Cutters, owing to their excellent sailing qualities, are much employed
as packets[10], revenue cruisers, smugglers, privateers, and in all
cases requiring despatch. The boats commonly employed in parties of
pleasure, &c., are also cutters.
[10] In the packet line, since the general adoption of steam, cutters
are seldom if ever met with.--ED. Fifth Edition.
On the size of these vessels, however, it is necessary to remark, that
a cutter under one hundred tons is sufficiently handy; but, when the
size is equal to that of the larger yachts, a strong crew is necessary,
as the spars are very heavy, and a number of men requisite to set or
shorten sail. As a single-masted vessel, in the event of springing
a spar, becomes helpless, even large cutters are used only in short
voyages, or on the coast; for, in case of accident, they can always
manage to reach some harbour or anchorage to repair any damage they
may sustain. The peculiar qualities of beating well to windward, and
working on short tacks, adapt cutters peculiarly for Channel cruising.
Although, some years back, large cutters were confined principally
to the navy and revenue, the Royal Yacht Squadron, in theirs, have
exceeded these not only in size, but in beauty and sailing qualities.
Some of the finest and fastest cutters in the world are the property of
this national club; and two of them, the Alarm (Mr. Weld’s), and the
Arundel[11], (the Duke of Norfolk’s), measure 193 and 188 tons. The
inconvenient size, however, of a cutter’s boom and mainsail has caused
the very general introduction of a ketch rig, which, by the addition
of a mizen, permits the boom to be dispensed with, and reduces the
mainsail considerably. This rig, indeed, when the mizen stands well,
is elegant; and, if a vessel is short-handed, it is very handy. As
cutter-rigged vessels, instead of a regular mainsail, with its boom
and gaff, have sometimes a mere spritsail, it is necessary we should
observe, that the inferior convenience and safety of these preclude our
noticing them here. It is also necessary that we should explain why, in
the sequel, we do not even refer to lugger-rigged vessels.
[11] The tonnage of the Arundel is not given here according to the
Royal Yacht Squadron list: there it is stated to be 210 tons.--ED.
Fifth Edition.
Luggers are more difficult to work or manœuvre; they require a greater
number of men; their spars are so heavy that they require all hands to
move them: their decks are inevitably lumbered with spars, &c.; their
canvass gets rotted from exposure; and their expense is much greater
than that of cutters. They generally have two sets of lugs--large ones,
which require dipping every time they tack, and small working lugs,
which do not require dipping, the tack coming to the foot of the mast.
The latter are generally used, except in making long reaches across the
Channel, &c. A lugger, moreover, is seldom fit to be altered to any
thing but a schooner, not having breadth enough for one mast, which,
after all, is the best for beauty and speed.
Sailing men, indeed, are now so perfectly aware of the inferior speed
of luggers, that we never see a lugger or schooner enter against a
cutter at all near its tonnage. At sea, luggers would have a better
chance; though even there many would prefer cutters, except in foul
weather and a long reach. In short, these vessels suit only a few
noblemen and gentlemen who have enough of patriotic ambition to desire
to look like smugglers, enough of delicacy to disregard the being
thought dirty lubbers by their own men--some of whom are not dirty from
mere taste or choice, and enough of penetration not to discover, that
on their landing with filthy clothes and tarry hands, every old sailor
grins or laughs at their imagining, that it was they, and not the man
at the helm, who had kept the canvass from cracking, or the sticks from
going over the side. Our descriptions apply, therefore, to cutters
alone; and the Plates at the end of this article illustrate the various
parts therein referred to.
Upon the Thames, the sailing clubs comprise the Royal Sailing Society,
the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the Loyal Victoria Yacht Club, the
Clarence, British, Royal Yacht, and several minor associations. Several
cups and prizes are annually given during the season; and the spirited
contests between the beautiful small craft which form these fancy
fleets, are highly interesting. The sailing matches on the river are
of two sorts--one above, and the other below the bridges. The smaller
yachts, of from six to twenty-six tons, are commonly entered for the
former, and a larger class for the latter, which take place between
Greenwich and Gravesend. These national amusements appear to be rapidly
gaining the first place among fashionable recreations, and now occupy
the season, from the period when hunting ends, till shooting begins.
