Inventory.—There are many small but necessary articles which the amateur is likely to forget when starting for a cruise in his new boat. We will enumerate some of the most important of these. Marline spikes, a sail-maker’s needle and palm, plenty of spun-yarn and seaming twine. Spare ropes, including stuff for lanyards, etc. Spare blocks, thimbles, cliphooks, shackles, etc. The more necessary carpenter’s tools, including the nails and screws likely to be required. Universal spanners, for screwing on or unscrewing nuts of various sizes. Paints in tins, with turpentine, oil, dryers, and brushes. Scrapers for removing old paint, etc. Stout fenders, to be used while getting alongside a wharf, and on other occasions, when outside paint is in danger. A good warp—grass rope or coir will answer the purpose well. A watch tackle or “handy billy,” which is, as we have shown, useful for a variety of purposes. A snatch-block with a tail, very handy when a pull is required on any rope, as it can be clapped on in a moment. A small screw-jack. A serving mallet.
CHAPTER X.
THE ECONOMY BETWEEN DECKS.
The well—Arrangement of cabin—Leaky decks—Cabin lights—The forecastle—Cooking stoves.
The available space in a small yacht is generally partitioned off into an open well, a cabin, and a forecastle.
The steering is done from the well, and all the sheets are belayed to cleats within easy reach of it. The well is surrounded with seats and lockers. The after locker is sometimes used as a sail room: but in a very small yacht the forecastle answers better for this purpose, and the warps, etc., can be stowed in the after locker.
One of the side lockers of the well can be fitted with shelves, and will then serve as a larder. Pierce holes for ventilation into the front of it at some height above the floor.
Holes should be cut through the floor of the well, so that any water that comes on board may escape into the bilge. A wooden grating on the floor will keep one’s feet dry.
The cabin generally communicates with the well by folding doors, while a small hatch is made to slide back in the cabin roof, thus making the aperture larger and facilitating ingress and egress.
Personally we do not like cabin doors in a small yacht; they are always in the way while open, and as they cannot be—or at any rate never are—made water-tight, if a little water is shipped in the well it will find its way through the closed doors and make the cabin uncomfortable.
A better plan is to have a water-tight bulkhead dividing the cabin from the well, and at the top of the bulkhead to have a square opening which can be closed when necessary with a vertical shutter or slide. When this is open, and the hatch on the cabin roof is pushed back, it is easy to step over into the cabin. ([Fig. 44] illustrates this arrangement.