The wishbone mast is made of two poles of hickory or ash, 3¹⁄₂ in. thick at the base, and tapered to 2 in. at the top. The poles are joined carefully at the masthead, bolted together, and fitted to an oak breast hook, as shown in Fig. 6. An iron strap reinforces the joint, and an eye, fashioned at its upper end, affords a point of attachment for the forward stay of the mast. The lower ends of the poles forming the mast are fitted into sockets in the runner plank, which is reinforced with mast blocks, as shown in Fig. 4. The ends of the mast, projecting beyond the lower side of the runner plank, are fitted with eye bands, used in guying the runner plank and backbone.
The sails are carried on a yard and two booms, of the same material as the masts, each 16 ft. long, 2³⁄₄ in. at the middle and tapering to 1¹⁄₂ in. at the ends. They are fitted with metal rings at the ends to prevent splitting. The yard and booms are fitted to the backbone at the bow by means of loops bolted to them and engaging an eyebolt and ring on the backbone. The eyebolt is fitted into a slotted plate of ³⁄₁₆-in. sheet iron, and fastened by a lever nut, as shown in Fig. 5. The sheets are fastened to the yard and booms in the usual manner, being fitted with grommets, and tied with line. The yard is suspended from the masthead by means of a line and pulley, the former being cleated to the backbone. The booms are controlled by the operator from the cockpit, by the use of lines and pulleys, similar to the arrangement used on sailboats, except that a duplicate set is required for the additional boom. The lines are cleated on the backbone convenient to the cockpit.
| Fig. 1 Fig. 6 | ||
| Fig. 5 | Fig. 2 | Fig. 4 |
| Fig. 3 | The Wishbone Mast Provides a StrongConstruction of Marked Stability, and theDouble Booms and Sails Permit of GreatSpeed When Running before the Wind.When Tacking, the Sails and Booms areUsed as One Boom and Sheet. Figure 1Shows the Side Elevation; Fig. 2 a View ofthe Lower Side, and the Details are Shownin the Other Figures | |
The sails are of the lateen type, and should be made of 8-oz. unbleached cotton duck. The breadths are sewn together by lapping one edge over the other about 1 in., and sewing or stitching along the edge. Yard-wide material is satisfactory, and if narrower laps or bights are desired, simply fold over 1 in. of the goods and double-stitch the seam. The bights should run parallel with the after, or leach, edge of the sail, as shown in Fig. 1. Each corner of the sail should be reinforced with a triangular patch of duck, so that it will stand up under the severe strain of winter usage. The edges of the sail may be bound with ¹⁄₄-in. tarred rope, which is not difficult if a sailor’s palm and a diamond-pointed needle are used. Sail twine, well waxed, should be used for the sewing of the sails.
The edges of the sails adjoining the yard and booms are provided with grommet holes by means of which the sails are attached to their supports. The grommets are made by punching holes in the sails, at the proper points, fitting two ³⁄₄-in. brass grommet rings into the holes, one at each side, and overcasting them with a buttonhole stitch. The sail needle and waxed sail twine are used. The reef points are of the usual type, and are made of ¹⁄₈-in. cotton rope, whipped at the ends to prevent raveling, and sewed to the sails at intervals.
The craft is designed to be taken down when not in use, particularly between seasons, and can be stored in comparatively small space, in the knockdown form. The method of setting up the ice yacht will serve to illustrate, also, the method of taking it down, in that the process is practically reversed. First, the backbone is fitted with the forward ring and the strap bolts are fastened at the crossing of the backbone and runner plank. The runners are fitted into place, and the steering rigging is adjusted. The wishbone mast is set into its steps, clamped at its masthead, and the bands fitted to the lower ends. The guy wires at the bottom and that at the masthead are then set, by means of the turnbuckles. The sails are attached to the yard and booms, and the forward end of the latter supports are fixed into place. The pulley at the masthead is fitted with ³⁄₈-in. rope which is fastened to the yard, at the proper point, as indicated in Fig. 1. The rigging by which the booms are controlled is threaded through the pulleys at the stern and the ends fixed on the cleats. The yard may now be hauled up and the craft trimmed so that the sails “set” properly. The halyard is fixed to the yard, as shown, and run through a pulley at the masthead, then down through a second pulley fixed to the runner plank, from which it is conducted to cleats convenient to the operator in the cockpit.
The main sheets are rigged as shown in Fig. 1. The ends of the lines are lashed to the ends of the booms, passed through pulleys, at the stern of the backbone, on the booms, about 1 ft. from the ends, and 5 ft. from the ends, respectively, then down to the cleats at the cockpit. This rigging gives good purchase on the lines and makes it convenient for the operator to attend to the helm and the lines at the same time. The fittings are, as nearly as possible, designed to be standard and may be purchased from ship chandlers, or dealers in marine hardware and fittings. The special metal parts may be made by one of fair mechanical skill, or may be made by local blacksmiths. The woodwork is all comparatively simple. The masts, yard, and booms should be smoothed carefully, sandpapered lightly, and finished with several coats of spar varnish. The other woodwork may be painted suitably, and the metal fittings should be finished with two coats of red lead, or other good paint for use on metals exposed to the weather.
The manipulation of this craft is in general similar to that of the common lateen-rig, or other sail and ice, boats. When running before the wind—free—the booms are separated and the wind acts against the sails in the pocket between them. When tacking, the booms are brought together, and the sails act as one sheet, on a craft of the ordinary type.