14.97 |
| Queen Bee | 03 | 01 | 01 | 02 | 14.92 |
| Ladybird | 37 | 06 | 07 | 13 | 13.30 |
| Humming-top | 20 | 03 | 05 | 08 | 11.30 |
| Spruce | 18 | 02 | 03 | 05 | 08.20 |
| Lady Grizel | 21 | 02 | 06 | 08 | 07.20 |
| Idono | 18 | 01 | 06 | 07 | 04.10 |
The racing in this class soon became principally interesting in the duel for first honours between the Gosport boat 'Gareth,' owned by Mr. Henderson, and frequently sailed by Mr. Collingwood Hughes, and the Herreshoff boat 'Meueen,' owned and sailed by Mr. Hardie Jackson, who did so well with 'Faugh-a-Ballagh' in 1892. 'Meueen' was fully 'up to date' except her rig, which was sloop with a gaff-mainsail. This, however, she soon discarded for the more fashionable rig in the small classes, and she always made a fine race with 'Gareth,' except in the hardest weather. Even in strong winds and heavy seas she did well after her lead was increased. She has great overhang, like 'Wenonah' and 'Wee Winn'; but there is nothing excessive in beam or in shallowness of body. Her elements are not at present obtainable, except L.W.L. 24.82 feet, and sail-area 596 square feet. 'Gareth' raced this year on a length for rating of 29.15, and a sail-area of 533 square feet, which together produced a rating of 2.58, and she had to allow time for the excess of rating over 2.5, in accordance with Rule 3, Y.R.A., as revised in 1893.
The 'Elf,' a new boat built at Gosport for Mr. Dudley Ward from a design by Mr. C. Nicholson (jun.), was rather too advanced in type. She did fairly well at first, but fell off as the other boats were gradually tuned up to their maxima of efficiency. Her figure of merit was 14.3, 'Gareth's' being 40.1, and 'Meueen' heading the class with 44.8. 'Kismet,' another new boat, built and designed by Payne for Miss Cox, proved to be a disappointment, as the record table indicates.
Mr. Gurtside Tipping, R.N., purchased 'Polynia' during the winter of 1892, and raced her in '93 under the new name 'Manx Cat.' She did very well until her keel and attached rudder were removed and replaced by a fin with bulb and a 'disconnected' rudder. This made her very hard on the helm, and she rarely scored afterwards.
Mr. Paul Ralli stuck to his good boat 'Papoose,' and tried to invade the 5-rater class with her; but this was frustrated mainly by the clubs promptly adopting conditions to stop this form of inter-class racing.
The 'Faugh-a-Ballagh' started in 16 races and scored one first prize; as did 'Gavotte,' which started 26 times on the Solent. 'Undine' started twice, 'Fiera' and 'Cassowary' seven times, but no prizes came to the lockers of these three boats.
It is questionable whether this class will retain its popularity. The 2½-rater is decidedly an expensive boat; the first cost and maintenance being nearly as much as a 5-rater, and the comfort very much less. Moreover, it is severely pressed by the class below of 1-rating, which is becoming very popular, and deservedly so. A 1-rater can be built complete for 100 to 150 guineas, whereas some of the new 2½-raters cost nearly 400l.; and a 5-rater can be built for 500l., although it is stated that some of them cost 600l.
The 1-Raters, 1893.
It has been very difficult to draw up a record of the class racing in the two smaller classes, because many of the sailing clubs and some of the yacht clubs do not send full reports of their numerous matches to the press. The winners only are mentioned in some reports, but it is necessary to know the number of starts for each boat if her figure of merit is to be calculated. The figures given in the table of winners in the Y. R. Calendar are not trustworthy; first, because the owners often make mistakes in sending in their returns; and, secondly, because some of the results are taken from mixed races, not class races, and some from races outside the Solent.
The record table is compiled from the reports of the regattas given in the Y. R. Calendar, and in the 'Yachtsman.' Two of the Portsmouth match days were omitted, and the winners only were mentioned on one of the Royal Albert days, one of the Victoria days, and on the Squadron day.
There may, therefore, be a small decimal error in the figure of merit of a few of the boats, but the order of merit may be regarded to be correct as it stands in the table.
The best 1-rater was the Yankee boat 'Morwena' with the high M. of 45.4. She is similar to the other Herreshoff boats in the small classes, and has been well sailed.
'Sacharissa' came next with the excellent M. of 36.2. She was sailed faultlessly by Mr. P. Perceval (jun.), and was the best boat turned out by Payne in 1893.
'Scud' came third with an M. of 22.6. She is one of the wide and shallow type, answering well to her name when going over rather than through the water.
'Tipcat' went well; also 'Tartar' and 'Wolfhound.' 'Whisper' was not seen often enough to judge of her merits accurately, but the old 1892 crack 'Doushka' went as well as ever when Mr. Perceval brought her out at the end of the season.
'Fantasy,' a novelty built at Hamble for Mr. Randal Vogan from his own design, went far better than anyone expected. She has a ram bow, long counter, and fin-bulb keel, with narrow beam and sides that tumble home above the water-line. She often scored second honours.
'Mahatma,' 'Viva,' 'Cariad,' 'Rogue,' 'Vlekendor,' 'Leading Article' did not race often on the Solent, and did not score any first prizes.
'Roulette,' 'Dona,' and 'Rogue' did most of their racing on the Thames, which has been tabulated by Mr. Winser, and published in the 'Field' of November 11, 1893.
The ½-Raters, 1893.
The smallest class suffered from the extreme popularity of the 1-rater class, and it often occurred that only two or three ½-raters started in a race. 'Wee Winn' again proved herself to be the champion boat in the class, but she only competed about a dozen times. She made the fine M. of 49.1. 'Coquette,' which was raced hard all the season, also did remarkably well, and made a fine figure of merit, 40.8. 'Koodoo' and 'Ragamuffin,' which came out late, also did well. 'Sagamore,' 'Nautilus,' 'Tiny,' 'Vega,' 'Khistie,' 'Coral,' and 'Haha' raced occasionally, but failed to score first honours.
When this chapter was begun the writer feared that designers would refuse to give any information about successful boats, but the tables have been filled in by many of them in a most liberal manner; and the author begs to tender them his thanks, and he hopes those of his readers, for so doing. The elements thus recorded are hull-dimensions, but the sail-dimensions are often equally interesting and instructive. These are given on the certificates and are public property; but they become more valuable for comparison when collected in a tabular form. The table has therefore been made.
At present the lugsail, invented by Mr. Tom Ratsey of Cowes, reigns supreme in the small classes, 'Doreen' leading the list with a mainsail about 1,000 sq. ft. in area. Nevertheless, we find 'Wee Winn' beating the other ½-raters with a cutter mainsail; but all our experience points to the belief that she would go still better with a lug. The table deserves careful study, and it will be seen that the proportion of head-sail to total S.A. has steadily decreased, until in some boats it has almost reached the vanishing point, and 'Coquette' came out with all her sail in the lug. This tendency is bad, and will be still further encouraged if the actual area of head-sail be measured as proposed by the Council of the Y.R.A.[14]
Here ends the summary of the Solent racing under the Y.R.A. rule of rating. The type of boat which was produced up to the end of 1891 is excellent, being dry, seaworthy, fast, and easily driven with small sails; but it is easy to see that the most recent developments are not equally satisfactory. In the words of the 'Field,' October 29, 1892:—'It seems that all which is good has been got out of the present rating rule, and there is nothing more to be derived from it but an increase of speed, with a possible decrease of weight, internal space, and sail-spread.'
This sums up the much-debated rule question in a single sentence.
What the next period will bring depends greatly, perhaps entirely, upon some small mathematical sign in the form for the rule of rating. For instance, the American rules use a sign indicating addition where we use one indicating multiplication, the consequence being that the former is a more adjustable rule than ours—more easily controlled by coefficients. But it is not necessary to enter into these matters now, as they are specially treated in Chapter VII. The racing man on the Solent or the Clyde cares more for the sport than the science involved in questions of displacement, length, and what not; and we may rest assured that whatever the Council of the Y.R.A. do, or leave undone, the sport will proceed in the same enthusiastic manner.
There cannot be the smallest doubt that an immense advantage to yachting would be gained if England, France, and America raced under the same rule of rating and a similar classification; and if an international conference were invited to meet in London the thing would be done without much difficulty.
