IRISH CLUBS
THE ROYAL CORK YACHT CLUB
BY R. T. PRITCHETT
The ancestral origin of this club, which has its station at
Queenstown, was the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork, established in
1720. It is therefore the _doyen par excellence_, and its rules and
orders as carried out in its early days are original and entertaining.
A few of the rules may be quoted:
I. Ordered that the Water Club be held once every spring
tide, from the first spring tide in April to the last in
September inclusive.
II. That no Admiral do bring more than two dishes of meat
for the entertainment of the club.
III. Resolved that no Admiral presume to bring more than two
dozen of wine to his treat, for it has always been deemed a
breach of the ancient rules and constitutions of the club,
except when my Lords the Judges are invited.
V. Ordered that the Secretary do prepare an Union flag, with
the Royal Irish harp and crown on a green field in the
centre.
Ordered that the Water Club flag be hoisted on club days
early in the morning on the Castle of Haulbowline.
IX. Ordered that no long tail wigs, large sleeves or ruffles
be worn by any member at the club.
Ordered that when any of the fleet join the Admiral, if they
have not guns to salute they are to give three cheers, which
are to be returned by the Admiral, and one cheer to be
returned by the Captain so saluting.
XIII. Resolved that twenty-five be the whole number of the
members that this club may consist of.
XIV. Resolved that such members of the club or others as
shall talk of sailing after dinner be fined a bumper.
XX. Ordered that the Knight of the Island for the time being
do suffer no person or persons whatsoever to go into the
club room, unless brought by a member, or by an order of
five members at the least, under their hands, on pain of
being cashiered.
XXI. That the Admiral singly, or any three captains whom he
shall appoint, do decide all controversies and disputes that
may arise in the club, and any Captain that shall refuse to
abide by such decision is to be expelled. N.B. This order to
extend to the Chaplain, or any other inferior officer.
_April 21, 1737._--Ordered that for the future, unless the
company exceed the number of fifteen, no man be allowed more
than one bottle to his share, and a peremptory. [What a
'peremptory' was remains a mystery.]
_Old Members_, 1720
Lord Inchiquin
Hon. James O'Bryen
Charles O'Neal
Henry Mitchell
Rich. Bullen, Chaplain
John Rogers
_New Members_, 1760
* Thomas Newenham
Morough O'Bryen
George Connor
Rich. Longfield
James Nash
William Hodder
* Philip Lavallin
John Newenham
Walter Fitzsimonds
* Samuel Hoare
William Hays
Michael Parker
* Abraham Devonshere
John Bullen
* Robert Rogers
* James Devonshere
John Walcot
Thomas Parsons
Henry Puxly
Robert Newenham, Sec.
1760.--Members whose names are marked thus * subsequently died or left
the club; the following were elected in their room, and are added in
MS. in the old copy:--
Edward Roche
Edmund Roche
Richard Dunscombe
John Atkins
John Baldwin
Robert Baldwin
Sampson Stawell
[Illustration: Yachts of Cork Water Club, 1720. From an old picture
at the R.C.Y.C., Queenstown.]
_Sailing orders for the Water Club fleet_, 1720
The fleet to rendezvous at Spithead on club days by the
first quarter ebb, any boat not being in sight by the time
the Admiral is abreast of the Castle in Spike Island, to
forfeit a British half-crown for gunpowder for the fleet.
When the Admiral hoists his foresail half up, it is for the
fleet to have a peak upon their anchor, and when the
foresail is hoisted up and a gun fired, the whole fleet is
to weigh.
_Observe_ that if the Admiral wants to speak with any of the
fleet he will make the following signals.
If with the Vice-Admiral he will hoist a white flag at the
end of the gaff or derrick, and fire two guns.
If with any private Captain he will hoist a pendant at his
derrick, and fire as many guns as the Captain is distanced
from him and from the same side.
When he would have the fleet come to an anchor, he will show
double Dutch colours at the end of his gaff and fire a gun.
When the Admiral will have the whole fleet to chase he will
hoist Dutch colours under his flag, and fire a gun from each
quarter; if a single boat he will hoist a pendant and fire
as many guns from the side as a boat is distanced from him.
When he would have the chase given over, he will haul in his
flag and fire a gun.
Some storm seems suddenly to have burst upon the gay fleet, for after
the year 1765 there is a long vacuum in the records. The club journal
sets forth, however, that on July 1, 1806, the Marquis of Thomond,
Lord Kingsale, the Fitzgeralds, the Penroses, the Newenhams, the
Drurys, and others, styled therein 'original members,' met, and agreed
to revive the old Water Club; but there is no reason to suppose that
the club was set afloat in its ancient splendour, and the attention of
the members would appear to have been chiefly directed to the useful
purpose of exciting competition among the fishing and rowing boats in
the harbour, to which they gave annual prizes.
[Illustration: Royal Cork Yacht Club Queenstown.]
Towards the end of the year 1821, the yachting spirit of both sexes in
Cork Harbour declined, and the Water Club was but feebly kept up;
indeed, Lords Thomond and Kingsale, Messrs. Savage, French, Cooper
Penrose, Thomas Roland, John Marragh, William Harrington, John Roche,
with a few others, were its sole representatives; and the club as a
body at this period may be almost said to have become extinct, as no
meetings were held, or proceedings recorded.
But the next year a party of youngsters, higher up the river, took
possession of the vacant territory, and in 1822 a little fleet was
again seen in the harbour. This society, originating in a picnic club,
having its rendezvous at Monkstown, and consisting of small craft, did
not assume the title of the Cork Harbour Club, but contented itself
with the more humble appellation of the 'Little Monkstown Club.' From
these small beginnings, however, the present Royal Cork Yacht Club had
its immediate origin, in 1828, when Thomas Hewitt, Caulfield Beamish,
and a few other enterprising individuals of the Monkstown Club,
supported by the patriotic proprietor of 'Footy,' John Smith-Barry,
and the greater part of the old Water Club members then living, met
and resolved to revive and re-establish it on a solid and permanent
basis.
The new arrangements were judiciously made, and the club,
re-established under the title of the Cork Yacht Club, rose rapidly to
eminence.
The Water Club is ably and favourably noticed in the 'Tour through
Ireland.' (London. Printed for J. Roberts, in Warwick Lane, 1748.)
[Illustration: Yacht Club Flags.
_The dates show when the Clubs were established._]
[Illustration: Cork Water Club putting out to sea, 1720.]
I shall now acquaint your Lordships with a ceremony they
have at Cork. It is somewhat like that of the Doge of Venice
wedding the sea. A set of worthy gentlemen who have formed
themselves into a body, which they call the 'Water Club,'
proceed a few leagues out to sea once a year, in a number of
little vessels, which for painting and gilding exceed the
King's yacht at Greenwich and Deptford. Their Admiral, who
is elected annually, and hoists his flag on board his little
vessel, leads the van and receives the honours of the flag.
The rest of the fleet fall in their proper stations and keep
their line in the same manner as the King's ships. This
fleet is attended with a prodigious number of boats, which,
with their colours flying, drums beating, and trumpets
sounding, forms one of the most agreeable and splendid
sights your Lordships can conceive.
The Union with harp and crown in the centre on a green
field, was granted by the Lords of the Admiralty to William,
Earl of Inchiquin, for the Cork Harbour Yacht Club, in 1759.
The present club-house is delightfully situated at Queenstown; though
old association clings rather to Haulbowline, with its quaint history.
The old pictures in the club-rooms of the Water Club yachts are
valuable as showing what the craft were in those days. Age has sombred
them down so much that many details are unfortunately lost. We are
indebted to Major H. H. Newman, the Hon. Secretary, for his
assistance, and also to Major Lysaght, who kindly photographed these
paintings.
THE CLUBS AT KINGSTOWN, DUBLIN Co.
Kingstown Harbour, so admirably adapted for sailing, has long been a
favourite spot with yachtsmen. Formerly Kingstown was a small creek
called Dunleary, but King George IV. embarked there on September 3,
1821, and promised a grant for a new harbour, which was finished in
1859 at a cost of 825,000_l._ This harbour encloses a clear sheet of
water 250 acres in extent, of depth from 15 ft. to 27 ft. at low
water, with a rise of 8 ft. or 9 ft. It affords good holding ground
and shelter from all winds, and, being a harbour of refuge, there are
no harbour fees. As a yachting station, in addition to being a safe
anchorage, it has the advantage of enabling a yacht to get in or out
to the open sea in a few minutes at any tide. The East Pier is a mile
long, and forms one of the most perfect marine promenades in the
world. Yachting took root here when the St. George's Yacht Club was
established in 1838, though perhaps it should more strictly be dated
from 1845 as it was in the latter year it obtained its Admiralty
warrant. It has now become Royal, with Her Majesty the Queen as
Patroness; Lord Dunleath (formerly John Mulholland, Esq.,)
Vice-Commodore. A remarkably fine class of yachts is brought
together in this club, and when the regatta is held Kingstown Harbour
presents one of the finest aquatic spectacles in the world, embracing
yachts and sailing boats of all classes. The 'Mermaids' and the 'Water
Wags,' which give annually great sport in the Bay, are described in a
following chapter. The Royal Irish Club has its club-house in a fine
and convenient situation; established as it was in 1846, there will
soon be two yachting jubilee regattas in Dublin Bay. July is the month
when aquatic revelry is in full swing. Many is the hard race sailed
from the harbour round The Kish, and many the spar carried away when
the high-spirited Corinthians have been cracking on. The Royal Ulster
meets at Bangor, Co. Down, having the Marquis of Dufferin as
Commodore; Lord Dunleath as Vice-Commodore; Captain Sharman-Crawford,
of 'Red Lancer' fame, as Rear-Commodore.
[Illustration: 'Erycina'
_96 tons_ (_F. B. Jameson. Esq., R. St. George's Yacht Club_). _Built
by Fife_, 1881.]
[Illustration: Royal St George's Yacht Club, Dublin Bay.]