The Royal Yacht Squadron has nearly six hundred persons on its lists,
of which above one hundred are members, and about four hundred and
fifty honorary members. The number of yachts is one hundred and
nine[12]; of which eighty-seven are cutters, ten schooners, three
brigs, four yawls, two ships, two ketches, and one lugger. The
greater part of these vessels hail from Cowes or Southampton. The
shipping belonging to the club amounts to 7250 tons. Now, a vessel of
one hundred tons seldom perhaps stands the owner in less than from
five to six thousand pounds, varying from that to ten, according to
the profusion of ornamental parts, the internal fittings, and other
contingencies. At this rate, the shipping of the club would have cost
more than three millions and a half of money: but it is impossible to
speak decisively on this point, as the first cost of the yachts varies
much, and the numerous styles of rig are attended with expenses so
widely different. At a moderate computation, each vessel belonging to
the club carries ten men on an average: this gives the total number
employed 1090. During the summer months, then, while regattas are
celebrated, it may be said that the Royal Yacht Squadron alone employs
more than 1100 men. These, with some few exceptions, are discharged
on the approach of winter, and the yachts are laid up for the season,
retaining the master and one man in pay. The crews thus discharged
obtain employment in merchant-vessels, or otherwise, during the winter;
and in the middle of spring, are generally re-shipped in the yachts
in which they have previously served. On these conditions, active and
industrious men of good character are generally sure of employment
in the club; and many members justly pride themselves on the high
discipline, manly bearing, and crack appearance of their crews. The
situation of master, in particular, is one of much responsibility, and
is on all accounts respectably filled. In some of the largest craft,
junior officers of the navy are found to accept this office. The
sailing regulations of the Royal Yacht Squadron are as follow;
[12] As the number is constantly fluctuating, we had better take the
average at a hundred, which will be found quite as high a one as we
should be justified in suggesting.
First--Members entering their yachts must send the names of them to the
secretary one week previous to the day of sailing, and pay two guineas
entrance at the same time.
Second--All vessels starting or entering must be the _bonâ fide_
property of members, as well as their spars, sails, boats, &c.
Third--Each member is allowed to enter one vessel only for all prizes
given by the club.
Fourth--Cutters may carry four sails only, viz., mainsail, foresail,
jib, and gaff top-sail; yawls, luggers, schooners, and all other
vessels, in like proportion. No booming out allowed.
Fifth--No trimming with ballast, or shifting of ballast allowed; and
all vessels to keep their platforms down, and bulkheads standing.
Sixth--Vessels on the larboard tack must invariably give way to
those on the starboard tack; and in all cases where a doubt of the
possibility of the vessel on the larboard tack weathering the one on
the starboard tack shall exist, the vessel on the larboard tack shall
give way; or, if the other vessel keep her course, and run into her,
the owner of the vessel on the larboard tack shall be compelled to pay
all damages, and forfeit his claim to the prize.
Seventh--Vessels running on shore shall be allowed to use their own
anchors and boats actually on board to get them off, afterwards
weighing anchor and hoisting the boat in; but, upon receiving
assistance from any other vessel or vessels, boats, or anchors, shall
forfeit all claim to the prize.
Eighth--That nothing but the hand-line be used for sounding.
Ninth--Any deviation from these rules shall subject the aggressor to
forfeit all claim to the prize.
Tenth--If any objection be made with regard to the sailing of any
other vessel in the race, such objection must be made to the stewards,
within one hour after the vessel making the objection arrive at the
starting-post.
Eleventh--No vessel shall be allowed to take in ballast, or take out,
for twenty-four hours previous to starting; and no ballast shall be
thrown overboard.
Twelfth--Vessels shall start from moorings laid down at a cable-length
distance, with their sails set; and every vessel not exceeding one
hundred tons shall carry a boat not less than ten feet long; and
vessels exceeding one hundred tons, a boat not less than fourteen feet
long.
Thirteenth--There shall be a member, or honorary member, on board each
vessel.
Fourteenth--The time of starting may be altered by the stewards; and
all disputes that may arise are to be decided by them, or such persons
as they shall appoint.
* * * * *
The Northern Yacht Club is a highly interesting society, although
its plan is not so extensive as that of the Royal Club. It contains
about three hundred and fifty members. The documents for 1830 comprise
ninety-two in the Scottish, and ninety in the Irish division, with
fifty-two honorary members, in addition to ninety-three members of the
Cork Yacht Club, who are also entered on the honorary lists. It had, in
1830, sixty yachts, not equal in proportion to the tonnage of the Cowes
Club, as smaller vessels are admitted. Many R. Y. S. men are found in
the Northern Club. There are many fine vessels in this club. Cutters,
as usual, excel in number.
At the lowest computation, the number of vessels at present employed
for pleasure in this country cannot be less than from three to four
hundred, ranging in bulk from ten to three hundred and fifty tons.
These are variously distributed along our shores, carrying their
opulence into every port and harbour. But there is another advantage
arising from yacht clubs--namely, that national spirit, which, to a
maritime people, is above all in worth. The yacht clubs keep alive this
feeling in an eminent degree.