The table of Clubs on p. 286 shows that 2,761l. in cash and 933l. in cups, plate, &c. were won on the Solent in 1892, or a total of 3,723l. This does not include the prizes won at the Town Regattas—Cowes, Southampton, Lymington, Yarmouth, Totland Bay, Ryde, and Portsmouth. Good prizes are offered to the raters at several of these regattas, probably increasing the above total to nearly 4,000l.[15]
| Name of Yacht | Rig | Date | Rating | L.W.L. | Sail | Areas | Spars | Lines | ||||||||||||
| Total | Main | Head | Top | Boom | Gaff | Yard | Luff | A | B | C | D | I | J | |||||||
| 10-Raters | Yvonne | Cutter | 1889 | 9.80 | 34.10 | 1,726 | 813 | 658 | 254 | 34.00 | 21.60 | — | 22.85 | 44.30 | 19.20 | 40.20 | 19.30 | 46.20 | 28.50 | |
| Doreen | Lugger | July 15, | 1892 | 9.96 | 38.05 | 1,572 | 1,061 | 511 | — | 38.38 | — | 33.38 | 18.75 | 57.80 | 24.30 | 42.40 | 16.90 | 34.40 | 29.70 | |
| 5-Raters | Alwida | Cutter | May 15, | 1890 | 4.95 | 29.66 | 1,002 | 684 | 318 | — | 29.70 | 19.50 | — | 22.10 | 41.10 | 13.30 | 36.00 | 18.30 | 28.80 | 22.10 |
| Glycera | Cutter | May 15, | 1890 | 4.93 | 30.97 | 957 | 657 | 300 | — | 29.30 | 19.30 | — | 21.50 | 40.70 | 16.70 | 35.80 | 17.70 | 28.00 | 21.40 | |
| Archee | Cutter | Aug. 21, | 1890 | 4.96 | 30.43 | 980 | 675 | 305 | — | 30.50 | 19.50 | — | 21.40 | 40.50 | 17.25 | 36.00 | 18.10 | 29.00 | 21.00 | |
| Quinque | Cutter | May 29, | 1890 | 4.99 | 31.56 | 951 | 645 | 306 | — | 28.80 | 19.00 | — | ?0 | 40.00 | 16.70 | 35.30 | 17.60 | 25.90 | 23.60 | |
| Windfall | Lug. cut. | May 19, | 1891 | 4.97 | 32.89 | 909 | 659 | 250 | — | 30.40 | — | 27.00 | 17.70 | 47.00 | 19.10 | 33.80 | 12.40 | 25.00 | 20.00 | |
| Savourna | Lug. slp. | June 2, | 1891 | 4.94 | 33.40 | 888 | 669 | 219 | — | 31.65 | — | 28.60 | 12.00 | 47.00 | 20.50 | 34.00 | 11.00 | 26.50 | 16.53 | |
| Iernia | Lug. slp. | June 5, | 1891 | 4.99 | 31.48 | 953 | 774 | 179 | — | 35.75 | — | 29.30 | 12.00 | 48.00 | 22.60 | 37.50 | 11.50 | 26.05 | 13.75 | |
| Cyane | Lug. slp. | June 3, | 1892 | 4.95 | 33.75 | 880 | 668 | 212 | — | 35.50 | — | 28.00 | 13.25 | 46.00 | 19.50 | 33.00 | 12.20 | 29.20 | 14.50 | |
| Quinque | Lug. slp. | July 21, | 1892 | 4.96 | 33.15 | 898 | 677 | 221 | — | 35.95 | — | 29.60 | 12.75 | 46.30 | 21.00 | 33.50 | 11.40 | 27.45 | 16.10 | |
| Dacia | Lug. slp. | June 15, | 1892 | 5.00 | 33.83 | 888 | 700 | 188 | — | 31.87 | — | 31.60 | 13.00 | 49.40 | 20.20 | 33.00 | 12.20 | 28.13 | 13.33 | |
| 2½-raters | Thalassa | Sloop | 1887 | 2.46 | 20.94 | 706 | 422 | 208 | 76 | 22.58 | 15.85 | — | ? | 31.50 | ? | 27.80 | 14.50 | 25.41 | 16.33 | |
| Thalassa | Sloop | May 17, | 1889 | 2.49 | 22.95 | 652 | 452 | 200 | — | 22.60 | 14.80 | — | ? | 34.80 | 12.50 | 29.80 | 15.70 | 24.90 | 16.10 | |
| Humming Bird | Lug. slp. | July 12, | 1889 | 2.44 | 25.90 | 567 | 432 | 135 | — | 23.46 | — | 23.20 | 11.50 | 39.00 | 15.20 | 26.50 | 10.20 | 23.54 | 12.00 | |
| Mliss | Sloop | May 15, | 1890 | 2.50 | 24.97 | 603 | 448 | 155 | — | 24.50 | 16.00 | — | 17.70 | 32.50 | 14.20 | 29.50 | 14.70 | 22.20 | 14.00 | |
| Cock-a-Whoop | Lug. slp. | June 18, | 1890 | 2.50 | 25.00 | 600 | 438 | 162 | — | 24.10 | — | 23.00 | ? | 36.20 | 16.80 | 26.80 | 10.00 | 24.10 | 13.40 | |
| Babe | Lug. slp. | 1890 and 1891 | 2.48 | 26.76 | 557 | 429 | 127 | — | 23.60 | — | 22.90 | 11.60 | 36.50 | 15.60 | 25.40 | 10.50 | 21.70 | 11.70 | ||
| Fiera | Lug. slp. | June 12, | 1891 | 2.49 | 28.00 | 536 | 425 | 111 | — | 23.80 | — | 23.00 | 11.30 | 38.00 | 15.50 | 26.20 | 10.00 | 20.50 | 10.80 | |
| June 18, | 1892 | 2.45 | 27.36 | 539 | 114 | 11.10 | ||||||||||||||
| Avadavat | Lug. slp. | June 10, | 1891 | 2.49 | 28.00 | 536 | 425 | 111 | — | 23.80 | — | 23.00 | 11.30 | 38.00 | 15.50 | 26.20 | 10.00 | 20.50 | 10.80 | |
| Janetta | Lug. slp. | Aug. 14, | 1891 | 2.48 | 26.45 | 563 | 430 | 133 | — | 23.80 | — | 23.00 | 11.60 | 38.00 | 15.50 | 28.80 | 10.50 | 22.60 | 11.80 | |
| Molly | Lug. slp. | 1892 | 2.49 | 28.26 | 531 | 439 | 92 | — | 25.30 | — | 24.50 | 9.50 | 38.00 | 17.00 | 26.70 | 8.70 | 17.10 | 10.70 | ||
| Stork | Lug. slp. | 1892 | 2.50 | 28.52 | 527 | 442 | 85 | — | 25.30 | — | 24.50 | 9.10 | 38.40 | 17.00 | 27.00 | 8.50 | 15.70 | 10.80 | ||
| Faugh-a-Ballagh | Lug. slp. | May 30, | 1892 | 2.48 | 27.48 | 543 | 433 | 110 | — | 23.80 | — | 23.70 | 11.30 | 38.50 | 15.30 | 25.80 | 10.30 | 20.00 | 11.00 | |
| Cockatoo | Lug. slp. | June 28, | 1892 | 2.41 | 27.24 | 533 | 436 | 97 | — | 23.30 | — | 24.00 | 12.30 | 40.30 | 14.50 | 25.60 | ? | 20.10 | 9.70 | |
| Papoose | Lug. slp. | June 11, | 1892 | 2.50 | 27.65 | 543 | 446 | 97 | — | 23.60 | — | 24.00 | 12.50 | 40.50 | 14.80 | 26.20 | 11.20 | 20.10 | 9.70 | |
| Polynia | Lug. slp. | July | 1892 | 2.47 | 28.15 | 528 | 431 | 97 | — | 23.60 | — | 24.60 | 10.75 | 39.40 | 15.40 | 25.40 | 10.00 | 18.50 | 10.50 | |
| Gareth | Lug. slp. | July 30, | 1892 | 2.48 | 28.02 | 533 | 442 | 91 | — | 24.90 | — | 24.50 | 10.60 | 40.30 | 15.40 | 26.20 | 10.00 | 10.70 | 9.70 | |
| Wenonah | Sloop | Aug. 3, | 1892 | 2.40 | 25.05 | 577 | 449 | 128 | — | 27.40 | 14.90 | — | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 19.60 | 13.10 | |
| 1-raters | Pup | Lug. slp. | 1890 | 0.99 | 18.21 | 328 | 272 | 72 | — | 20.00 | — | 18.40 | 7.80 | 29.50 | 13.20 | 21.20 | 7.30 | 15.20 | 9.40 | |
| July | 1892 | 0.99 | 17.37 | 344 | ||||||||||||||||
| Rogue | Lug. slp. | Aug. 18, | 1892 | 0.99 | 20.91 | 285 | 238 | 47 | — | 18.50 | — | 18.30 | 7.00 | 28.00 | 12.50 | 19.40 | 6.50 | 13.50 | 7.00 | |
| Barbet | Lug. slp. | Aug. 23, | 1892 | 0.97 | 20.27 | 288 | 249 | 39 | — | 19.00 | — | 18.90 | 6.25 | 29.00 | 12.90 | 20.00 | 6.20 | 10.20 | 7.60 | |
| Doushka | Lug. slp. | June 30, | 1892 | 0.98 | 21.07 | 281 | 245 | 36 | — | ? | — | 19.00 | 5.75 | 28.80 | 13.20 | 20.00 | 5.50 | 10.00 | 7.20 | |
| Nansheen | Lug. slp. | May 28, | 1892 | 0.99 | 20.24 | 297 | 251 | 46 | — | 19.50 | — | 17.00 | 8.00 | 28.00 | 12.40 | 20.50 | 7.50 | 12.80 | 7.20 | |
| Mahatma | Lug. slp. | Apr. 27, | 1892 | 0.99 | 20.61 | 289 | 242 | 47 | — | 18.40 | — | 17.70 | 6.50 | 27.00 | 13.10 | 20.00 | 5.90 | 14.70 | 6.50 | |
| ½-raters | Coquette | Lug. slp. | May 14, | 1891 | 0.50 | 15.58 | 192 | 192 | — | — | 16.80 | — | 14.90 | 7.60 | 25.20 | 10.30 | 17.80 | 7.00 | — | — |
| Dee Dee | Lug. slp. | July 14, | 1891 | 0.50 | 17.17 | 177 | 149 | 28 | — | 14.80 | — | 14.90 | 4.60 | 21.50 | 10.80 | 15.80 | 4.20 | 11.00 | 5.10 | |
| Jeanie | Lug. slp. | June 18, | 1891 | 0.50 | 16.25 | 187 | 162 | 25 | — | ? | — | 12.70 | 6.10 | 22.90 | 9.70 | 17.00 | 5.60 | 12.30 | 4.10 | |
| Spruce | Yawl | Aug. 27, | 1891 | 0.41 | 16.20 | 154 | 123 | — | — | ? | 12.90 | — | 4.75 | 17.00 | 10.40 | 13.80 | 4.40 | — | — | |
| Eileen | Lug. slp. | May 13, | 1891 | 0.49 | 15.90 | 185 | 144 | (mizz. | 30.5) | 5.95 | 7.00 | 2.83 | 8.50 | 5.20 | 6.50 | 2.60 | mizzen | — | ||
| Narua | Lug. slp. | May 19, | 1891 | 0.49 | 15.97 | 183 | 143 | 41 | — | 14.50 | — | 14.90 | 4.80 | 20.30 | 11.00 | 15.00 | 4.30 | 12.60 | 6.50 | |
| Dancing Girl | Lug. slp. | 1891 | 0.50 | 15.99 | 189 | 167 | 40 | — | 14.60 | — | 14.80 | 4.80 | 20.00 | 11.00 | 15.00 | 4.30 | 12.60 | 6.40 | ||
| July 13, | 1892 | 22 | — | 16.40 | — | 15.00 | 4.80 | 23.40 | 11.00 | 17.10 | 4.50 | 11.10 | 4.00 | |||||||
| Daisy | Lug. slp. | Aug. 26, | 1892 | 0.50 | 17.10 | 176 | 152 | 24 | — | 15.60 | — | 14.10 | 5.30 | 22.20 | 10.00 | 16.00 | 5.10 | 9.00 | ? | |
| Wee Winn | Sloop | July 23, | 1892 | 0.46 | 15.61 | 178 | 141 | 37 | — | 15.10 | 9.16 | — | 8.60 | 18.80 | 8.20 | 16.60 | 7.70 | 10.90 | 6.70 | |
Some of these town regattas are managed in a most remarkable manner, the fireworks at night being perhaps the most important matter for consideration in the eyes of the Committee.