ROYAL ALFRED YACHT CLUB
BY G. L. BLAKE
No sporting society in the whole of the three kingdoms has done more
to encourage seamanship than that which has its station in Dublin Bay,
and has been known for so many years past as the Royal Alfred Yacht
Club. Worked on a basis somewhat different from that of most clubs,
whose object is the encouragement of amateur sailing, this community
sprang into being on March 19, 1857, at a meeting held in Gilbert's
Hotel, Westland Row, Dublin, under the chairmanship of that fine
practical yachtsman the late Mr. William Cooper, so well known to all
patrons of the sport by his valuable works on the pastime he loved so
well, written under the pseudonym 'Vanderdecken.'
[Illustration:
'Oimara' _169 tons_
'Flying Could' _75 tons_
'Iona' _63 tons_
'Fiona' _78 tons_
'Arethusa' _58 tons_
'Flag Boat'
'Pantomine' _142 tons_
'Gwendoline' _197 tons_
'Garrion'
_Royal Irish Yacht Club Cup, Kingstown, July 24, 1873_
(_from a picture by Admiral Beechy_).]
'Smartness' might have been the motto of the newly launched club, for
within a few weeks of the above date the Irish Model Yacht Club--thus
it was christened while yet on the ways--had taken on board all the
essentials necessary for a lengthened and prosperous voyage. Acker's
signals were its code, and words of wisdom in the form of club rules
had been duly got out and printed. A captain of the fleet, secretary,
and treasurer, backed up by a very able committee of thirteen,
constituted the 'powers that be'; and under their auspices, on May 21,
the yachts of the club made their début in company in Ireland's Bay of
Naples.
It was during the following year that one of those rules was framed
which proved for so many years such a notable club feature. It ran as
follows: 'Every Saturday shall be a Fleet day unless there be notice
to the contrary, and all yachts on the station, under a fine of 5_s._,
shall be bound to join the fleet at a given hour, unless a
satisfactory reason for the yacht's absence be given to the Sailing
Committee. No yacht is to join unless the owner, or a member of a
Yacht Club, be on board.' Of course this regulation has had to be
rescinded in order to allow of club matches taking place, and the
cruises in company have become less frequent; but it is impossible to
estimate the value to seamanship of fleet sailing, because there is no
method by which the sailor can more readily attain to the complete
command of his vessel, and make her answer to his bidding. Sailing as
he will be on such occasions in company with yachts of various sizes,
sail-carrying power and speed, the yachtsman who can keep station will
have learnt not only to have a confidence in himself and his vessel,
but also how to vary her degrees of sailing from the reeling off of
knots to an up and down log line.
In 1859 the club was practically reorganised. A new book of amended
rules and regulations was printed, and a book of signals produced and
compiled by Mr. Jas. A. Lyle, who had been appointed honorary
secretary. Among these new rules was this very useful and simple one:
'Each owner is to lodge with the secretary a duplicate of his racing
flag, and this flag is to be carried on board the Commodore's yacht of
the day, to facilitate signalling and avoidance of mistakes.'
Towards the end of the season Lord Otho Fitzgerald, who had up to this
time acted as captain of the fleet, gave up the office, and till it
was eventually done away with, a Challenge Cup was instituted, open to
all yachts of 15 tons (the largest size among the racing fleet) and
under, to be sailed for annually. It was ruled that in future the
holder of this cup should fill the office of captain of the fleet for
the ensuing year.
So far the club matches had been few and somewhat irregular. Three
classes had been formed, consisting of yachts of 10 and not exceeding
15 tons, of 6 and not over 10, and of others under 6 tons. This year,
however, was started the annual series of racing matches, which have
for over thirty years been so popular with the racing fraternity of
St. George's Channel and the Clyde; and each season's programme has
only undergone such alterations as have been necessitated by the
increased tonnage of the competing yachts, or as may further racing
according to the fashionable sizes of the yachts of the period. About
this date, too, it was found necessary to obviate the difficulty which
was being felt with regard to manning and sailing yachts, owing to the
number of large yachts, which already flew the club burgee; the
original rule, that permitted members only to be employed, was
therefore stretched, in order to admit of any member of a Royal Yacht
Club, who had paid his subscription, or any gentleman amateur not a
seafaring man, being entered as a racing hand.
In 1864 the club advanced another step safely, and emerging from its
chrysalis stage of a model yacht club, butterflied it in public as the
Prince Alfred Yacht Club, keeping the same objects in view as
hitherto, viz., the encouragement of match sailing and the acquisition
of practical knowledge amongst its members of how to steer and handle
their own vessels, especially while sailing. Commodores were appointed
in place of a captain of the fleet, to carry on the more extended
duties of the club; and Messrs. Putland, Scovell, and Bolton, whose
names are household words throughout the yachting world, were the
first officers to hold the appointments. No fewer than five classes
had now to be created to take in the racing fleet; the class for
yachts of 40 tons and over included all the big ones, that for 7 tons
and under was open to the small fry.
Two years later (1866) the Duke of Edinburgh identified himself more
closely than heretofore with the club that bore his name, by becoming
its patron, and presenting a cup to be sailed for; and it was during
this season that prizes were instituted, in the shape of gold pins
bearing the club burgee, to especially encourage the art of
helmsmanship. 1866 is also worthy of being remembered as having
witnessed the introduction of the annual Kingstown and Holyhead
matches, with which, since that time, the racing programme of the
season has nearly always started.
The standing rule which specially distinguishes this club is that all
money received shall go towards racing expenses and prize funds. The
consequence follows that, limited though the club is to 300 members
(there were 200 in 1864), it is able to provide good prizes for all
classes, and can show more sport for its money than many another
richer club which is hampered with a house. The proof of the pudding
is in the eating, and the success of this homeless club, as many have
called it, should read a really useful lesson to the committees of all
young yachting or other sporting communities, not to be too anxious
about bricks and mortar or entering on the responsibilities of
housekeeping.
In 1868 another new feature, which at once became popular and is so to
the present day, was started by Mr. G. B. Thompson. This was a series
of matches to be held each year for yachts manned by amateurs only;
and it is in some of these races, which have taken place during the
past quarter of a century, that the capabilities of the members have
prominently appeared as first-class able seamen. This season, however,
will always be remembered for the race that was sailed on June 1 by
the 2nd class yachts--viz. those over 25 and under 40 tons, in which
the 3rd class yachts were allowed to enter at 26 tons. The 'Xema,'
35; 'Vampire,' 20 (rated at 26); 'Echo,' yawl, 37; 'Secret,' 31;
'Kilmeny,' 30; 'Wavecrest,' yawl, 35; and 'Amberwitch,' yawl, 52 tons,
started. Three paid hands were allowed to each yacht. The course lay
from Kingstown Harbour, round the North Bar buoy, Kish Lightship, and
the Hauling buoy in Kingstown Harbour--twice round, to start from
moorings. Though the weather was anything but satisfactory, all the
morning had been fine, and there had been scarcely any wind, so that
light muslin, in the shape of large topsails, balloon foresails, and
big No. 1 jibs, was donned by all the competitors, at all events for
the reach out to the Bar buoy. The old 'Bat' was the first to get
away, but she was soon overhauled by the 'Echo,' the rest following in
line abreast. As the day grew on, the wind, from being shifty and all
over the place, gradually settled down from the eastward, and the
'Wavecrest' being the first to feel the true wind, she very naturally
made use of it, and went through her vessels as if they had been at
anchor. She was not allowed, however, to have the game all to herself
for many moments, as the 'Amberwitch' and 'Xema' were soon on her
track, while the 'Kilmeny' and 'Vampire' indulged in a luffing match,
and almost allowed the 'Secret' and 'Echo,' which were doing
rearguard, to overtake them.
The buoy was rounded in the order given above, and as the wind had
been increasing rapidly the crews were now called on to show their
smartness in handing in the wind persuaders and substituting second
jibs and working foresails for the close-haul out to the Kish. Those
who know what the face of the waters is like off the Kish Bank when a
hard easterly wind has set in will have some idea of the kind of
business that was being transacted on this occasion, on the outward
journey. Soon it became evident that topsails were altogether out of
place, and those who had shifted ballooners for small square-headers
had to take them in again and house their topmasts. The 'Xema' alone
held on, though it could easily be seen that her topsail was not
helping her at all. She had quite trouble enough too, as it turned
out, without having useless top-hamper aloft, for her weather bowsprit
shrouds began to show such signs of distress that it became necessary
for her to hand in her head-sail and set a small jib. The 'Amberwitch'
was heeling and toeing it to such an extent that, by sagging away to
leeward, it became quite clear she was by no means having things her
own way. The 'Xema,' on the other hand, notwithstanding her sail-plan,
coming up under the 'Kilmeny's' lee, was forereaching well on her,
when a further trouble overtook her in the parting of the main
outhaul, and the traveller coming in as far as the reef battens--there
were no outhaul horses in 1868--left the mainsail in a bag, a
misfortune which was at once taken advantage of by the 'Kilmeny,' who
promptly gave her the go-by.
The 'Vampire' had quite as much as she liked with the broken sea she
had to drive through, but it would have rejoiced the heart of the late
Mr. Dan Hatcher, her builder, had he seen the way in which his little
vessel stepped it out to windward and held her own with her larger
sisters. The Kish was passed by the 'Kilmeny' as leader of the van,
and she was followed by the 'Xema,' 'Amberwitch,' 'Echo,' and little
'Bat' in the order named. Now that they had rounded the lightship
topmasts were sent on end again by all, with the exception of the
'Echo,' whose crosstrees had come to grief; square-headers were once
more seen aloft, and sheets were checked well off for the run to the
harbour. On nearing the piers the wind lightened as quickly as it had
got up; it left the leading yachts almost becalmed, and only just able
to gybe round the mark.
