CHAPTER XIX. RECREATIONS.
It is a good thing to have a "hobby." Perhaps in these days we have too many, and pursue them with too much intensity, to the neglect of more important matters. To this I must, to some extent, plead guilty. I have devoted much time and thought to boating and to gardening.
My boating days commenced in the 'sixties, when I frequently sailed with my uncle, Alfred Bower, who owned some of the crack yachts belonging to the Birkenhead Model Yacht Club—the "Presto," "Challenge," "Enigma," etc. They were large beamy boats, of about eight to ten tons, with centre boards. Our racing was mostly in the upper reaches of the Mersey, lying between Eastham and the Aigburth shore.
In 1866 I made my first venture, buying the American centre-board yacht "Truant," which had greatly distinguished herself for speed, and taking her up to Windermere. She was not, however, of much use on that expansive but treacherous sheet of water. The heavy squalls were too much for her huge sail plan. I also owned and sailed on the Mersey the "Glance," eight tons; "Satanella," fifteen tons; "Saraband," fourteen tons; and "Leander," twenty tons.
I then for a time gave up yachting on the Mersey, and in 1868 bought a racing boat on Lake Windermere, the "Spray." She was most successful, winning in 1870 every race we sailed.
In 1871 I was induced to build a twenty-ton racing cutter for the sea, and called her the "Playmate." She was built by Ratsey, at Cowes, and was the first boat to carry all her lead ballast on her keel, and in consequence her advent was watched with considerable interest. I sailed her for two years in the various regattas round the coast, on the Solent and on the Clyde, but she was only fairly successful. The competition in the class was very keen, and the boats built by Dan Hatcher carried away most of the prizes.
This was the time when yachting, I think, reached its highest point of interest, and the matches of the forty, twenty, and ten ton classes were watched with great keenness throughout the country. In the forty-ton class we had the "Norman," "Muriel," "Bloodhound," "Glance," etc.; and in the twenty-ton class the "Vanessa," "Quickstep," "Sunshine," etc. We had also some very fine sixty-tonners, and an excellent class in schooners. Our regattas were conducted with much keenness, and created great enthusiasm. Locally we had many active yachting men, Mr. David MacIver, M.P., who sailed the "Sunshine," the "Shadow," and the "Gleam"; Mr. Gibson Sinclair, Mr. Astley Gardner, Mr. Coddington, Mr. Andrew Anderson, Mr. St. Clair Byrne, and others.
It is always wise, and I am sure in the long run pays best, to do everything thoroughly, even although it is only for sport or pastime; and when the Board of Trade allowed yacht owners to present themselves for examination and obtain their certificates as master mariners, I entered my name, and was the fourth yacht owner to qualify, Lord Brassey being the first. My sea experience was, of course, of great service to me. I afterwards found my Board of Trade certificate as a master mariner gave me increased pleasure in yachting, and my crew great confidence in my skill as a navigator.
Selling the "Playmate," I returned to Windermere; indeed I had never left it, but sailed the regattas each year, and in the year 1908 I completed my forty consecutive years' racing upon the lake, winning, for the second year in succession, the Champion Cup. The competition for this cup is limited to yachts which have won first or second prizes. My yacht, the "Kelpie," was designed by Mr. A. Mylne, of Glasgow. She is quite one of the smartest boats on the lake, particularly in light weather.
During my forty years' sailing upon the lake I have witnessed great changes in the designs of the competing yachts. The boats starting with a length of 20 feet on the water line, were gradually enlarged by being designed to immerse the whole of the counter, making the water line length 26 feet 6 inches. We carried about 750 feet area of sails, including in this a huge foresail. The boats were large and powerful, but difficult to manage, and it is a wonder no accident took place. We afterwards introduced a load line length of 22 feet with overhangs, with the result that we have established a very smart and useful class of boat.
I built many yachts on the lake—the "Althea," "Truant," "Charm," "Brenda," "Playmate," "Breeze," "Pastime," and "Kelpie"—and several boats for the smaller class. I also built in 1881 the steel launch "Banshee." She was designed by Alexander Richardson, and is to-day the prettiest launch on the lake. I have raced on Windermere with varying success, but it has been the source of enormous enjoyment, and the days spent on Windermere are among my happiest. When we first visited Bowness we were content to reside in lodgings, but in 1879 we rented "Fellborough," a charming little house on the lake shore below the ferry. After remaining here three or four years, we occupied for longer or shorter periods Wynlass Beck, Loughrigg Brow, Ambleside, High Wray Bank; and in 1889 I took on a long lease "Wykefield," at the head of Pull Wyke Bay, a charming house with lovely gardens, and furnished also with a boathouse and pier. Here we remained until 1902, and since that time we have occasionally occupied Wray Cottage, a pretty dwelling nestling under the shadow of Wray Castle.
Yachting on Windermere, 1909.
It would indeed be very difficult to describe the enjoyment Windermere has afforded us during all these years. Our long walks, mountain climbs, picnics on the lakes, fishing, and last, but not least, our regattas, filled our days with pleasure, and we look back upon our holidays with sunny memories of great happiness.
In 1904 I wrote a history of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club. The Rev. Canon Rawnsley added an interesting chapter descriptive of the lake, and the book was illustrated by some excellent photographs.
As a thankoffering to God for permitting us to enjoy such great happiness, in 1908 we placed a stained-glass window in the Parish Church at Bowness representing the Te Deum.
In 1880 we built at Lymington a fifty-ton yawl, which was named the "Leander." In this we cruised for three summers off the west coast of Scotland and south coast of England; but I found I could not spare the necessary time, and was obliged to give up sea yachting for good in 1885.
I was elected rear-commodore of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club in 1879, and was for a time also commodore of the Cheshire Yacht Club.