A year or two back, the raters at Cowes were started in a line with the committee vessel, with no outside limit! On the day of the race it was a lee shore; consequently Lord Dunraven, Mr. Perceval, and one or two others who were wider awake than the rest, started in the dim distance, well to windward, and romped down full and bye to the first mark.
At Lymington the 5-raters are started from a line at the river-mouth from a little boat, by a little man, with a little gun and a big flag, and the finish is right up the river, in a narrow place thronged with small boats, with probably a four-oared race in progress. After an accident has taken place and a few people are drowned, this may be altered.
At Totland Bay in 1892 there was a handicap for which two very unequal boats had entered. The sailing committee could not agree about the handicap; some bright genius therefore proposed that the difference of time between the boats at the end of the first round should be multiplied by 3 for the handicap on the three rounds, and it is said that this was actually done! And so on. These regattas are very good fun, if only because the unexpected usually occurs.
The men who have made the Solent racing what it is must now be mentioned:—
Mr. Wolff, the Hon. Sec. of the R.S.Y.C., and the late Mr. McCheane, Hon. Sec. of the R.P.C.Y.C., have already been alluded to. Colonel Bucknill, Hon. Sec. of the Castle Yacht Club; Mr. Blair Onslow Cochrane, Hon. Sec. of the Bembridge Sailing Club; Mr. Barrow, Hon. Sec. of the Island Sailing Club; Mr. Herbert Ridsdale, Hon. Sec. of the Hamble Branch of the Minima Sailing Club, have in like manner worked hard and very successfully in the cause. So also have many of the flag officers in the various clubs, and especially should be mentioned Mr. Frederick Cox, who for years has been a persevering patron of the sport—both in the Solent length classes and afterwards in the present Solent classes (Y.R.A. rating). Mr. Cox's sons and daughters have raced a number of yachts: 'Lil,' 'Verena,' 'Madcap,' 'Merrythought,' 'Kitten,' 'Ethel,' 'Mliss,' 'Troublesome,' 'Fiera,' 'Mosquito,' all under the protecting wing of the head centre, typified by the steamer 'Zinaida.' Mr. Cox is Commodore of the Royal Southampton, Rear Commodore (or is it Rear Admiral now?) of the Royal London, and Rear Commodore of the Castle Yacht Clubs. He is also a member of the Council Y.R.A.
Solent Owners' Racing Colours.
Captain Hughes and his family of sons and daughters have followed the sport for a long time in the same enthusiastic way, and have raced the following boats: 'Lil,' 'Fairy,' 'Jenny Wren,' 'Madcap,' 'Flutterby,' 'Humming Bird,' 'Cock-a-Whoop,' and 'Cockatoo.' Captain Hughes was most active in starting the Castle Yacht Club, and for a short time was the Hon. Sec.
In addition to the above, the chief patrons and promoters of the sport during the past few years have been the Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis of Ailsa, the Earl of Dunraven, the Earl of Desart, the Earl of Dudley, the late Mr. Sidney Watson, Colonel the Hon. H. G. L. Crichton, Captain the Hon. J. M. Yorke, Colonel F. Dugmore, Captain J. R. F. Fullerton, R.N., Admiral the Hon. Victor Montagu, R.N., Mr. W. H. Forster, Mr. R. S. Hankinson, Mr. P. Perceval, jun., Mr. George Schenley, the Hon. G. Colville, Captain Cecil Drummond, Captain Du Boulay, Captain Davenport, Mr. Wilson Hoare, R.N., Mr. Granville Keele, Admiral Hallowes, R.N., Mr. Paul Ralli, Mr. W. A. Beauclerk, Mr. A. D. Clarke, Mr. H. R. Langrishe, Captain C. E. Haynes, R.E., Lieut.-Colonel Moreton, Mr. F. L. Popham, Mr. E. F. Quilter, Mr. W. S. Nicholson, Mr. J. P. Ranwell, Mr. L. M. Ames, Captain R. Alexander, Mr. G. F. Flemmich, Mr. H. L. Hewitt, Mr. A. Manning, Mr. R. Vogan, and a number more, whose names would fill a page.
The ladies who have taken an active part in the racing should also be mentioned, as their presence has done much to make the sport popular and fashionable.
Prominent among them are Ladies Fanny and Blanche Stanhope, Mrs. Sidney Watson, Mrs. Schenley and her sisters the Misses Hughes, Mrs. Rudston-Read and her sister Miss Cox, Mrs. H. Duff-Gordon and her sister Miss Hammersley, Mrs. Arthur Heygate, Mrs. Blair Onslow Cochrane, the Misses Sutton, and Colonel Bucknill's daughters.
Oilskins and sou'-westers are really very becoming, and if this fact were generally known, the ranks of the ladies might gain recruits, and this word leads to the next division of our subject:—
HINTS TO THE NOVICE
If a beginner wish to learn the art of small-yacht racing he cannot do better than start with a second-hand 1-rater, costing say from 50l. to 80l. Such a boat if new would cost from 100l. to 150l.
The next step is to hire a good lad (sixteen or seventeen years old) for the crew, wages from 16 s. to 20s. a week, and some racing money, say 5s. for a first, and 2s. 6d. for a second or third prize. No prize, no racing money. The lad will ask for a suit of clothes, and if he seem likely to suit, the suit may be given on the distinct understanding that, should he leave the job voluntarily or on account of misbehaviour, the clothes will be kept by the owner. The clothes are part of the equipment of the yacht, and belong to the owner, who should see that they are worn on board, and not kept entirely for shore service. Nothing looks worse than a ramshackle, untidy fellow on a smart little yacht. Racing boats and crews should be as smart at the starting line as guns and gunners on parade.
The young owner must then settle how much racing he can manage, and on what days it will be most convenient. 'Thalassa's' Almanac, published by King & Co., High Street, Southampton, may be consulted with advantage, as an attempt is made therein to give the whole of the club programmes for the season, so far as they are known by the secretaries at the beginning of the year.
It will be found that Saturdays are practically secured by the Royal Southampton and the Royal Portsmouth Clubs; Mondays by the Royal London and the Castle Clubs; Wednesdays by the Royal Albert Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club; Thursdays are chosen by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, and Fridays by the Solent Yacht Club and the Minima Sailing Club.
Examine the Almanac again, note which of the clubs give 'open' races and which 'club' races; and then it will be easy to settle which clubs are most convenient, and to take the necessary steps for being entered as a candidate.
The next point to settle is the best headquarters for the little ship, and this depends on so many personal considerations that advice is impossible. Remember, however, that a 1-rater requires a sheltered anchorage, and that moorings keep mud off the decks, and save time and bother. The best anchorages for small boats are: (1) the Itchen river, at or above the Floating Bridge; (2) the Hamble river, at or above the Salterns; (3) Calshot, up the Creek; (4) Portsmouth Harbour, especially up Haslar Creek; (5) Bembridge Harbour; (6) Wooton Creek; (7) Cowes, above the ferry; (8) Beaulieu river, inside the coastguard station; (9) Newtown river; (10) Yarmouth, the harbour; (11) Lymington river; (12) Keyhaven.
Do not anchor for the night, or moor so small a boat as a 1-rater off the pier at Southampton, off Hythe, at Calshot (except up the creek), in Cowes Harbour (except up the river), off Ryde, off Southsea, in Yarmouth Roads, or in Totland Bay. If you do so, you will wake some stormy morning to find her more or less damaged, and possibly wrecked. The boy will have very strong opinions concerning the best place for moorings. Don't listen to him. Fix on the place that suits yourself and your friends best.