Starting away again for the second round, the 'Xema' made use of the
lack of wind to set up her headgear and secure her bowsprit shroud,
but she had barely set things to rights before the wind came on with
double vigour. It was a reach this time out to the Kish, and weight
naturally telling, 'Kilmeny' was outpaced by the 'Xema,' which led
round the lightship, followed closely by the 'Amberwitch,' 'Kilmeny,'
'Echo,' and 'Vampire,' with 'Wavecrest' to bring up the rear. The
'Secret' had got into difficulties about a mile from the lightship by
her bowsprit snapping off close at the gammon iron, and with the sea
that was running its crew had their work cut out for them in clearing
the wreckage and sending out a jury spar. With the rest of the fleet
it was a case once more of up topmasts and topsails for the run home,
and a most exciting race was being sailed by the 'Xema' and
'Amberwitch' for the first place (the latter had to allow 'Xema' 2
mins. 12 secs., as she was a 51-ton yawl), when the wind, drawing off
the shore as before on nearing their destination, brought it to an
end. The sheets had accordingly to be hardened in, and a board to be
made into Scotsman's Bay to get the benefit of the young flood, which
was running in shore. A couple of short tacks now brought the 'Xema'
clear out on the weather of the 'Amberwitch' and 'Kilmeny,' so that,
gaining inch by inch, she managed to win at last. Nothing could have
exceeded the smart manner in which the shifting of sails and the work
aloft was carried out on board all the yachts.
In 1869, the honorary secretary, Mr. Lyle, to whom the Club will ever
be indebted for the care and interest he has shown in furthering its
welfare, gave a tankard as a prize for a one-handed race, the
conditions of which were: 'Only one man, and he a member of the Club,
shall be on board, and all others must leave before any canvas is set
or station taken.' Flying starts had not yet come into fashion, and
therefore buoys had to be picked up. No fewer than ten yachts started
for this race, five of which were over 10, and three over 5 tons. The
'Queen,' 15 tons, was the winner, but the season will be best known by
the introduction of the celebrated Champion Cups, which have ever
since shared the honours with the Corinthian matches in the Club
programmes. To secure the necessary funds for providing these
luxuries, members were permitted to commute their annual subscriptions
by the payment down of 10_l._ By this means the greater portion of the
handsome pieces of plate, for which so many flyers of their day have
competed, were obtained.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who, as already remarked, had been patron,
assumed in 1871 the duties of commodore, a post he is still holding;
the club had become Royal in the previous winter. The limit in the
number of members was increased from 200 to 300, and the club burgee
also underwent a change. Up to this date the club had sailed under no
fewer than four different burgees. The original flag consisted of a
red anchor on a blue field, but this only enjoyed a short life, as the
anchor was changed into an Irish crown before the first season was
over. In 1859, the flag appeared with a white ground, a blue cross
with four points at the intersection of the cross forming the design,
and in 1861 the field was changed again from white to red, with the
new device of a yellow foul anchor. Now for the last time the device
was altered from the ordinary foul anchor to that of a foul patent
Trotman under an Imperial crown. The patent improved anchor represents
the club's leading position as a Corinthian yacht racing society.
Besides five champion cups of the several values of 120_l._, 60_l._,
35_l._, 25_l._, and 15_l._, one in fact for each class, the Duke of
Edinburgh presented a 50_l._ cup. A gale of wind sprang up during the
race for this prize, which was won by Mr. George Putland in the
'Enid.' She was the only one of all the yachts that crossed the
line--flying starts were instituted this year--to finish the course,
and it was the rounding of the Kish Lightship in this race by the
'Enid' that Admiral Beechy took as the subject of one of his most
celebrated sea pictures. The 'Egeria,' schooner, was disabled very
early in the race by the carrying away of the iron strop round her
boom.
During the season of 1872 the club was presented with the first of the
three Queen's Cups of which it has been a recipient. Matches during
the summer alternated each Saturday with cruises in fleet under one of
the club officers, with regard to which one great point should be
noticed, viz., that it has been the custom to sail only one match as a
rule on each of the racing Saturdays. There are many other clubs
which would do well to follow this example, as it is not infrequently
next to impossible with some clubs for outport members and
yacht-owners, when wishing to join in Corinthian matches, to obtain
competent hands.
1872 was the last year in which single-handed racing received club
support. A single-handed match had been sailed each season since their
inauguration by Mr. Lyle, Mr. Alec Richardson winning twice (in 1870
and 1871) in the 'Naiad,' 10-tonner; but the sad loss of Mr.
O'Connell, one of the most popular and sporting members of the club,
together with his yacht, and the narrow escape from foundering of
another, emphasised the advisability to stop such races for the
future. The race in which this disaster occurred took place on June 1.
The day was a peculiar one. A double-handed match had been sailed
during the fore- and early afternoon, when a nice S.E. breeze favoured
the competitors, which had one and all carried large topsails aloft.
This race was finished, however, in a heavy downpour of rain, and was
won by the Vice-Commodore, Mr. George Thompson, in the 'Madcap,' 20
tons. After the race was over the rain came down in such torrents that
there was some hesitation about allowing the single-handed match to
start, though there was no appearance of any heavy weather setting in.
This fact, and there being no sea to speak of, settled the question,
and accordingly the 'Petrel,' 10 tons, Mr. W. G. Jamieson; 'Mocassin,'
10, Mr. Corrigan; 'Madcap,' 20, the Vice-Commodore; 'Torment,' 5, Mr.
Miller; and 'Peri,' 5 tons, Mr. O'Connell, most of them with reefed
mainsails, made a start at 3 hrs. 5 mins. in the order named. The
weather soon afterwards became very thick, and nothing was seen of the
yachts till 6 hrs. 34 mins., when the 'Petrel' was discovered making
for home. A number of yachts were out all the afternoon, and some of
them on coming into harbour had passed the word that things were not
going on as sweetly as they might outside. The wind had shifted to the
S.W., and a considerable sea was running, increased or rather broken
by the flood-tide. The 'Mocassin,' who had given up, corroborated the
statement that was flying about, and soon after the 'Heroine,' 60-ton
cutter, arrived with her topmast gone, followed by the 'Whirlwind'
yawl, with the loss of her gig washed away from her davits.
The danger was now clearly apparent, and a tug was immediately sent
out to look for the yachts, as it was feared the small ones would be
unable to beat up against the sea and make their port. The 'Pleione,'
schooner, had fortunately fallen in with the 'Madcap,' and put a hand
on board her just in the nick of time, for she had shipped a heavy
cargo of water below owing to her fore hatch having been washed
overboard, and her head-sheets had gone. The 'Torment' ran for Howth,
whence she was helped back to her moorings by a friendly tug, which
was sent later on to her assistance. The 'Pleione,' however, reported
that the unfortunate 'Peri' had been pooped, and that she had
immediately foundered, taking with her her plucky crew. The schooner
had sailed on and about the spot for some time, hoping against hope to
recover some memento of the catastrophe to carry back to Kingstown,
and the tug was also employed in cruising round the locality, but to
no purpose, as nothing was seen after she went down of either the
'Peri' or her owner. Though it is now more than ten years since this
sorrowful occurrence, the name of Mr. D. O'Connell, beloved by all who
knew him as a keen sportsman and a most genial friend, still remains
green in the memory of Irish yachtsmen.
Useful as the single-handed matches were for bringing out a display of
seamanship, confidence and independence, it was as well under the
circumstances that at this time they should end; but it seems a pity
that the two-handed matches should have received their death-blow as
well. The extra hand means all the difference between danger and
safety.
Of the work carried out by the club perhaps the programme for 1874
gives as fair a sample as it is possible to choose, taking one year
with another. The list of matches was as follows:--
Nos. 1 and 2. Matches to and from Douglas, Isle of Man.
No. 3. Match for yachts not exceeding 7 tons. No. 5 Champion
Cup, with 7_l._ added.
No. 4. Match for yachts not exceeding 20 tons. Corinthian
Race. 25_l._ Helmsman 5_l._, with tankards for the crew.
No. 5. For yachts not exceeding 25 tons. No. 3 Champion Cup;
with 25_l._ added.
No. 6. Open to all yachts. Corinthian Race, 50_l._ Helmsman
5_l._, and tankards for crew.
No. 7. For all yachts not exceeding 7 tons; 15_l._ given by
Mr. Macartney.
No. 8. Match open to all yachts. No. 1 Champion Cup, 50_l._
added; two helmsmen's prizes of 4_l._ each.
No. 9. For all yachts not exceeding 15 tons; 1st prize
15_l._, 2nd prize 10_l._, given by Mr. Fulton. Helmsman
5_l._
No. 10. For all yachts not exceeding 40 tons. 2nd Champion
Cup, with 35_l._ added.
No. 11. For all yachts not exceeding 15 tons. 4th Champion
Cup, with 15_l._ added.
One more race, which was promoted this year, must not be forgotten, as
it would prove a very advantageous item in all yacht-club programmes,
viz. a swimming match in clothes. The conditions were as follows:
'Each member must wear woollen socks, a pair of slippers, shoes or
boots, woollen or canvas trousers, a flannel shirt, with a guernsey or
yachting jacket; the distance to be covered 200 yards.'
In the Corinthian matches it may be noticed that the club not only
gives the customary helmsman's prize, and that a good one, but each
member of the winning crew receives a tankard with the yacht's
complement or the club burgee engraved on it, a principle again worthy
of adoption by all Corinthian yacht clubs in races where no paid hands
are permitted.
At this period the club had the fine total of 163 yachts to a list of
fewer than 300 members; and to show how admirably everything was
carried on to the furtherance of sport, prizes were given to the
amount of 364_l._ out of an income of 521_l._, the club expenditure
being more than covered by 78_l._ These statistics are of interest as
showing what can be done by a club when not fettered by club premises.
The entry in the season of 1875 for the No. 1 Champion Cup is worthy
of a notice here, since no fewer than seven of the large cracks of the
year put in an appearance--'Fiona,' 75 tons; 'Cuckoo,' 92; 'Neva,' 62;
'Speranza,' yawl, 85; 'Latona,' yawl, 165; 'Egeria,' schooner, 147;
and 'Gwendolin,' schooner, 197 tons; and as an example of a R.A.Y.C.