Next decide where you will go for the everlasting scrub, paint up, and frequent repairs. If on the Itchen, there are Fay & Co., Summers & Payne, and Field close to the Floating Bridge to choose from. If on the Medina, either White, Ratsey, or Sibbick. If on the Hamble, there are Luke & Co. If in Portsmouth Harbour, Camper & Nicholson at Gosport, or Reid on the Portsmouth basin. If sails give out, repairs can be quickly done at reasonable charges by Beaton of Bugle Street, Southampton; but new sails for racing should be obtained from Ratsey at Cowes or Lapthorn at Gosport.
The next step to take is very interesting. Collect your lady friends, and ask each of them to design a racing flag; paint each design full size, and examine them simultaneously from a distance, say one cable at least, as a flag should be easily distinguished at this distance in any weather. Two colours are generally sufficient. Black, or some dark colour, with white or yellow; also red, with white or yellow. If three colours be used, separate the red from the dark colours by white or yellow. Employ strong contrasts. Remember that a simple design shows best and costs least. Also that a flag with horizontal seams flies better than any other, except one with no seams at all. However small the boat, the racing flag should never be less than 10 inches wide by 8½ inches high. The winning flags may be smaller, say 6 or 7 inches square, for a ½- or a 1-rater. The following dimensions may be regarded as 'suitable sizes' (see Rule 11, Y.R.A.) for the racing flags in the 'Solent classes':—
| height | width | ||||
| ½-raters and 1-raters | 8 | inches | by | 10 | inches |
| 2½-raters | 10 | " | " | 12 | " |
| 5-raters | 12 | " | " | 14 | " |
| 10-raters | 14 | " | " | 17 | " |
Having settled on the size and pattern of flag, proceed to Mr. Wolff, High Street, Southampton, and order two or three, and (say) a dozen of the smaller size to hoist as winning flags. Make a solemn vow to win a dozen flags in the season, and if you fail the first year, stick to your colours and try again.
The boat must now be prepared for the racing; all ropes and gear carefully examined, her top sides and bottom carefully rubbed down, painted, and varnished, until everything is as fit as a fiddle, and the bottom smooth as a bottle.
Next buy a copy of the Y.R.A. Rules, Dixon Kemp's book on 'Yacht and Boat Sailing,' and King's 'Channel Pilot.' Study each carefully, especially Chapter VIII. of Kemp's book. More than half the difficulties and troubles connected with the sport are due to ignorance of the rules.[16] In every other sport such ignorance is regarded with the contempt it deserves, but in yacht and boat racing the rules are somewhat complex and difficult—all the more reason for learning them carefully.
Every racing owner should enter his yacht strictly in accordance with Rule 5, Y.R.A., and it saves trouble if an owner has a card with the declaration at entry, his personal address, and the yacht's racing flag printed upon it.
Care should be taken to post this 'entry' so that the club secretary receives it in proper time. Do not rely on the 48 hours' clause, but examine the club programme, as the entries are not unfrequently closed earlier.
The day before the race give the most distinct instructions to crew as to the time and place of meeting on the morrow, and keep the appointment punctually.
Provide yourself with a chronograph, and it may help you to win prizes by means of good starts.
Get to the starting line half an hour before your start if you can, and get a card of the races if one has not already reached you through the post. Read it carefully, and, should anything appear to be doubtful, have it cleared up by the race officer, or by the club secretary.
If other races start before you, do not get in the way of the starting boats.
Note when the ten minutes preparatory flag for your own race is hoisted; you will then be the better prepared to start your chronograph at the first gun. See Rule 17.
After first gun, stand off and on near the starting line. Remember that you are now 'under the rules.' Have Rule 18 by heart, and understand each clause of it. During the last half-minute before the second or starting gun, manœuvre for the place you wish to secure, be there at the flash of gun, and if possible just to windward, or just ahead of your most dangerous antagonist. If you think you are over the line at gunfire, keep a sharp look out for your recall numeral (Rule 12), and directly it is displayed return, and cross the line; but keep clear of other competitors in doing so. After the start do not go in for a luffing match or allow yourself to be luffed by a yacht you do not fear. Stick to the boat you fear most. Remember Rule 19 in rounding the marks. If the weather be light, keep your weather eye open for every cat's-paw, and do not lose an inch during the whole race by careless steering. Be careful when you come to the run to put spinnaker up on the best side; and, if you run by the lee, shift it over at once without parleying with the boy. After the finish, if you win, sign the declaration (Rule 10, Y.R.A.) and send it ashore as soon as possible. If you have any cause for protest against another yacht, or should any protest be lodged against your own yacht, go ashore at once and see the matter through. After the race it has been customary for the second yacht to cheer the winner—like shaking hands after a boxing match—but this old custom is now dying out. Never permit your crew to bandy remarks with the hands on other yachts, either during a race or after it. If your boat wins, lower the racing flag, and hoist the club burgee with your winning flag one fathom below it. If she do not win, sail home with the racing flag still flying, this being the label of your boat's raison d'être. Never accept a prize unless you feel that every rule and regulation has been properly followed; see that your opponents follow them too; cut those men who do not race honourably, and show them up if you can. Keep a log, and enter upon it everything of interest concerning the boat and the racing. Every little change of gear should be carefully noted; the position of crew when the boat goes best, and every detail which may help to point the way to any improvement, either in the boat herself or in the type which she represents. Such a log enables you to draw up an accurate record at the end of the season, and is valuable in later years as a reminder of past pleasures and adventures.
ROYAL SOUTHAMPTON YACHT CLUB EST. 1875. "BRAMBLES COURSE."
F. S. Weller.
At the end of the first or second season you may decide to have a larger boat and crew. If so, consider carefully whether you will not skip the 2½ rating class and start a 5-rater.
Two paid hands are required with a 2½, and a 5 can be managed with the same crew if Corinthian help be obtainable. The maintenance of a 2½ is not much smaller than that of a 5, and the latter is a little ship in which you can sleep with comfort and cook a meal. A modern 5 is 11 tons Thames measurement, and can go anywhere when properly built, like the 'Windfall,' 'Quinque,' and 'Savourna.'
As Lord Dunraven truly said, 'the 5's and the 20's are the cheapest classes'; and to these I would add the 1's. The ½-, 2½-, and 10-raters are the dearest classes. Many men may, like yourself, be wishing to go a class higher, and you may therefore pick up a good boat at a low price towards the end of the racing season. If not, you must build; and the great question then arises, who to go to?
The most successful designers on the Solent in the 2½ and the 5-rater classes are Mr. Arthur Payne and Mr. Charles Nicholson; but Mr. G. L. Watson and Mr. Willie Fife were equally invincible on the Clyde, until the appearance in 1892 of Mr. Herreshoff's 2½ 'Wenonah.' Mr. C. P. Clayton and Mr. A. Richardson are also designers of great ability, while Mr. G. M. Soper and Mr. Herbert Ridsdale have produced some fast boats for the orders they have received. Whomsoever you select, have your boat built under his very eye. If a Scotch designer, build in Scotland; if a Solent designer, build there. Moreover, look after the boat yourself when she is building, and learn the tricks of the trade—if you can. Insist upon having your boat fitted out at least a fortnight before the first race, as a new boat often requires no end of doctoring before her best trim is discovered. Her new sails also require to be carefully stretched, in suitable weather; and finally she should be officially measured before she races. For these several reasons it is necessary to specify date of completion in the contract, and to have a clause whereby the builder can be heavily fined week by week for non-fulfilment—such fines being deducted from the final payment. There should also be a clause empowering the owner to complete the work in the builder's yard himself in the event of the builder, from any cause whatever, being unable to carry out the contract. An arbitration clause in the event of a disagreement is very desirable. Insure the yacht against fire to the full amount of the work done as it proceeds. A 5-rater, complete with sails, properly 'found' in every way, should not cost more than 500l., including the designer's fee, and a modern 2½ rater should not cost more than 300l. They cost less than 260l. in 1887-8 and 1888-9. The difference is due to higher pay per hour for labour, the Societies now refusing to permit piecework, also to more expensive materials, higher finish, and greater length of hull.
As for the crew, the owner of a 5 may consider himself fortunate if he can secure the services of a good man as skipper for 30s. a week, clothes (about 5l. worth), 20s. racing money for a first prize, and 10s. for a second or a third prize.
It is a mistake to give racing money for losing. At present it is only done by a few wealthy and thoughtless owners, who will soon ruin the sport unless the majority combine to put a stop to their extravagance.
Losing money is legitimate enough in the large racers, where the yachts make long passages by night and day in all weathers from regatta to regatta. By such crews the losing money is earned, but the crews of small Solent racers, who sleep comfortably at home in their beds, and often have little or nothing to do between the races, should not get it.
It costs from 100l. to 150l. to maintain and race a 5- or a 2½ rater for the twenty weeks of the season, from which may be deducted the value of the prizes won, less entrance fees and racing money. This sum covers a crew of two paid hands, and the owner of a 5 must enlist two or three Corinthians to help at each race. Unfortunately, there is a lamentable deficiency of these mariners on the Solent.
DETAILS OF YACHT CLUBS AND SAILING CLUBS ON THE SOLENT
| —— | Royal Yacht Squadron | Royal London Yacht Club | Royal Southern Yacht Club | Royal Victoria Yacht Club | Royal Albert Yacht Club | Royal Southampton Yacht Club | Solent Yacht Club | Royal Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club | Castle Yacht Club | Bembridge Sailing Club | Island Sailing Club | Minima Sailing Club | Totals |
| Established | 1812 | 1838 | 1843 | 1844 | 1864 | 1875 | 1878 | 1880 | 1887 | 1886 | 1889 | 1889 | |
| Head-quarters | Cowes | 1882 Cowes | Sthmptn | Ryde | Sthsea | Sthmptn | Yrmth | Prtsmth | Calshot | Bmbrdg | Cowes | Hamble | |
| Entrance Fee | £ 100 | ... | 2g. | 5g. | 4g. | 2g. | 1g. | 2g. | £ 3 | 2g. | 1g. | ½g. | |
| Ann. subscription | £ 11 | 4g. | 3g. | 6g. | 4g. | 1½g. | 1g. | 2g. | £ 3 | 1g. | 1g. | ½g. | |
| 6g. | 4g. | 2g. | |||||||||||
| 1892. | |||||||||||||
| No. of members | 224 | 650 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 711 | 90 | 500 | 100 | 150 | 140 | 250 | |
| Prizes, cash, won | £ 409 | £ 128 | £ 207 | £ 400 | £ 227 | £ 435 | £ 40 | £ 434 | £ 204 | £ 85 | £ 105 | £ 87 | £ 2,761 |
| Cups, Value won | £ 110 | ... | £ 75 | £ 235 | £ 207 | Medals | £ 20 | £ 10 | £ 148 | £ 85 | £ 25 | £ 18 | £ 933 |
| Race sailed. | |||||||||||||
| 60-R. &c. | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 12 |
| 40-R. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 14 |
| 20-R. | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... | ... | 5 |
| 10-R. | 1 | ... | ... | 1 | ... | 4 | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 7 |
| 5-R. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ... | ... | ... | 40 |
| 2½-R. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 65 |
| 1-R. | ... | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 64 |
| ½-R. | ... | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 75 |
| Yachts' cutters | ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1 | 2 | ... | ... | ... | 5 |
| Handicaps sailed | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ... | ... | 1 | 19 |
| Other races sailed | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 22 | 4 | 6 | 32 |
| Total races sailed | 10 | 10 | 16 | 36 | 28 | 47 | 11 | 34 | 47 | 38 | 31 | 30 | 338 |
| Race days | 4 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 33 | 9 | 12 | 116 |
SOME SOLENT RACERS, PRIOR TO 1886
| Rig | Yacht | Owner and Designer | R. | S.A. | L.W.L | O.H. | L.O.A. | B. | D. | Drght. | Displ. tons | Ballast tons | When built | |
| Fwrd. | Aft | |||||||||||||
| 21-FOOTERS | ||||||||||||||
| S. | Fairy | Capt. J. W. Hughes Stockham | 2.50 | 717 | 20.8 | ? | ? | ? | 8.5 | 3.4 | ? | ? | ? | 1881 |
| C. | Bird-o' Freedom | Mr. H. L. Popham Feltham | ? | ? | 21.0 | ? | ? | ? | 6.3 | 5.0 | ? | ? | ? | 1883 |
| S. | Tootsie (Minnow) | M. A. E. Payne Payne | 1.25 | ? | 16.5 | .25 | .16 | ? | 6.6 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.25 | 1.5 | 1885 |
| C. | Minima | Mr. St. J. Arabin Payne | 4.65 | 1,333 | 20.8 | ? | ? | 33.0 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.00 | 4.0 | 1886 |
| C. | Volador | Lt. A. H. Oliver, R.N. Clayton | ? | 1,300 | 21.0 | 4.50 | 8.00 | 33.5 | 8.5 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.60 | 3.2 | 1886 |
| C. | Scylla | Mr. L. Ergremont Luke | ? | ? | 21.0 | ? | ? | ? | 8.9 | 5.3 | ? | ? | ? | 1886 |
| 25-FOOTERS | ||||||||||||||
| C. | Frolic | Mr. E. Bridges Webb Hatcher | 7.26 | 1,741 | 25.0 | ? | ? | ? | 9.0 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1882 |
| C. | Lil | Mr. F. Cox Clayton | 7.26 | 1,742 | 25.0 | 4.60 | 6.30 | 35.9 | 9.1 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 8.60 | 5.3 | 1884 |
| C. | Verena | Mr. R. H. Cox Clayton | 7.96 | 1,910 | 25.0 | 5.50 | 8.40 | 38.9 | 9.8 | ? | 7.2 | 9.40 | 5.3 | 1886 |
| 30-FOOTERS | ||||||||||||||
| C. | Bonina | Mr. A. O. Baylay Dixon Kemp | 9.14 | 1,830 | 30.0 | ? | ? | 41.0 | 9.7 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 13.10 | 7.5 | 1882 |
| C. | Keepsake | Mr. H. W. Forster Clayton | 8.66 | 1,730 | 30.0 | 4.40 | 6.30 | 40.7 | 9.7 | ? | 7.0 | 13.70 | 7.8 | 1882 |
| C. | Eclipse | Mr. A. Manning Clayton | 9.40 | 2,090 | 30.0 | 5.20 | 8.00 | 43.2 | 10.1 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 13.50 | 8.0 | 1884 |
| C. | Curtsey | Mr. H. W. Forster Clayton | 10.80 | 2,180 | 30.0 | 6.00 | 8.30 | 44.3 | 10.5 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 13.80 | 7.6 | 1885 |
| Rig | Yacht | Owner and Designer | R. | S.A. | L.W.L | O.H. | L.O.A. | B. | D. | Drght. | Displ. tons | Ballast tons | When built | |
| Fwrd. | Aft | |||||||||||||
| C. | Dolly Varden | Mr. T. W. Ratsey J. S. White | 9.99 | 1,663 | 36.09 | 0.50 | 0.40 | 37.0 | 11.3 | 4.6 | 6.10 | 13.0 | 6.50 | 1872 |
| C. | Frolic | Mr. Bridges Webb Hatcher | 7.21 | 1,704 | 25.41 | ? | ? | ? | 9.0 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1882 |
| C. | Doris | Messrs. R. & B. Allan Watson | 9.48 | 1,681 | 33.86 | ? | ? | 5.6 | 6.6 | ? | ? | ? | 1885 | |
| C. | Jenny Wren | Mr. R. E. Froude Owner | 9.59 | 1,705 | 33.79 | ? | ? | ? | 5.5 | 6.8 | ? | ? | ? | 1885 |
| C. | Verena | Mr. R. H. Cox Clayton | 7.10 | 1,716 | 24.85 | 5.60 | 8.40 | 38.90 | 9.8 | 7.2 | 7.20 | 9.40 | 5.30 | 1886 |
| C. | Wanderer | Mr. J. Lee Barber Brighton | 9.00 | 1,580 | 34.15 | ? | ? | ? | 9.0 | 5.0 | ? | ? | ? | 1886 |
| C. | Lollipop | Mr. Arabin Payne | 6.49 | 1,325 | 29.30 | 0.20 | 8.00 | 37.50 | 9.2 | 7.3 | ? | 10.70 | ? | 1888 |
| C. | Dis | Mr. A. D. Clarke Soper | 9.94 | 1,658 | 36.00 | 6.00 | 9.10 | 51.10 | 9.1 | 7.1 | 7.70 | 14.80 | 8.00 | 1888 |
| C. | Decima | Mr. Arabin Payne | 9.98 | 1,679 | 36.00 | 1.00 | 9.40 | 46.40 | 11.0 | 7.5 | 8.50 | 14.30 | ? | 1889 |
| C. | Yvonne | Mr. P. Donaldson Fife | 9.80 | 1,726 | 34.10 | 5.50 | 8.50 | 48.10 | 8.9 | 6.6 | 8.10 | 12.90 | 7.75 | 1889 |
| C. | Drina | Prince B. Strattmann Dixon Kemp | 9.95 | 1,801 | 33.17 | 0.48 | 7.80 | 41.45 | 9.8 | 6.7 | 8.40 | 15.00 | 7.20 | 1889 |
| C. | Nety (Lil) | Admiral the Hon. Victor Montagu, R.N. Clayton | 8.82 | 1,764 | 30.00 | 4.50 | 6.20 | 40.70 | 9.5 | 6.8 | 6.80 | 8.60 | ? | 1884 1889 |
| L.C. | Doreen | Mr. J. Gretton Fife | 9.96 | 1,572 | 35.05 | 8.20 | 10.30 | 56.50 | 11.2 | 7.5 | 8.50 | 1.00 | 8.0 | 1892 |
| Rig | Yacht | Owner and Designer | R. | S.A. | L.W.L | O.H. | L.O.A. | B. | D. | Drght. | Displ. tons | Ballast tons | When built | |
| Fwrd. | Aft | |||||||||||||
| C. | Chittywee | Mr. H. Farmer Ash | 4.80 | 1,213 | 28.20 | ? | ? | ? | 4.80 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1882 |
| C. | Fair Geraldine | Mr. L. M. Ames Clayton | 4.98 | 1,000 | 30.00 | 4.50 | 7.50 | 42.00 | 7.50 | 5.5 | 5.30 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 1888 |
| C. | Flutterby | Mr. F. Hughes Owner | 3.98 | 938 | 25.50 | ? | ? | ? | 8.10 | 4.5 | ? | ? | ? | 1888 |
| C. | Lollipop | Mr. Perceval Payne | 4.98 | 1,000 | 29.50 | 0.21 | 8.08 | 37.79 | 9.20 | 7.3 | 7.00 | ? | ? | 1888 |
| C. | Alwida | Earl of Dunraven Payne | 4.97 | 1,003 | 29.75 | 1.31 | 1.79 | 32.85 | 8.40 | 6.0 | 7.20 | 8.2 | ? | 1890 |
| C. | Glycera | Mr. Perceval Payne | 4.98 | 967 | 31.16 | 1.04 | 1.41 | 33.61 | 8.60 | 5.6 | 7.00 | 8.3 | ? | 1890 |
| C. | Quinque | Col. Bucknill Owner | 4.99 | 948 | 31.61 | 1.34 | ? | ? | 9.00 | 6.1 | 6.60 | 8.6 | 5.3 | 1890 |
| L.S. | Ditto | Ditto | 4.98 | 997 | 30.02 | 1.34 | 1.90 | 33.26 | 9.00 | 6.1 | 7.00 | 8.7 | 5.0 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Ditto | Ditto | 4.96 | 898 | 33.15 | 1.45 | 2.50 | 37.10 | 9.00 | 6.1 | 7.50 | 8.7 | 4.7 | 1892 |