Corinthian match, that which took place on July 17, 1876, for 'Twenty
Tonners' will long be remembered, not so much for its record of
spar-breaking, as for the seamanlike way in which difficulties were
overcome. The description of the race is here given almost in the
words of an account for which the writer is indebted to Mr. James
Drury, who was himself an active witness on the occasion. The weather
was far from favourable owing to a strong gale during the previous
night having raised a nasty tumbling sea on the banks, while the wind,
though moderate in the early part of the afternoon, at times blew in
fierce squalls, rendering it necessary to reduce canvas at awkward
moments.
The entries were:--
'Hinda' 18 tons Mr. G. B. Thompson.
'Sheilah' 20 " Mr. Pascoe French.
'Challenge' 20 " Mr. Fred Thompson.
'Sunshine' 20 " Mr. D. MacIvor.
Prizes: Owner, 25_l._; helmsman, 5_l._; crew, tankards. Course No. 3
(24 miles), no paid hands allowed. Though the number of competitors
was smaller than usual, the quality was extremely good, all four being
well known as about the best of their class. A nice southerly breeze
was blowing, making it an easy reach to the South Bar buoy, and the
tide was just beginning to flow to the northward. The 'Hinda' was the
first away, steered by her owner, followed close astern by the
'Sunshine,' which had won so many prizes in 1874, with Mr. Henry
Dudgeon at her helm. 'Sheilah' was third, with the late Mr. Pascoe
French as pilot, and last, though only some 45 seconds behind the
leader, came the 'Challenge,' with a crew who had come over from
Liverpool in her or by steamer, and comprised the cream of the Mersey
and Cheshire yacht clubs, among them Mr. Richardson, her designer, who
now handled the lines. The 'Hinda' and 'Sunshine' each carried a crew
of eight hands all told, while the 'Sheilah' and 'Challenge' had a
complement each of ten hands, including the helmsman.
All the yachts had whole lower canvas and jibheaded topsails set,
except the 'Sheilah,' who had a small square header aloft, and
'Sunshine,' who had prudently reefed her mainsail and foresail,
although they still looked big enough for a 30 even thus reduced. The
'Sheilah' soon showed her speed off the wind, as, going through
'Sunshine's' lee like a dart, she led the fleet and placed herself
some 50 seconds ahead of any other by the time she had made the first
turning point, where it was 'gybe ho,' and she increased this lead to
2-1/4 minutes at the Rosebeg, the others having played at luffing and
thus impeded each other.
Sheets were now hardened in for a close haul to the North and South
Burford buoys, and 'Sheilah' soon found her topsail too much for her
in the jumpy sea; but unfortunately it had been set with the tack to
leeward, and was not therefore handy for shifting, while, worse than
this, her big No. 1 jib was pulling her head off, and with a single
sheet only it was more than her foremast hands could manage to get it
properly aft. The 'Challenge' held a beautiful wind, and getting clear
of the other two, weathered fast on 'Sheilah,' though she did not
headreach on her. Mr. French, wishing to shift his topsail, went about
on the port tack before he could weather the South Burford, but
meeting the 'Challenge' on the starboard tack, and fearing he would
not be able to clear her, stayed under her lee, with the effect of
being dead covered for four or five minutes, when the first bitter
puff that came clear of the after leach of 'Challenge's' mainsail
whipped 'Sheilah's' topmast over her side. She was immediately hove
about, and her crew set to work to clear away the wreck, Messrs.
Drury and Dunne running aloft and casting off the topsail lacing; but
before they could get the sail down or the rigging secured, it was
found necessary to go about again in order to pass the mark on the
proper hand, and four or five minutes banging about of the wreck to
leeward laced everything up into such a horrible state of confusion
that it took the crew all they knew to get the topsail below, the
broken mast on deck, and the rigging secured.
The 'Challenge' in the meantime, capitally sailed and handled, crept
away steadily, and the 'Hinda' drew up on the 'Sheilah,' while the
'Sunshine' still kept the rear, not seeming to like the rough water.
At 2 hrs. 27 mins. 35 secs. the 'Challenge' stayed round the buoy in
Kingstown Harbour, followed by the 'Sheilah' 2 hrs. 33 mins. 10 secs.,
having her tricolour flag flying from her crosstree. The 'Hinda'
rounded at 2 hrs. 34 mins. 55 secs., and the 'Sunshine' at 2 hrs. 37
mins. 30 secs. The wind was now much more westerly, and the squalls
stronger. The 'Sheilah' set her balloon foresail for the reach out, in
hopes of lessening the distance between her and the leader, and
certainly gained a little. After the gybe Mr. French determined to
shift his jib, especially as the starboard whisker had begun to
buckle, and for this purpose gybed back and ran in under Howth--a
great loss of time, for when the boom came over again the 'Hinda' was
ahead.
The 'Sunshine,' after reaching Rosebeg, carried away her mast bodily,
some 17 ft. from the deck, and the whole top-hamper fell overboard,
leaving her helpless, and in anything but a pleasant predicament with
so heavy a sea running, and the rocks of Howth under her lee. However,
several yachts and a tug went off to her assistance, and after
drifting round the Bailey, the tug got hold of her and brought her
back, a sad wreck, to Kingstown Harbour. Meanwhile the squalls were
becoming sharper, and the sea heavier and more broken, threatening
destruction to bowsprits and bobstays, as the little vessels wallowed
in the trough. The 'Sheilah,' showing her power, drew up abreast and
close to the 'Hinda' between the Burfords, and all hands were
admiring the way she was carrying her canvas, having her jib-topsail
still aloft, and going like a bird, when crash! away went her mast,
just under the hounds, leaving her quite as helpless as the
'Sunshine,' but in clearer and more open water. No one was hurt, and
the 'Sheilah' at once triced up her tack, lowered her foresail, and
hove to alongside her disabled consort in order to give help if
required. Her crew employed themselves, while waiting, in hauling down
a reef. This 'Challenge' perceived, and having matters quite safe, she
at once followed suit, and made all snug for the thrash home of four
miles; a happy matter for her, as her mast was badly sprung and might
have gone at any moment. By the time the reefs were down, the
'Whirlwind,' 77-ton yawl, belonging to Mr. J. Townsend, had hastened
to the assistance of her disabled little sister, and sending a warp to
her, took her in tow. The 'Challenge,' on resuming her course, was
well ahead, and eventually the race ended by her rounding the
flagships at 4 hrs. 37 mins. 10 secs., winning the prize for her
owner, the helmsman's prize for Mr. Alec Richardson, and tankards for
her crew, who deserved them well for their pluck in coming from
Liverpool and for the way they sailed and handled their vessel. In
addition to other damages, it was discovered on reaching the Harbour
that the 'Sheilah's' mast, with the rigging and all, had settled down
2 inches, having badly torn the wood of the mast, while 'Challenge's'
mast was also reported 'queer' aloft.
The No. 1 Corinthian Match, which took place in 1879, would also give
subject for much interesting reading and reflection did space permit,
for smarter seamanship or a more exciting finish could not have been
seen anywhere, not even in the bonny Clyde. It is only right to say
that the members of this little club spare no energy or pains in order
to become efficient racing yachtsmen; and to go out on a dirty
afternoon to practise under difficulties shifting sail, reefing down,
sending up and housing topmast, reefing in bowsprit and seamanship in
general, is one of the means that have been before now employed to
bring about the state of perfection which is exhibited by its leading
hands, and for which the club is and always has been so famous.
At the beginning of the eighties the courses underwent some slight
alterations, and as these hold good at the present day it may be found
useful information if they are given here.
No. 1 Course.--From outside Kingstown Harbour to the South
Bar buoy, thence to Rosebeg Bank buoy, the Kish Lightship,
to a flagship moored off the East Pier End; three times
round--48 miles.
No. 2 Course.--The same as No. 1; only twice round--32
miles.
No. 3 Course.--Kingstown Harbour to South Bar buoy, thence
to Rosebeg Bank buoy, North Burford buoy, South Burford
buoy, to flagship moored off the East Pier End; twice
round--24 miles.
No. 4 Course.--Same as No. 3, only once round, thence to
South Bar buoy and the flagship off the Pier--16 miles.
No. 5 Course.--Kingstown to South Bar buoy, thence to a
flagboat moored two miles S.E. half-E., and to the flagship;
twice round--4 miles.
Of the various new classes that have sprung up within the last ten
years, perhaps that in which the 3-tonners 'Rival,' 'Duchess,'
'Senta,' 'Currytush,' and 'Mimmie' are chiefly prominent has given
about the most sport. Of these little ships, the 'Currytush,' one of
the late Mr. Payton's greatest successes, could not only show her tail
to the flyers of her class wherever she presented herself, but she
gave the Solent 30-ft. class a good dressing in a thrash to windward
against a nasty head sea and in a hard blow. The small class for
yachts of seven or six tons and under has always been a great
favourite in Dublin Bay, but for two or three years a regular 5-ton
class held sway, and the season of 1885 witnessed its dying kick in
the coming together of the 'Shona,' 'Luath,' 'Delvin,' and 'Doris.'
The 'Luath' and 'Doris' were new this season. The 18-ft. and 25-ft.
open-boat classes, however, both have run these very fine in public
favour, especially the latter. The rule of measurement adopted, and
the conditions of sailing, are as follows:--
The extreme draft is not to exceed one-sixth of the
load-water-line.
The counter, if any, is not to exceed one-sixth of
load-water-line, nor is the rabbit, where it intersects the
afterside of the sternpost, to come nearer the surface of
the water than 4 in.
The overhang of the bow, if any, is not to exceed one-sixth
of the load-water-line. Any excess of overhang beyond these
limits must be added to the length of the load-water-line,
and the result taken for class and time-allowance.
The whole overhang of any counter, whose rabbit, where it
crosses the afterside of the sternpost, is less than 4 in.
above the surface of the water, must be added to the length
of the load-water-line, and the result taken as the length
for class and time-allowance.
The crew, including helmsman, is not to exceed one man for
every 7 ft. or fraction of 7 ft. One of these may be a paid
hand.