| C. | Archee (C.B.) | Mr. J. McNish Watson | 4.96 | 980 | 30.43 | 6.67 | 7.90 | 45.00 | 9.30 | 4.4 | 5.10 8.00 | 8.8 | 4.5 | 1890 |
| C. | Valentine | Mrs. Schenley Watson | 4.95 | 997 | 29.83 | 6.17 | 8.00 | 44.00 | 7.20 | 6.3 | 7.40 | 8.2 | ? | 1890 |
| L.C. | Windfall | Mrs. Schenley Payne | 4.97 | 909 | 32.89 | 1.11 | 1.30 | 35.30 | 8.66 | 6.0 | 7.00 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Savourna | Mr. Perceval Payne | 4.94 | 888 | 33.40 | 1.18 | 1.22 | 35.80 | 8.75 | 6.0 | 7.20 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| C. | Katherine | Mr. W. A. Black Owner | 4.99 | 969 | 30.94 | ? | ? | ? | 7.50 | ? | 6.50 | ? | 5.4 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Iernia | Mr. H. R. Langrishe Fife | 4.99 | 953 | 31.48 | 6.00 | 8.42 | 45.90 | 8.00 | 6.0 | 7.20 | 8.7 | 5.4 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Cyane | Earl of Dunraven Payne | 4.95 | 880 | 33.75 | 3.10 | 1.50 | 38.35 | 8.40 | 5.5 | 7.75 | ? | ? | 1892 |
| L.S. | Dacia | Mr. H. R. Langrishe Nicholson | 5.00 | 888 | 33.83 | 5.14 | 9.17 | 48.14 | 8.30 | ? | 8.60 | ? | ? | 1892 |
| Rig | Yacht | Owner and Designer | R. | S.A. | L.W.L | O.H. | L.O.A. | B. | D. | Drght. | Displ. cwt. | Ballast cwt. | When built | |
| Fwrd. | Aft | |||||||||||||
| L.S. | Pup (C.B.) | Mr. T. W. Ratsey Clayton | 0.99 | 343 | 17.37 | 1.46 | 2.32 | 21.12 | 6.60 | 2.9 | 1.9 5.0 | 22 | 7.5 | 1890 |
| — | Unit | Mr. G. F. Flemmich Owner | 0.94 | 308 | 18.40 | ? | ? | ? | 5.40 | 4.0 | ? | ? | ? | 1890 |
| — | Cobweb | Mr. B. O. Cochrane ? Designer | 0.75 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 5.80 | 4.5 | ? | ? | ? | 1890 |
| Split L. | Cariad | Dr. P. W. Hughes Sibbick | 1.00 | 285 | 21.00 | ? | ? | 26.60 | 6.60 | 2.6 | ? | ? | ? | 1892 |
| L.S. | Barbet | Mr. Wilson Hoare Payne | 0.97 | 288 | 20.97 | 3.05 | 1.00 | 24.32 | 5.95 | 2.5 | 4.0 | ? | ? | 1892 |
| L.S. | Argula | Mr. H. R. Langrishe and E. K. B. Tighe Nicholson | over rating | ? | ? | ? | 5.90 | ? | 2.6 | 34 | 15.0 | 1892 | ||
| L.S | Nansheen (C.B.) | Mr. T. C. Burrowes Fife | 0.99 | 297 | 20.24 | 4.18 | 3.38 | 27.80 | 6.60 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 30 | 17.0 | 1892 |
| L.S. | Rogue (Bulb Keel) | Mr. R. Vogan Ridsdale | 0.99 | 285 | 20.91 | 5.06 | 2.51 | 28.48 | 5.75 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 21 | 13.0 | 1892 |
| L.S. | Doushka | Mr. P. Perceval Payne | 0.98 | 281 | 21.07 | 3.10 | 1.70 | 25.87 | 6.00 | 2.5 | 4.5 | ? | ? | 1892 |
| — | Mahatma | Mr. G. F. Flemmich Owner | 0.99 | 289 | 20.61 | 2.67 | 1.36 | 24.64 | 5.30 | 2.7 | ? | ? | ? | 1892 |
| Rig | Yacht | Owner and Designer | R. | S.A. | L.W.L | O.H. | L.O.A. | B. | D. | Drght. | Displ. cwt. | Ballast cwt. | When built | |
| Fwrd. | Aft | |||||||||||||
| L.S. | Tiny | Mr. Vogan Ridsdale | 0.50 | 193 | 15.52 | 1.25 | 0.40 | 17.17 | 5.00 | 2.45 | 3.0 | 18 | 14 | 1890 |
| L.S. | Bairn | Mr. E. F. Quilter Clayton | 0.49 | 185 | 16.10 | 1.65 | 1.00 | 18.75 | 6.10 | 1.30 | 1.3 | 14 | 4 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Coquette | Mr. E. Jessop Nicholson | 0.49 | 191 | 15.58 | 1.53 | 1.97 | 19.08 | 4.50 | 3.00 | 3.0 | 15 | 9 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Eileen | Miss Sutton Payne | 0.48 | 185 | 15.90 | 0.82 | 0.61 | 17.33 | 4.80 | 2.70 | 3.0 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Jeanie | Mr. Cochrane Fife | 0.48 | 182 | 15.94 | 0.88 | 4.51 | 21.33 | 5.20 | 3.00 | 2.9 | 22 | 12 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Narua | Mr. Perceval Payne | 0.48 | 183 | 15.97 | 0.81 | 0.58 | 17.36 | 5.00 | 2.80 | 3.0 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Dancing Girl | Mr. Hewitt Ridsdale | 0.50 | 189 | 15.99 | 1.03 | 0.70 | 17.72 | 4.80 | 2.40 | 3.0 | 16 | 12 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Kittiwake | Lt. L. C. Elwes Payne | 0.50 | 178 | 17.16 | 1.25 | 0.50 | 18.91 | 5.00 | 2.70 | 3.0 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Dee Dee | Mr. Paul Ralli Payne | 0.50 | 177 | 17.17 | 0.25 | 0.71 | 19.13 | 4.41 | 2.70 | 3.0 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Mosquito | Mr. Rudston Read Soper | 0.49 | 179 | 16.60 | 0.90 | 2.10 | 19.60 | 4.90 | ? | 2.9 | 20 | 6 | 1891 |
| L.S. | Ladybird | Miss Hammersley Payne | 0.49 | 176 | 17.04 | 1.00 | 0.40 | 18.65 | 5.00 | 2.50 | 2.9 | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L. Ywl. | Spruce | Mr. Brand T. L. Smith | 0.41 | 154 | 16.20 | 0.15 | 1.75 | 18.10 | 5.00 | 1.50 | 0.5 | ? | nil | 1891 |
| Ywl. | Torpedo | Mr. Stewart ? | 0.50 | 170 | 17.30 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1891 |
| L.S. | Daisy | Mr. Soper Soper | 0.50 | 176 | 17.10 | 4.23 | 2.65 | 23.98 | 5.80 | ? | 3.3 | 15 | 7 | 1892 |
| S. | Wee Winn | Miss W. Sutton Herreshoff | 0.46 | 178 | 15.61 | 3.78 | 4.53 | 23.92 | 4.80 | 1.30 | 2.9 | 8 | 3 | 1892 |
| L.S. | Lilliput | The late Mr. S. Watson Payne | 0.50 | 180 | 16.50 | 3.00 | 0.50 | 20.00 | 4.90 | 2.0 | 3.0 | ? | ? | 1892 |
| L.S. | Pique | Miss Sutton Payne | 0.50 | 176 | 17.00 | 3.12 | 0.66 | 20.78 | 5.00 | 2.00 | 2.9 | ? | ? | 1892 |
CHAPTER X
FITTING OUT A FIFTY-TONNER TO GO FOREIGN
By E. F. Knight
There is no reason why ocean cruising should be confined to those who are fortunate enough to possess big steam yachts, or schooners of considerable tonnage. A good 50-tonner, or even a smaller craft, is probably as safe under any circumstances as the larger vessel; she can go where the latter cannot, and in many ways gives her owner better sport.
When a man really fond of the sea—and he must be so to undertake the task—sets to work to fit out a 50-tonner for a lengthy voyage, to the South Atlantic for example, his method must necessarily be somewhat different from that of the owner of the large yacht. He has to rely a good deal on his own wits, for much of the work of preparation is quite out of the line of his shipwright and of the ordinary nautical tradesmen with whom he has to deal. He is not likely to employ one of the regular ocean-going skippers, who would of course know exactly what was required, and the yachtsman making ready for his first expedition of this nature is sure to do some things wrong; but he will gradually pick up many wrinkles to help him on another occasion.
Such a voyage must to a great extent be an amateur business, by which I mean one to be undertaken only by a pleasure sailor of experience, accompanied by friends of like tastes; for I can imagine nothing so remote from an amusement as for a novice to sail away on a vessel of this size with a purely professional skipper and crew on whom he has to implicitly rely. He is completely at the mercy of his servants; hands who are well enough when carrying their employer about in home waters and on short foreign cruises are apt, unless they are exceptional men indeed, to take advantage of his ignorance and helplessness in many ways when the vessel is thousands of miles from home and on coasts where—and they are thoroughly well aware of this—he cannot discharge them, since it would be impossible satisfactorily to replace them. To travel in such a fashion would be productive of so much annoyance and anxiety as to sicken one for ever of the sea. With a larger vessel it is of course a different matter; a first-class skipper is engaged, the crew is carefully picked, all is properly ordered, and a discipline not altogether feasible on the small craft is maintained; and yet I have heard it whispered that discord and trouble are not always absent even from the big vessel on a lengthened cruise.
There is no man I would rather have at sea with me than the honest British yachting tar of the right sort; but it is difficult to get him to ship for a long voyage on a small craft, and as a rule one has to put up with an inferior article. The owner of our roaming 50-tonner therefore, if he wish to enjoy any comfort and have an easy mind, must know sufficient to be entirely independent of his crew; and if he is not his own skipper—which he ought to be—he should at any rate be entered on the ship's papers as captain, and every man on board should sign articles under him. Should the skipper choose to leave the vessel, the owner must be capable of taking his place. The men must be made to understand that their employer can do without them; that, in case of their attempting any nonsense, he is quite prepared to put all hands on shore and ship a crew of any sort of foreigners in any port if necessary; if he cannot do this, he had far better stay on shore, or only cruise in home waters. But when once the owner has attained this absolute independence, he will find there is no more fascinating pursuit than that of navigating his little vessel across the seas from country to country, to whatsoever corner of the world he may fancy to betake himself.
It is important that our cruiser should be so rigged and fitted out generally as to be capable of being handled by as small a crew as possible. Every trick of tackle, purchase, and what not that can economise labour should be taken advantage of, and it is astonishing how few men can then work a vessel. One does not do everything in recognised yachting fashion when making ocean runs; there is comparatively little work to do, and the large crew that is required on the Channel cruise is not necessary on the long voyage. For several good reasons the owner should keep his crew as small as is compatible with the safety of the vessel. Crowding is thus avoided, a matter of moment when one is sailing the tropical seas; for there the confinement of several men on a small yacht is unhealthy for them, despite all arrangements that may be made for their comfort. When the mouths are few, it will be easier to carry a sufficiency of supplies, and the question of water, more especially, will not be so difficult to deal with; it will moreover be a much less troublesome business to get one's complement of men made up in a foreign port in the event of desertion or dismissal.
It must be remembered that the owner is very likely to have a few disturbances and to get rid of some of his men in the course of such a cruise. It would be strange if it were otherwise. It is a monotonous life for the hands cooped up in the small vessel. If they have no other reason for becoming discontented, they will do so merely because they have too much to eat and too little to do; there will be dissensions; each man will reveal what bad qualities he may possess; there may be that fearful thing a sea lawyer on board, but he should not be permitted to stay long. This period of trouble, however, will probably be only of short duration—else such a cruise would be a purgatory; the worthless are weeded out, others are shipped; and it is a man's own fault if he has not soon gathered around him a compact if miscellaneous crew, willing, cheery, ready to go anywhere he may choose to take them.
It is my opinion that there should not be a single yacht sailor on board the foreign-cruising 50-tonner. It is difficult, as I have said, to get the right ones, and it will be bad for the owner if he fall in with the wrong ones—men who have been spoilt by foolish employers, for instance; a numerous class, I fear. We all know them. Smart-looking fellows enough may-be, but shirkers of honest work, they prefer to ship on show yachts belonging to owners who like to exhibit themselves and their vessels in the fashionable yachting ports each season, but who are not sailors in any sense of the word, and have no real love of the sport, following it only for the swagger of the thing. Men who have served such owners would prove a great nuisance on an ocean cruise, and would not be likely to go far. I have heard such hands grumbling on a friend's yacht because they were to pass one night at sea instead of in some port where they happened to have friends. They look to frequent tips from the 'governor's' visitors, and to other less legitimate perquisites; these they cannot get in mid-Atlantic, so it is not the place for them.
Hands from fishing-boats, sailing barges, and small coasters are the best men for the foreign cruiser of small tonnage. Among these one is not likely to come across spoilt and pampered mariners, and they are accustomed to roughing it, and to the shifts of short-handed craft. But were I undertaking a lengthened tropical voyage, I think I should ship my English crew simply for the run over to my first West Indian or South American port, and there engage a negro crew. These blacks are excellent fore-and-aft sailors, easy to manage, and always happy and ready for any amount of hard work if kindly but firmly treated; while they are, of course, far better fitted than white men to withstand the debilitating influence of sultry climates, an influence which, as everyone knows, has caused the ruin of many a good British sailor, driving hitherto sober men to injure their health by excess whenever they get shore leave.
And now for our vessel, of what sort should she be? She must, of course, be of fair beam. We are beginning to believe in beam again, and are returning to the wisdom of our ancestors, recognising the fact that beam is not incompatible with speed, whilst it is indispensable for comfort both on deck and below on an ocean cruise. I remember, when we sailed away in the 'Falcon' to South America twelve years ago, yachting men shook their heads at our beam; I was assured that I should never get more than six knots an hour out of such a tubby craft, more especially as she was snugly sparred and could fly so little canvas. She had a length of 42 feet to a beam of 13 feet. As it turned out, we often got nine knots out of her, and made one voyage of 2,000 nautical miles in ten days, the current, it must be said, being favourable to us on this occasion. But the proportionate beaminess of the 'Falcon' is not necessary for the bigger craft, and the beam of our 50-tonner should be about a quarter of her length.
When choosing my vessel I should prefer, for other reasons than economy, to buy an old one that had been well cared for to building or purchasing a new one. Tropical climates soon develop defects in wood, and though it may be impossible to detect any flaws or signs of early decay in a new vessel, the timber of which she is constructed may have been put in sappy, and she may be ready to break out into dry rot on the slightest provocation. Tough old human beings who have weathered the ailments of youth are not likely to fall into consumption, and so it is with the ship. If she has knocked about for years and shown no symptoms of decay, then she has proved herself to have been put together of the right stuff, and she will remain sound in her good old age.
If one came across some old teak vessel, such as my 'Alerte' was, a quarter of a century old, constructed by a good builder in the strong, honest fashion of those days, not put together in a hurry, but leisurely; with not a plank in her that was not well seasoned and selected, and that had not been lying in the builder's loft for a year before it was used, and with timbers and deadwood stouter than are employed now, and if, after careful examination, she proved from stem to stern, from deck to keel, as sound as when she was put on the stocks, even in those treacherous and usually ill-ventilated corners inside the counter, then that vessel is the one to be possessed of by the man who would go foreign; for she can be more safely trusted than many a brand-new craft, scamped, pleasing to the eye, but of unsound constitution, like some fair pulmonary with the germs of disease latent in her bones. The 'Alerte' was a vessel of this good old sort—I say was, for after I had left her, this yawl, which properly cared for would have completed her century of cruising, was lost by a piece of wicked negligence off the West Indian island of Trinidad, and is now lying at the bottom in one hundred fathoms of water.
A yawl is the favourite rig for the cruising 50-tonner; personally, I should prefer a ketch, the easiest vessel afloat to handle. A 50-ton ketch requires a very small crew indeed; a couple of men on deck can tackle any job that turns up. But a yawl is nearly as handy as the ketch. Two of us used to knock about for days at a time on the 'Alerte' in the South Atlantic, and she was a 56-ton yawl, with somewhat heavy spars. We never had any difficulty with her; but when we were short-handed, we used to employ 'un-yachty' methods. We could only hoist our mainsail by using our mast-winch, which we also employed for hauling out the reefing tackle when shortening sail. There are many little dodges that soon occur to a sailor, and I have no doubt that if one man who knew what he was about were left alone in mid ocean on such a vessel, he would have little difficulty in taking her into port.
There should, of course, be a good supply of sails on board, not omitting a stout storm trysail and a handy spinnaker. The latter should have a boom short enough to pass under the forestay when topped up, so that it has not to be unshipped for a gybe. Such a spinnaker will be more effective than a big one on an ocean cruise. It can be carried when the wind is strong and the sea high—an important matter; for how often one has seen a fore-and-after, that has been rolling gunwales under when running under mainsail and head-sail alone, skim along steadily with dry decks as soon as the little spinnaker is put on her to balance the other canvas? When we left England with the 'Alerte,' we had with us her racing spinnaker only. We soon discovered we had made a mistake. Short-handed as we were, we often refrained from using it when it would have been of service; for the unshipping of its mighty boom was a heavy bit of work. Then we had a small boom made, and used the balloon-foresail as the working spinnaker. One man could handle this, and it was seldom allowed to lie idle when the breeze was aft.
It is better thus to provide oneself with a sail that can serve both as balloon-foresail and spinnaker, according to how the wind may be, than to encumber oneself with a large square-sail, such as yachts were wont to carry, and such as one still sees on revenue cutters.[17] But there is a square-sail of another sort that should be found in the sail-locker of every little foreign cruiser; this is the small stout storm square-sail, a sail which would be seldom used, it is true, but which, on certain occasions, would prove of inestimable advantage.
With the 'Falcon' we once ran on before a favourable gale till the gale became a hurricane—a River Plate pampero—and then the sea was dangerously high, so that we were unable to do what should have been done hours before; that is, bring her up into the wind and heave to. Not daring to attempt this now, we had to make the best of the position, and run on under trysail and storm jib. The steering was a most difficult and anxious matter; there was considerable danger of broaching to, and our lives depended upon the watchful skill of the helmsman. The trysail had no boom, and was ever violently gybing, while so low was the body of the sail that it lost the wind when we were in the trough of those great seas. Now that was the very time when we needed the little storm square-sail. Under that snug bit of canvas the vessel would have steered with far greater ease and safety; there would have been no risk of a gybe; the tendency to broach to would have been much lessened, and a topsail of this sort, moreover, is, like a jib, a lifting sail, and helps to keep a vessel afloat. Hoisted well up, as it should be, right under the forestay, it is high enough to catch the wind between the seas.