Centreboard boats are allowed to compete, but the plates are
never to be lowered beyond the limit of one-sixth of their
load-water-line and must be kept down at a fixed draught
during the whole race. (If the latter part of this rule has
been altered, it is only lately that the alteration has been
made.)
The Royal Alfred Yacht Club is still houseless, and keeps to its
original purpose of devoting all its available funds to the
encouragement of match-sailing. It has lost within the last few years
the valuable assistance of its late secretary, Mr. James A. Lyle, who
might almost be said to have fathered the club from its earliest
infancy; but with a foundation so ably laid, a working team of
thoroughly practical seamen to officer and steady the helm (and to
whom I am greatly indebted for the help given me in compiling this
paper), the members have every reason to be proud of the position
their association holds as a representative racing yacht club.
"GRAPHIC CRUISERS" OF DUBLIN BAY
_Notes by the Hon. Skipper_
A lovely night, a gentle breeze, a glassy, heaving ebb, all sail set,
the boat coaxingly pulling at her moorings, her port and starboard
eyes bright and glistening, her punts (choked with artists'
sketchings, gear, and a gun-case or two) safe at the davits; her deck
rather littered with Gladstones and canvas bags; a murmuring sound
from below, accompanied by a light clatter of coffee cups: on deck are
only 'Billy' (our cook), 'Jack,' the 'boy' (general fag and
washer-up), and the 'skipper' (one of the party selected by ballot for
the cruise).
The buoy is overboard, 'Jack' hauls the stays'l to windward, Billy
lowers the chain silently through the hawse, the 'Iris' gently glides
from among the surrounding boats, and is off for a week or two,
heavily laden with an artistic, musical, medical, legal, and other
'crew' seeking relaxation, and a recovery from that dyspepsia which
sooner or later overtakes every hard worker in this so-called
temperate climate.
[Illustration: Outward bound.]
In this boat the passengers are converted into 'crew'; all must work,
all obey the lawful commands of the skipper for the time being, though
perchance he may not be the best sailor; and although some of the
members are crack yachtsmen, all loyally avoid offering nautical
advice _unasked_. Each is allotted some particular duty. One is
medical officer, another is second in command, and the most onerous
task is that accepted by the 'steward.' He is generously assisted by
the advice of such of the crew as have had experience, and has 'Billy'
and 'the boy' to carry out his behests; neither of the latter
appearing much on deck, for the boat is worked in easy watches by the
'crew.'
It would almost appear that some insidious apology should prelude a
description of such a homely and slow craft as that selected for this
occasion; but, as she fills a space in the different classes of
yachts, and has proved an unspeakable comfort for the purposes
intended, these, and the means adopted, may have an interest for many
who enjoy quiet pursuits. The crew was a typical one. There were
several artists, several ardent naturalists, and a photographer (a
lawyer, who could prove to demonstration that a photographer _might_
also be an artist), and all practised music.
The cruise was limited to Dublin Bay and a few harbours north and
south.
Some of the most beautiful spots, from an artist's point of view,
cannot be reached in a deep boat, and so our draught was limited to
less than 3 ft. 6 in., a condition complied with by the 'Iris.' She is
60 ft. long over all, with a beam of 12 ft. 6 in., diagonally built of
mahogany, with a metal keel, as well as internal ballast cast to fit
her. Her mid-transverse section shows a rather barrelled bottom, but
her form forward and aft is such that she rolls very little; and, for
this reason, and also from the fact that her saloon table is not far
from the plane of her centre of rolling motion, the swinging apparatus
of the dining-table has been removed, and it is now a satisfactory
fixture.
As it was intended to frequent shallow waters and dry harbours like
Howth, Lambay, Rush, Skerries, Wicklow, &c., provision had to be made
for taking the ground comfortably. It is not possible to do this with
'legs.' There is always a doubt on the mind of the responsible officer
as to which side she is likely to cant, and whilst on one side of the
boat there may be good hard sandy ground, on the other may be a patch
of soft mud, into which the leg may gently subside if she
unfortunately happen to cant in that direction. Again, the time when
the tide will leave her may be some hours hence, and a weary waiting
ensues, perhaps after a stiff passage, when all hands long to 'turn
in.' Of course, when you have a paid crew, they do the waiting; but a
paid crew in this cruise would in great measure defeat the main object
of the expedition.
[Illustration: Section of 'Iris.']
To obviate the necessity for 'legs,' a simple and efficient substitute
is shown in the transverse section. Two deep bilge pieces 10 feet long
are bolted to broad stringers above the timbers, and extend fore and
aft some 5 feet longer than the bilge pieces, thus distributing the
strain over a large portion of the boat. They are wide at the skin,
and taper downwards. The bolts are inserted diagonally, and the bilge
pieces are shod with keel bands; they are modelled on the outsides,
but the inner faces are flat and _almost_ parallel, being further
apart aft than forward by one inch, for reasons that need not here be
mentioned. Such a contrivance helps to improve the leeway of so
shallow a boat, although not proportionately to the area immersed. It
is objectionable on grounds set forth by Kemp and others, as offering
a larger surface for friction than is the coefficient for the lateral
gain; but it is a great comfort when you have to take the ground and
wish to have dinner with ease of mind (a necessity with a dyspeptic),
and a joyful exchange for the sloppy, and lumbering, and inconvenient
and unsteady 'legs.'
[Illustration: Section of 'Iris,' showing permanent legs.]
The boat is 'ketch' rigged--probably the safest of all rigs, and
certainly the simplest and least laborious to be worked by few hands;
indeed, this boat has been worked to windward in a narrow tideway,
single-handed, over and over again. This comfortable rig was
determined upon after many experiments. The boat was originally
schooner-rigged, with sails by Lapthorn; but she would not wear, at
least quickly enough for safety, in narrow waters and crooked
channels, especially in strong winds. This difficulty in 'wearing' is
common to many good-sized boats. Quite recently I saw a revenue cutter
charging away towards a bank with several hands at the tiller, and the
main sheet eased off without affecting her mad career until the
officer scandalised her mainsail; then she slowly yielded the point,
and just cleared the bank by tearing up the sand and mud, leaving a
yellow track behind her. Again, during the recent racing season, the
pilot-boat (about sixty tons) started from Kingstown Harbour for her
cruising ground. The old pilot at the helm sucked his pipe with
confident air as she slipped; you could almost imagine his saying,
'This old boat and I are old chums; I know her. See how, with one
finger on the tiller, I make her gracefully fall off to avoid that
group of yachts ahead!' Suddenly the smile disappears; the pipe is
chucked from his mouth. She won't fall off! she is charging bang into
the yachts! The old man's legs are toughened out, and both hands grasp
the tiller, as a shout from the man forward, who is hauling the jib to
windward, calls the attention of the other pilots aboard, and one who
grasps the situation rushes to the peak-halliards and scandalises the
mainsail; then she tears away showing her copper as she fills, while
skippers around fire a volley of muttered blanks at the 'old tub' as
she makes for the harbour's mouth.
But with the ketch-rig the helmsman of the 'Iris,' by manipulating the
mizzen-sheet, threads her in safety to or from the wind along a
shallow tortuous gut left by the fallen tide. Remember she is 60 ft.
by 12 ft. 6 in., and with _a draught of less than 3 ft. 6 in._ Her
ability to take the ground upright is a source of gratification to the
artistic members of her crew; neither flowing nor ebbing tide, nor a
shift of wind, makes it necessary to alter the positions of the
sketching-seats, easels are a convenience that may be comfortably
indulged in, and then the operations of the steward are not disturbed.
But there is another great advantage in being able to take the ground
in this manner when you have to stop in harbours that are nearly half
dry at low water--an advantage having a large element of safety, and
best illustrated by a case in point, an incident in our recent cruise.
We had spent the night on the beach at Ireland's Eye, an island north
of Howth, rich in geological, archæological, and botanic interest. On
one side a shingle and a silver strand, a ruined abbey, and a charming
view. On the other, wild and romantic cliffs, thousands of sea birds,
a smuggler's cave, a seal cave, and a very remarkable profile rock.
Here in the summer you may see a Lord Justice picnicking with his
family, a Bankruptcy Judge, a gallant and skilful yachtsman, prowling
after rabbits, a Churchill gazing at profile rock and smoking like a
furnace, an Academician describing the hermit's cell, a citizen from
Dublin dining with his friends, an excursion of the Dublin Sketching
Club working in platoons, and, should lovely harmony startle the night
air, perhaps some members of an opera company have come down by the
last train after the performance to breathe the fresh air and sleep
aboard the 'Iris.'
[Illustration: The Bailey, Dublin Bay.]
Well, as I said, we spent the night at Ireland's Eye, and in the
morning found the barometer dropping rapidly far away at the harbour
on the mainland. The coastguards had hoisted the one point downwards,
indicating a gale from the south'ard. We were in perfect shelter, but
as we had arranged to help the Tennis Club Entertainment that
afternoon by playing some stringed instruments, we hoisted sail and
made for Howth Harbour, coming to anchor in nice time to escape the
preliminary bursts of the truthfully predicted 'blow.' The wind blew
off shore, and so there was no send or swell in the harbour. We were
free to anchor in very shallow water, careless whether we were left
high and dry or not, and herein lay our safety, not from wind nor
wave, but from vessels rushing for shelter into the small and crowded
portion of the harbour where the water is deep, and also from craft
dragging.
Last year, during a gale off shore, eleven boats of different sizes,
one an iron steamer, dragged into a corner of the harbour and crunched
one another into matchwood. There was no '_sea_,' only a disordered
and irregular 'chop.' The 'Iris,' drawing only a few feet of water and
anchored within an inch or two of the bottom, could not be approached
by any dragging or sailing boat of greater draught; long before
reaching her they would be fast aground.
[Illustration: 'Graphic' artists at work during the gale of October 5,
1892.]
In the evening, after our labours for our friends ashore had been
satisfactorily completed, we pulled aboard fairly dry, and in a few
moments were seated at dinner, the boat perfectly upright and
immovable, with about 2 ft. 6 in. of water around us. The lamps gave a
rich glow of colour and glitter to our table, all the more comfortable
from the contrast with the sudden cold without and the howling and
moaning of the gale. After coffee we lounged on deck, well wrapped up,
to enjoy a cigar and observe the storm. The lighthouse lamps burned
brilliantly, and the anchor lights of the craft in harbour flickered
and struggled for a feeble existence, their movements showing that
over there at any rate there was rolling and uneasiness. Here, our
steadiness was enjoyable, as was also our dry deck, due to our
bulwarks of over 2 ft. high. Suddenly above the breakwater appeared a
black pyramid, growing bigger every moment; then another, then many.
They were fishing-vessels beating for the harbour for shelter, but
they slowly disappeared one by one; they had gone about on the other
tack; we might shortly expect them in. Soon there struggled in the
narrow mouth the shadow of a close-reefed trawler of sixty tons or so.
Why does she stop? Is she on the rocks at the light? No, she has
missed stays; there is not room to do more than drift astern, and she
disappears in the darkness. And in less than half an hour she will try
again, for the harbour has a difficult entrance. A few minutes
afterwards there rushes in a more fortunate vessel; then comes
another, and another--each in turn makes straight for us, but we smoke
quietly; we know they cannot approach. Still they are near enough to
enable us to hear, above the fighting winds, the shrill cries of the
men to 'Let draw,' or 'Hold on, Pat,' the rattling of blocks, the
vicious flap of the canvas and shock of the heavy boom as each vessel
goes about, and soon the rattling of cables as anchors are dropped,
followed by such silence as the gale permits, while the men seek some
rest after a heavy battle with nature. In the meantime the occupants
of the other boats at anchor have had serious moments; dangerously
near came some of the fishing vessels, and even when anchors had been
let go anxious eyes blinkingly peered against the salt, blinding wind
to see if the trawlers' anchors held, and that the boats were not
drifting down upon them with inevitable result. Skippers also watched
their own holding gear with some concern; for if one of these crafts
dragged, she would be broken up against the breakwater, and should she
be fortunate enough to ground she would be down at the ebb, but,
especially if she were a racer, she would not rise again with the next
flow. Here we leave them and go below to our comparatively calm and
safe berths, knowing that even should it calm down by morning we shall
see tired and worn faces around us, and that we, thanks to our
substitute for 'legs,' shall have slept in ease and peace, and
awakened refreshed in body and in mind.
In order to get headroom there is 'trunk' 'rise' on the deck, as shown
on the cross-section drawing, 18 in. high (in one place higher) and
some 40 ft. long, leaving a conveniently wide gangway on the deck at
either side; this rise has a number of dead lights at the sides, as
well as skylights above; and during its infancy the boat was severely
criticised. She was called the 'Tramcar,' and had other more
opprobrious compliments paid her. As to her speed, there were sundry
allusions to crabs and their propensities for walking backwards. It
was therefore excusable, taking into account the windage due to the
superstructures and high bulwarks, and to the general form of the boat
and also to the bilge pieces, if we had very humble notions as to the
speed of the 'Iris'; and although we all believed in 'the craft you
sail in,' it was with some amazement that we found her unexpectedly
fast in reaching, and therefore fast with the wind aft. This
particularly struck us one morning when we saw a fine racing-cruiser
rounding the Bailey. The wind was fresh and free; someone said, 'Here
comes Charlie. Watch how he will swoop past us in his triumph.' But
Charlie didn't triumph, neither did he swoop; we watched carefully
until we saw that _Charlie was going astern!_--a fact that surprised
us as much as it did Charlie.
[Illustration: Her Majesty's Mails.]
Again, many said that a boat with such a high freeboard and so little
draught would not claw off a lee-shore in a bad sea; but as she was
designed for artist's work chiefly in local waters, where there is
protection every four or five miles, it was not intended that she
should be submitted to heavy weather. We always had a lurking
suspicion that she would not do very well in a seaway, but here we
were again agreeably surprised; for, seizing a favourable opportunity,
we brought her round the nose of Howth (as nasty a spot as anyone
could wish in dirty weather), and there we put her through her
facings, with the result that we found her an able vessel, safe to
stay even when much knocked about, and when we purposely allowed her
to make a stern board, with the aid of the mizzen, we could put her
head in which direction we chose. Several steamers passed us during
the trials, and these were shipping tons of water, while we did not
take a cupful. Around the boat, six inches below the covering board,
is a very wide 'rubbing-piece,' a ribband of 'thumb' moulding, whose
form will be understood by reference to the cross-section drawing.
This projects some inches from the side of the boat, and the effect of
this small bead in throwing off seas is most remarkable. Often have we
watched green lumps of water lapping up her sides with a rush that
threatened to bring them over the bulwarks in the next instant,
especially at her bows, but on reaching this 'stroke' the whole mass
seemed diverted outward, and to drop back into the sea. True it is
that action and reaction are equal and opposite, and the momentum of
the wave must have been communicated to the boat in some way (likely
to be detrimental to her speed and affecting her leeway), but we were
unable to realise practically any injurious effect to at all balance
the pleasure of a dry boat. Such, indeed, is the general success of
the boat as a quiet, safe cruiser, that it is intended to have a new
one designed by some crack authority with better lines, built of
steel, with the important existing features adhered to, but doubtless
with much improvement in the speed. As to the rigging, the stays'l
carries a boom and the sheet travels on a 'horse,' the jibsheets run
aft, and the mizzen-sheet is made fast to a cleat on the under side of
the mizzen-boom; thus the helmsman can put her about single-handed if
he please. In smooth water he puts the helm down, and, when she fills
on the other tack, shifts the jib. In a short sea, if she is likely to
lose way in stays, he puts the helm down, slips a loop over it, then
hauls on the mizzen-sheet till the sail is fore and aft, when she goes
about with certainty. He then shifts jib; he does not take the sheet
from the cleat, but simply hauls on the fall; consequently the sail
does not require adjustment when the vessel fills. In smooth water,
such as the Broads or Windermere, or the Liffey Estuary, no particular
tactics are needed in going about, but in the frequently troubled
water of Dublin Bay these matters are noteworthy when we remember that
she is 60 feet long, has a beam of 12 ft. 6 in., and draws only 3 ft.
6 in. of water.
[Illustration: Storm without, calm within.]
[Illustration: Kingstown, Dublin Bay.]
_Report of the Hon. Medical Officer_
In one of the steamers of which I had medical charge it was a common
saying that all that was medicinally required by the crew and
passengers was a weekly dose of 'one pint of sulphur wash and 2 oz.
bilge nails,' and that teeth might be drawn by the 'key of the
kelson.' No such drastic treatment should be required on a yachting
cruise, but a few medicines and surgical appliances should always be
on board, and the sanitary condition of the boat should be rigorously
and minutely inspected, not only before starting, but daily during the
cruise, be it long or short. To begin with, before stores or
passengers come aboard I have the carpet or other covering taken up
and some of the flooring lifted along the entire length of the boat,
and I carefully see that no fragments of food, animal or vegetable,
have accidentally got about the ballast, that no pieces of paper,
however small, nor sawdust, nor shavings, nor 'matter out of its
proper place' of any kind whatever, is left below the flooring. I
personally see that the limbers are cleared, and that a copious flush
of water redolent of calcium chloride or 'Sanitas' is poured in
forward and pumped out of the well aft. Next, I inspect the sail
lockers, and if there be any musty smell, I have the sails, &c.,
removed on deck and hung up to thoroughly dry; in the meantime the
locker beams and ceiling are washed over with a solution of chloride
of lime and thoroughly aired. The steward's store lockers and cooking
utensils are carefully examined, a solution of potassic permanganate
being freely used; the mattresses are turned over and searched for the
slightest mouldiness, and, if any be detected, are sent ashore to be
taken asunder and stoved; the lockers under the berths are aired, and
the Indian matting with which the bunks are lined taken down and
examined, and, should there be any mustiness, which will surely be the
case if it has not been kept dry, I condemn it and get
fresh--fortunately it is a cheap material. The w.c.'s are of the
underline type and consequently require rigorous examination, as that
kind is subject to leakage, and they should always be provided with
simple means for tightening up the joints, and so devised that all the
strains due to pumping, &c., are self-contained. There should also be
an automatic supply of a strong solution of permanganate of potash
every time the w.c. pump is used. Besides this, however, I always make
the boy pour in a pint of strong permanganate solution night and
morning, and with a good air-draught, secured by having the door made
so that there are several inches above and below between it and its
frame, I have never had the slightest reason to doubt the efficiency
of the apparatus as a sanitary appliance. Earth-closets are a
delusion; you cannot get earth, nor even sand, when on a cruise, and
there are other serious objections. Carpets should be examined for
mould in the interstices of the material, and should any be detected,
however slight, the carpets should be taken ashore--they cannot be
properly treated in a small boat. In short, fungoid life of any kind
must be stamped out, and it is to be observed that yachts of every
kind, and especially small ones, are peculiarly subject to this kind
of parasite, for it frequently happens that boats are not inhabited,
or only partially so, for some weeks, or even months. Without fires in
the cabins, or other means adopted to withstand the moist air
inseparable from the conditions, then it is that the microscopic
fungoid plants flourish.
Anon, fires are lighted, the air becomes dried, people move about,
currents of air sweep through the cabins, and the spores, invisible to
the naked eye, are wafted in myriads about the saloon,
sleeping-cabins, and galley, until they come to rest on some moist
place, there to propagate again if not checked. Fortunately, when the
moist place happens to be the mucous membrane of our nostrils, the
spores betray their presence, for the motion produced by the impact
due to such shape and weight and composition produce the sensations
which we term 'a musty smell.' I have frequently noticed objectionable
odours of this class about many fine yachts, and most small ones, but
they are never absent from short-voyage cross-Channel steamers; these
almost invariably reek with them to such an extent that often strong,
good sailors feel ill before the vessel leaves the wharf.
With such precautions as I have outlined, almost any boat may be made
'sweet.'