If the owner does not carry a storm square-sail, he should have a boom to his trysail.
When the yachtsman, having purchased his 50-tonner, begins to fit her out for the ocean cruise, he is certain to discover that he will have to make considerable alterations in the arrangement of her ballast. The vessel that hitherto has been cruising in home waters only is sure to have a great deal more ballast in her than is necessary or advisable for his purpose. In the first place, when on a long voyage, he is not going to crack on as if he were racing for a cup. He will most probably have reduced his vessel's spars before starting, and has no ambition, when he is on the ocean for weeks at a stretch, to carry the huge spread of canvas under which his craft was wont to stagger in the Solent.
The ocean rover, who loves blue water for its own sake, is a quiet plodding sort of person, in no extreme hurry to reach his port. He wishes to be as comfortable and free from anxiety as possible, and, like the master of an East Indiaman of the olden time, is more likely than not to make things snug each sunset and take in his kites—the big topsail for example—as he does not approve of the watch below having to be summoned on deck at each squall.
So our foreign cruiser, snugly sparred and moderately canvased, need not be nearly so stiff as when she used to fly up and down the Channel, straining and quivering as if acutely jealous lest any other craft should outstrip her; and she can now be relieved of a considerable portion of her ballast. It is of such importance that the 50-tonner should be light and buoyant, so that she may leap over the Atlantic storm waves and not plunge into their curling crests, that I think the less ballast one can do with the better. I lay stress on this, because I know that the usual wiseacres and others, who frequent the shipwright's yard to proffer all manner of advice to the yachtsman while he is preparing for his voyage, will shake their heads if he speaks of lightening his craft to the extent I should advocate, and warn him that a perilous crankiness will be the result. There is, of course, a limit to this lightening process which must not be overstepped; but that limit—at any rate so far as my practice is concerned—does not, as a rule, find favour in the eyes of the forementioned advisers.
If the vessel be ballasted with lead when she comes into one's possession, the weight can be reduced to the exact amount that is required by selling a sufficient quantity of the lead and substituting the same bulk of iron, the specific gravity of one metal to the other being roughly as 11 to 7. A spare chain, spare anchors, and any iron implements not liable to be damaged by damp, can with advantage be employed as ballast in this way, but must, of course, be stowed so that they can be got at without difficulty. Whilst adjusting the ballast it is necessary to remember that, unlike the coasting yacht, the ocean cruiser will have to be laden with a considerable quantity of water and other stores—probably some six tons weight of these.
The question of what boats should be carried on the ocean-going 50-tonner is one to be considered carefully. The ordinary yacht's gig, that does very well to land passengers in Channel ports, is not adapted for our purpose; she would be cumbersome, occupying too much room on deck, and, most probably, would not be a sufficiently good sea-boat. A shorter dinghy of lifeboat shape, with plenty of sheer and a pointed stern, will be found much more serviceable, especially if one has to effect a landing on small oceanic islands or at other exposed spots where access is rendered difficult by heavy surf. The boat should be beamy and rather shallow; for if she is too deep she is likely, while lying on deck, to get very much in the way of the main boom, which will have to be topped up to an awkward height to clear her; or, worse still, she may even make it impossible for the main boom to be swung sufficiently forward when the vessel is running before the wind—a terrible nuisance on which it is unnecessary to dilate. I believe one of the principal reasons why the revenue cutters carry their large square-sails is that they could not otherwise get any speed out of them before a fair wind, to such an extent do their boats cramp the boom and prevent the easing off of the mainsheet.
In my opinion one cannot do better than carry a medium-sized Berthon collapsible in addition to one's big dinghy. A Berthon occupies very little room, and is so easily dropped into the water and hoisted on board again that she is sure to be used on many occasions when one would not take the trouble to put the heavier boat out. I was once shipmate with a delightful Berthon which had an iron centreboard and a balance lugsail. We gave her plenty of work in every port, creek, or river we entered; for she sailed admirably, and was one of the handiest little craft possible. She contributed a great deal to our enjoyment of the cruise.
A few remarks on that most important subject, the commissariat, may not be amiss. When fitting an ocean-going 50-tonner for the first time, one asks oneself with considerable misgiving how it will be possible to find room for all the necessary stores. I remember coming down to the 'Falcon' one morning, when we were getting her ready for her South Atlantic voyage, to find the quay, alongside which she lay, covered with barrels, sacks, cases, &c., the provisions for five men for nine months, which I had ordered from London. I stood aghast before this mighty mass, the bulk of which appeared to exceed by far the capacity of my vessel's hold; but it is wonderful what an amount of stowage room there is in the lockers and corners of a beamy vessel; however much is put into her, there seems to be place for more. I was much relieved in my mind to get my tons of stores snugly stowed out of sight, and all below the water-line too, so serving as good ballast. On the 'Alerte' we found no difficulty in carrying nearly a year's supply of provisions for thirteen hands.
As for water, extra tanks will have to be fitted up in all convenient places. On the 'Alerte' we had a gallon tank under the saloon table, while the cabin fireplace was removed and a large tank was built into the space thus gained. We carried 600 gallons in all, which ought to suffice for the longest run one is likely to make, allowing for calms in the doldrums and unforeseen delays. All the drinking water should be in tanks below. To carry any weight of water in casks on deck is a mistake for various reasons; but of course it is well to have some breakers on deck to hold any rain-water that may be caught on the voyage.
It is my firm opinion that one should carry plenty of good salt meat when bound on a long cruise, and rely as little as possible on tinned provisions. The temperature is very high on small vessels in the tropics, and this does undoubtedly in time set up some sort of chemical change in tinned meat—a change which, though it may not be perceptible to the senses, can be productive of much ill health. The salt meat should be of the right sort too. It is not advisable to go, as I myself once did, to even the best of butchers in a seaport town and have fresh meat salted down. This is excellent at first, but it will not keep long on the small vessel. It is far better to procure the older, much-travelled, well-tested salt meat, less tasty though it be. The good firms of purveyors empty the cask, examine each piece of beef, and repickle it, before sending it on board; such beef will keep through the longest voyage and in any climate.
It is certain that no sort of food will remain sweet and wholesome so long on a small as on a big craft. It is amongst other things essential to have the supply of biscuit divided into a number of hermetically sealed tins. The best made bread locker will not prevent maggots, weevils, and other loathsome insects from swarming among the biscuit as soon as the 50-tonner reaches the tropics, and the better the quality of the biscuit the more rapid and complete will be the spoiling of it. It must not be forgotten that tinned ship's bread can only be procured in England, so a sufficient supply must be laid in before one sails.
This brings me to another point. It is not only advisable to take from England all the biscuit wanted, but also, if possible, all the tinned meats and suchlike stores. If more be needed in the course of the voyage, it should be sent out from England and transshipped. In the ports of the West Indies, of the Indian Ocean, or indeed on any tropical coast, though one may come across honest ship-chandlers—I have frequently been lucky enough to do so myself—it will be found that, even with them, prices are apt to be exorbitant; while their goods are often of inferior quality, or, when of good brands, old and damaged. With the dishonest ship-chandlers, who are not rare, one is likely to have still worse experiences. Were I again to fit out a yacht for a lengthy cruise, I should take everything of this sort with me, or make arrangements with a good English firm to send me out relays of supplies to certain places at which it was my intention to call. I should only rely on the ports for fresh meat, vegetables, fruit and suchlike perishable commodities.
Neither should one go to the ship-chandler of the foreign harbour for rope, blocks, canvas, or boatswain's necessaries of any description. Provision should be carefully made against running short of these; plenty and to spare should be taken from home.
On an English 50-ton yacht it is usual to carry on all the cooking in the forecastle; but when the vessel is on tropical seas it is very uncomfortable for the hands forward to have a fire burning for the greater part of the day in their close quarters. On the 'Alerte' the fire was only lit once a day in order to cook the dinner, a large spirit stove being employed for the preparation of breakfast and tea, to boil water, and so forth. A good spirit stove is indispensable on our 50-tonner. On the 'Falcon' we used even to cook our dinner with one. Spirits-of-wine is among the few things that can always be got of satisfactory quality and at moderate cost in every foreign port. I have never found difficulty in procuring this in any part of the world, and as a rule considerably cheaper than methylated spirits in England.
I have always preferred a spirit to a paraffin stove. I have never come across a sea cook yet who could deal satisfactorily with the latter. The lampblack is apt to make a terrible mess of the pots and pans and everything else, including the sea cook. I know that, if the lamp is properly trimmed and the stove is carefully looked after, this should not happen. But somehow or other it generally does happen; consequently paraffin is not suitable fuel for the sea-going stove, and the cleanly alcohol, though a little more expensive, is far better for the purpose.
On plenty of smart West Indian and other foreign sloops and schooners of about the size of our 50-tonners, it is customary to do all the cooking on deck; and I do not see why this method should not be adopted on our small ocean-going yacht when she is at sea in fine weather or lying at anchor. A tiny temporary galley or fireplace—very 'un-yachty,' it must be confessed—might be fitted up on deck forward, and if the cook be a West Indian negro of the right sort, he will probably be found as clever as an Indian 'bobbachee' on the march at turning out a capital meal without the aid of cumbersome stove or oven—and that, too, without making any mess whatever, so that the skipper need feel no anxiety for his spotless deck and sails.
The Drogue, off the Kullen Head.