Accidents of a serious nature involving surgical aid seldom occur in
yachts; and if the cruise be a short one, a couple of needles, a
scalpel, a forceps for extracting splinters, a stronger one for
fish-hooks, a thermometer, and a long strip, two inches wide, of
india-rubber sticking-plaster rolled up in an air-tight tin-box, will
enable one to meet any case likely to arise. And for medicine I carry
a mild aperient, magnesia cit., in bottles with air-tight covers, a
supply of compound zymine (a most valuable ferment), and Burroughs's
pocket-case. Phosphates I administer by selecting the food of the
person under treatment. And I see that there is an abundant supply of
fruits on board. Often I have noticed individuals in a yachting party
come aboard for a cruise of a few weeks, all life and gaiety, and next
day be quite depressed by the reaction from the excitement and novelty
of the change. Such a person requires a little immediate treatment, or
several days may elapse before he or she will be fit to enjoy the
pleasures of the situation. It is necessary that there should be
agreeable amusements to occupy the minds of the party, when lamps are
lighted and all assembled in the saloon; and the function of providing
these in some measure falls within the doctor's duty.
The food should be carefully considered by the medical officer. When a
party of very young men embark on a yachting excursion they seldom pay
much attention to the quality of this necessary fuel; quantity appears
to be with them the important consideration. But when the party
consists mainly of men who have already embarked upon the
responsibilities of life, men whose brain power is severely taxed, the
_cuisine_ must be such that, although they be not persons who 'live to
eat,' they can regard the table as an additional attraction to the
company surrounding it.
One of the most important elements towards the smooth working of the
whole party is the presence of a lady, wife or mother or daughter of a
member; her advent has a humanizing influence on the male members,
however diverging their temperaments may be. If she be an artist or a
musician (every lady should be a musician in its best sense) and does
not object to smoking--if she be an artist she _won't_--in a properly
ventilated, not draughty, cabin, her presence will be still more
appreciated; and whether she be ashore or afloat, the fact that a
gentlewoman is a member of the party helps to give a peaceful restful
glamour to the whole cruise. These remarks are intended to apply
chiefly to small vessels. In large steamers, Transatlantic or others,
the duties of the medical officer are rather directed to restoring
people when they have become ill. On a yachting cruise his great aim
should be to keep people well.
_Notes by the Hon. Steward_
When I first accepted this post I felt rather inclined to resign at
once, for when the party came on board I was saluted with what were
intended to be facetious orders. It was nothing but, 'Steward! take
care of this ammunition.' 'Steward! let me have some soap and hot
water; get my bag down from deck and let me have a brandy and soda,
and, look here! be quick about it, like a good fellow.' But having
often benefited by the efforts of predecessors, I endured the
good-natured badinage, which died off after the first day. My first
duty was to see that the cooking appliances, cutlery, and table
furniture were in good serviceable condition; and I found that 'Billy'
had the entire service present on parade. The stove was a cast-iron
one, a 'Fortress,' Smith & Wellstood, of Glasgow. It is a remarkable
success. Though perhaps a little large for a small boat, as a great
piece of the trunk deck was removable in fine weather, and the galley
was otherwise well ventilated in cold, the heat was never objected
to--at any rate 'Billy' never mentioned it. Catering for a cruise
lasting a day or two, however large the party, does not call for any
special remark, as it is easily done; but a cruise of more than four
or five days in a yacht of limited accommodation involves some
forethought as regards a _menu_ offering a sufficient and agreeable
variety. If you can calculate on making harbour periodically,
arrangements may be made to have provisions sent from town to the
railway station, to be called for. But in that case you are tied to
call, and this fixity of programme is objected to by 'Graphics.' It
follows that the provisions for the whole cruise must be carried. Now,
as regards meats, flies are great enemies to the satisfactory hanging
of meat in a boat. It is surprising the number one comes across on a
coasting trip. I have often met three or four bees or wasps far away
from shore, and big bluebottles turn up in the galley, unexpected and
unwelcome guests. One of these is sufficient to make several joints of
meat very objectionable in forty-eight hours. A perfect corrective for
this state of things is a CO_{2} box--that is, a box like a
refrigerator, fairly air-tight, and with a communication from a small
steel cylinder of compressed carbonic-acid gas; this gas is in a
liquid state, and a little is allowed to expand into the box
occasionally. So long as there is carbonic-acid gas in the box, the
lamb, or mutton, or beef, or other food, will not be troubled with
insect life, larvæ or otherwise. If it be desired to cool the contents
of the box, a good gush of the liquid gas is admitted. As it expands
into the gaseous state it absorbs heat, and a temperature of -20º C.
has thus been produced. The carbonic acid used is a by-product,
hitherto wasted, from the fermenting tuns of breweries. It is now
collected and pumped into steel cylinders. I am informed that before
long it will be sold for 1_d._ per pound liquid: at present the price
is 3_d._ in Dublin. In practice we do not use so low a temperature as
that above mentioned, which would blister some hands, and leaves a
hoar frost over the contents of the box. We simply fill the box with
gas at ordinary temperature, taking advantage only of its antiseptic
properties. We have kept lobsters under a little pressure for six
months. At the end of that time they had not parted with the delicate
flavour of fresh lobster, and were totally unlike the tinned lobster
one buys, which, with nearly all the tinned meats I know of, will keep
you from starvation, and that is all that can be said in their behalf.
The prolonged high temperature to which they must be subjected in
order to kill the bacillic spores practically destroys the best
qualities of the natural juices. Some of the tinned vegetables are
good and nutritious. Apples, French peas, French beans, pineapples,
sweet corn, potatoes, pears, peaches, and tomatoes, arranged in order
of merit as I have found them, are invaluable in a boat; but before
using them examine the tins inside, especially those containing acid
fruits. If the tins display a beautiful crystalline pattern inside,
the contents should be dropped into cold water and rinsed for a few
minutes before using. In any case the peas and beans and apples should
invariably be rinsed in an abundant supply of cold water, and the
fluid contents of the tins thrown away. It often surprises me that the
makers of tins for 'canning' purposes do not invariably use those that
are enamelled or 'glazed' inside; then there would be no fear of
metallic oxides. At present, for what reason I will not state
positively, the soups sold in tins do not agree with people. The
flavours and the different kinds certainly afford variety enough, and
would be unspeakably convenient aboard; but any experimenter, who has
not a stomach like an ostrich, will find that if he uses these for a
few days he will be ill. I make the statement without qualification.
You cannot make any kind of soup in an ordinary way that will keep in
bottle. The 'extracts of meat' do not contain any nourishing property;
in fact, if you take any two animals, human or otherwise, feed one on
water only, and the other on 'extracts of meat' only, the latter will
be _sure_ to die first (proven). As a consequence of all this we find
it desirable to make our soups aboard, and for that purpose carry
meats, &c., in the carbonic-acid box I have described.
[Illustration: Ringsend, Dublin.]
[Illustration: Monkstown, Dublin Bay.]
But the 'extracts of meat' _are_ of great use in making rich and
delicious gravies. They may not be very economical, but that cannot be
perfectly studied in a boat, and it is possible to dress up the not
too stewed contents of the stewpot, after the soup has been poured
off, with a few capers, a little salt, a suspicion of pepper, and a
thickened gravy made of 'extract of beef,' just thick enough to make a
coating around each piece of meat--call it 'stewed beef,' or a more
elaborate name if you like--and you will find that not only will none
of it be left, but also no one will suspect it to be the remains of
the soup at table a quarter of an hour before. The fish we have had
meantime, it goes without saying, considering we are in Dublin Bay, is
abundant and delicious. I do not know why Dublin Bay herrings should
have such a delicate and inimitable flavour. The fish are much smaller
than the Scotch herrings and are beautifully marked, and require only
a drop or two of Harvey's sauce (Lazenby's) to bring out the proper
flavour--they are of course grilled.
[Illustration: Ireland's Eye.]
With the small stores I have found it economical and convenient to set
aside portions for each day. Thus, if the cruise is to be for ten
days, I wrap up ten portions of cheese, for example, in air-tight
paper, and there is not a moment's loss of time when cheese is
required for dinner. Butter for each day is similarly kept in jars;
that which is over after each day is not wasted. Bread is kept in
glazed earthen crocks with covers; salt in glazed earthenware jars;
tea and coffee in bottles with air-tight screw covers; everything that
can be put into an air-tight case is so protected, and each case has a
particular fitting in a particular locker, so that no time is lost
looking for it, no room is wasted, and if the boat gives a lurch or
two nothing falls about nor is spilled.
In a coasting cruise you can always send a boat ashore for plenty of
fresh vegetables; but, except fish, eggs, and crustacea, you cannot
get any other good provisions at any provincial place of call.
'Billy,' our cook, had been to sea on a coaster, where he filled a
similar berth. His ideas of the perfection of cooking took the
direction of 'plum duff,' of course taking especial care that most of
the plums were at one end, the end the skipper would be sure to
select. We had no 'plum duff' in the 'Iris,' but Billy's training was
of such use that little instruction was needed to enable him to make a
very respectable orange pudding, and to deftly and lightly make a
paste suitable as a cover for any baked dish. In utilising food that
is always at hand in a cruising boat, as crabs, scollops, oysters,
&c., few can excel a sailor cook after he has been carefully shown how
to dress them; and to this end it is necessary that the hon. steward
should be able to perform each operation himself. It is not sufficient
to have a cookery book aboard; as a general rule some little petty
detail is omitted, it may be a quantity, or a matter of _modus
operandi_, which perplexes the operator at the critical moment and
makes the dish a solemn doubt. On the other hand, if the hon. steward
selects such recipes as he thinks will be useful from some good
cookery books, and practically tests them ashore, he will be able to
find out the weak points and amend them, and will have the
gratification to know that the crew is not doing violence to itself by
tasting his dishes in commiseration for his feelings. In small craft
it too often, indeed nearly always, happens, that the feeding
department is very crudely dealt with, and the material aliment itself
is adequately described by the half-raw, half-boiled, stale, tough,
naked generic term of 'grub.'
'WATER WAGS' AND 'MERMAIDS' OF DUBLIN BAY
BY THOMAS B. MIDDLETON
Kingstown is the headquarters of the Royal Alfred Yacht Club, the
Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club, and several
minor sailing clubs, including the Water Wags.
The pleasantest part of a coast to reside on is, perhaps, that which
has a sandy beach shelving gently down into deep water. Along such a
beach in fine weather boating, bathing, and fishing are easy and
enjoyable occupations; the wavelets ripple, making soft music with the
pebbles, and the little skiff lies half in the water waiting to be
stepped into and pushed off. But such halcyon weather cannot always be
counted on in this climate. The waves are not always ripples; they
quickly turn first to breakers and then to a heavy surf, that surges
up to the highest water mark if the weather becomes at all broken or
the wind comes in from the sea, and consequently the boatman must be
prepared to deal with such a change when it occurs, and overcome the
many difficulties then presented.
[Illustration: Mermaids of Dublin Bay Sailing Club.
Water-Wag Dublin Bay.
_All matches sailed under Rules of the WATER-WAG Club_]
First, the boat cannot be left anchored in the open, as she will
surely be lost or damaged in a gale. She must therefore be able 'to
take the ground handsomely'; that is, she cannot have a deep keel, for
her bottom must be broad and flat; and, secondly, she cannot have any
weight of ballast in her, as it would fatally strain her when she
stranded, and make her too heavy to draw out of the reach of the
waves. Now, a boat with no keel and no ballast makes, as everyone
knows, a bad sailor; in fact, she will only run dead before the wind
like a duck's feather on the water: so a little keel of 3 in. or 4 in.
is generally used, and the boat ballasted with sandbags filled on the
beach, or stones, which are emptied or thrown overboard before landing
again. This plan has the objections of being very laborious and making
the boat very heavy to launch. If she ships two or three seas in the
operation she becomes hopelessly submerged, and the advantages
gained are very slight, as such a boat will scarcely sail closer to
the wind than a broad reach--even then making considerable leeway and
being very slow and uncertain in stays.
It was to improve on this state of affairs on the beach of this
description that is to be found at Shankill, in the county of Dublin,
that the 'Water Wag' was evolved from a Norwegian _pram_, into which a
boiler-plate was fitted for a centreboard as an experiment. This novel
craft was called the 'Cemiostama.' She was built in the year 1878, and
was a great success; she sailed like a witch, carried a large sail
with ease without any ballast save the iron-plate, worked well to
windward without making any leeway, spun round like a top when the
tiller was put down, and when the boiler-plate was raised she ran in
on the surf, floated in a few inches of water, and eventually sat on
the strand on her flat bottom. The plate (which weighed nearly 1 cwt.)
was then lifted out of her, and she became as light to haul up as an
ordinary shore skiff.
It was accordingly decided to build seven or eight centreboard
double-ended 13-ft. punts with great beam (4 ft. 10 in.), full lines,
and a flat floor. The 13 ft. was chosen as the best size that two
persons could haul up without help, a larger boat being too heavy for
two, and consequently liable to damage by being left in the surf while
help was being obtained; and the round stern was to divide the surf
when the forepart stranded, and prevent it jumping into the boat as it
does in the case of a square stern.
In order that these boats might have an occasional race between
themselves, to preserve the type and to save the expense of
outbuilding and the trouble of handicapping and time allowance, it was
further arranged that all the boats should be built on the same lines,
and the canvas limited to a cruising amount. This was accordingly
done, and they proved themselves to be such good seaboats, and so
generally useful for two or three amateurs to amuse themselves along
the shore in, that 'The Water Wag Association' was started in 1887,
to further develope and preserve the principles of the class. Though
it was started by boys, several older Wags joined, and as the boat was
never designed for speed, the racing was not originally intended to be
hard-down serious sport, but more a sort of friendly sail round a
course in boats all alike, and that consequently should be all
together; but of course skill in working would bring one to the front
and make her harder to catch. Hence the rollicking title 'Water Wag,'
and the institution of a king and queen, bishops, knights, and rooks,
to manage the affairs of the club, their chief duties being to get up
as much fun and as many jolly water excursions as possible.
The first two or three seasons saw this idea carried out with great
success; but gradually the racing grew more keen and serious, until it
eventually became the sole object for which the boats assembled, so
much so that it is now nothing but racing from early in April till
late in September. The Water Wags' own races are held round Kingstown
Harbour (the head quarters having migrated there when the generation
which formed the Shankill Corinthian Sailing Club grew up and
disintegrated over the world); others are got up for them by the
Dublin Bay Sailing Club in Scotchman's Bay, outside the harbour, and
there are races at the local regattas at Kingstown, Dalkey Bray,
Greystones, Wicklow, Clontarf, Howth, and Malahide; so that since the
class was started they have had nearly 300 competitions.
They have greatly increased in numbers, and have become quite a local
type of small boats in Kingstown, as they work in and out through the
yachts and shipping, and are very handy to take four or five persons
in to listen to the bands from the water.
They are not confined to Kingstown Harbour, however, as they have sent
representatives to the River Plate, Hong Kong, the Persian Gulf,
Australia, and many foreign ports. Their principle has been largely
adopted in the B division of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club, which
consists of 18-ft. boats, called 'Mermaids,' which are practically
large Water Wags, being entirely open, with 6-feet beam, fitted with
centreboard and carrying no ballast. These have a limited racing
sail-area of 180 feet, but they are not further confined as to shape,
and some have the rounded stern and some the square. They are very
fast, lively boats, requiring a crew of three or four nimble hands,
principally to be employed in shifting ballast, and they give a great
deal of sport, as many as twelve or fourteen starting in a race every
Saturday afternoon.
The 'Water Wag' costs complete between 15_l._ and 20_l._, a silk
racing lug from Lapthorn and Ratsey alone coming to 2_l._ 15_s._
McAllister, of Dumbarton, built most of them; but Atkinson, of
Bullock, Co. Dublin, and Doyle, of Kingstown, have built many more.
In handling, the skipper--especially if he is a tiro at the art--must
be very careful, as 75 sq. ft. of canvas, and a 13-ft. mast in a
13-ft. boat, without ballast, require attention and caution if there
are any puffs knocking round; so that the mainsheet must never be made
fast, no matter how fine and calm the weather is; the halliards should
also run very free, and the oars should always be carried, in case it
becomes judicious to lower the sail in a squall. But a little practice
will enable the skipper to sail his boat without danger during weather
that any small open boat can be out in; and it is really marvellous
what weather and seas the Water Wags have gone through.
Sailing out of sight of help in any small open boat is to be
deprecated, and no exception to this rule is to be made with Water
Wags, as they unquestionably run a risk of filling in unskilful hands;
but, in that event, the absence of ballast is an advantage, for they
do not go to the bottom as a ballasted boat will, but will actually
support their crew if no attempt is made to climb up on them.
A lug of 60 sq. ft. is ample to begin with; and for most days when not
racing, and for single-handed sailing, a reef should be taken in, or
two kegs of water-ballast carried, unless on a very fine day.
The following sailing regulations are carefully enforced during
racing:--
Only the boats of members shall compete in the races, and as
it is one of the fundamental principles of the Water Wags
that the boats shall be similar in every respect save
sail-plan, it shall be in the power of the officer of the
day to disqualify any boat that, in his opinion, is trying
to gain an unfair advantage by infringing the above
principle.
Each boat shall not carry more than three or less than two
persons during a race, all of whom shall be amateurs, and
shall be steered by either a member or a lady. And no money
shall be awarded to a boat for a walk-over, but she may fly
a flag therefor. Each boat shall carry on all proceedings of
the Water Wags, all her platforms, floorings, thwarts, and
stern sheets, also a pair of oars not less than 9 ft. long,
with spurs or rowlocks for same; also, either one solid cork
ring-shaped life-buoy, not less than 30 in. in external
diameter, and capable of floating for three hours 21 lbs. of
iron suspended therefrom, or two smaller ones of the same
material and shape, which shall each float for the same time
14 lbs. of iron; or they may substitute a cork life-belt
that will float 10 lbs. for three hours for each of the
small life-buoys, providing each life-belt is worn the
entire time the boat is afloat. Before taking a prize the
owner of the boat shall declare to the party awarding it
that the spirit of this rule has been carried out. And it
shall also be the duty of every other competitor to protest
against a boat without a life-buoy. The life-buoys shall
rest unattached to anything in the boat, with nothing over
or resting on them, so that they will immediately float out
in the event of a capsize.
All persons on board who cannot swim 100 yards are requested
to _wear_ life-jackets.
The following are the limitations of a 'Water Wag' 13-footer:
Length over all, 13 ft.; beam, 4 ft. 10 in.; depth and
lines, that of model A.
Centreboard to be of iron and pivoted at forward end of
casing. Length shall not exceed 4 ft. When hauled up flush
with top of casing, no portion shall project below keel.
Immersed surface below keel shall not exceed 2-1/2 sq. ft.
Thickness at any point shall not exceed 3/8 of an inch.
Keel outside garboard strake, inclusive of thickness of
keelband, if any, shall not exceed in depth 1-1/2 in.
Keelband of iron, brass, or copper, not to exceed in
thickness 1/4 in.
Stem and stern post.--Moulded depth of, to be clear of hood
by not less than 2 in.
Kedge not to exceed 15 lbs. No metal cable allowed. No
ballast of any description save water.
Mast not to exceed over all 13 ft., measured from top of
keel to truck, and not to be stepped above keel more than 3
in.
Fore and aft sails not to exceed 75 sq. ft. in area.
Spinnaker not to exceed 60 sq. ft. in area, and is only to
be used before the wind, and in no case as a jib.
A full-sized tracing of the builder's moulds can be obtained by
sending 2_s._ to the Society for Employment of Women 21 Kildare
Street, Dublin.
[Illustration: 'King's Fisher,' 1776.]
[Illustration: Commodore Thomas Taylor, of the Cumberland Fleet,
1780.]