ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

MILDEW, ETC.

107

Always carry spare shackles, nails, screws, hammer, spun yarns, and spare rope, in case of carrying anything away.

Do not let water accumulate in the bottom of your boat, but pump it out each day, if there is any appreciable quantity. If the bilge smells foul, as it sometimes will if the yacht has been in dirty or careless hands, pour a lot of water in with a bucket, and then pump it out again.

If your sails get wet never fold them up tightly, or they will certainly get mildewed, and their appearance spoilt. Leave them in loose folds, and at the first opportunity hoist them up to dry. When you moor for any time, always put the sail cover on (if the sails are dry). You can make your sail cover yourself if you like, by getting a piece of sailcloth of the requisite length and breadth, hemming it strongly, and attaching the tyers. It can be made waterproof by painting it with boiled linseed oil, in which some patent driers have been mixed.

The mildew appears in the form of little black spots, which speedily cover the sail. There is no remedy, but the appearance may be greatly improved by stretching the sail on the grass, scrubbing it with soap and water, and then dusting it over both sides with whiting. Mildew may be kept off for a long time by steeping the sails in salt water occasionally. No doubt a solution of Tidman's Sea Salt would do where sea water is not procurable.

A sailmaker's needle and palm (the latter being a contrivance to take the place of a lady's thimble, and fitting on the ball of the thumb) will be useful things to have on board, in case of a rent in the sails, which should be speedily mended, on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE EXPENSES OF YACHTING.

MANY a young fellow is deterred from the pursuit of boat sailing by the expense, and others again go into it without having considered the cost, and find it an inconvenient drain on their pocket when it is rather too late. We take it, that very few of our young readers will have unlimited pocket money to spare, therefore some suggestions as to what the pastime costs may be useful.

If new, an

The purchase of a boat is the first consideration. open or half decked boat would cost from £30 to £70, if well built, sails, ballast, and all. Secondhand, the price will not be more than half, as a general rule, if the purchaser is good at making a bargain. There are always plenty of yachts advertised for sale at low rates, but the major part of them will be found old, rotten, and useless. Never buy a boat that has a single rotten place in her hull. Take your pocket knife out and prod into every place which is at all hidden from the light. If the hull is sound she may be worth buying cheap for that alone, and you can have new upper works, although altering an old boat is frequently nearly as expensive as building a new one. One thing is certain that the builders' prices on the Thames and on the south coast are so "fearsome" for the work done, that we shall never trouble them. In Norfolk there are many boat builders whose workmanship is equal to the Thames men, while their prices are one half, or even less. Thus, Allen, of Coltishall, built an eight

EXPENSES OF YACHTING.

109

ton yacht, all oak, copper fastened, hull and spars, for £60. Collins, of the same place, is another good builder. Mollett, of Carrow, Norwich, is a good and intelligent builder, who will easily understand any special idea or directions you may have to communicate. A centre-board gig built by him has lately been showing the Thames boats the way over the course. Of sails, G. Chambers, of 112 Row, Great Yarmouth, is an excellent maker, at reasonable prices, and his sails set beautifully.

Mr. T. E. Biddle, in his book on "Model Yacht Building and Sailing," gives the following estimate of the cost of purchase and keep of a yacht for the first year as follows:

Cost of six-ton yacht with dinghy (of course
secondhand)

...

£ 8. d.

65 0 0

...

...

[ocr errors]

...

...

10 0 0

Recaulking, and the few repairs necessary to

...

sails and gear
Expense of a lad to look after her and keep her
clean while afloat, at 15s. a week for about six
months of the year

Sundries...

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

...

5 0 0

Total expense for the first year

He goes on to say—

... £98 0 0

"There are several means of lessening even the above expenditure. For instance, if the would-be Corinthian is a bit of a mechanic, and has a little leisure time, he can find much amusement in doing the vessel up himself. Painting, varnishing, and the various little odd jobs which have always to be attended to about the interior of a newly bought craft do not require any very great skill in their performance, but cost a great deal when done by regular workmen. Again, if the owner is living close to his moorings, he can dispense with the hire of a boy, and merely 'tip' some waterman to give an eye to her occasionally.”

That the Bazaar, Exchange and Mart is a good medium for buying boats, we have satisfactory proof. We bought a 20ft. centre-board boat for £12 through an advertisement in that

paper. The sails and rigging were worthless, but the hull was perfectly sound and the spars excellent. She finally cost us

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

and we would not sell her now for £60.

£27 13 0

As we handle her

alone there is no further expense attached to her.

A six-ton yacht on the Tyne, quite sound, and with two suits of sails, owned by a working man, was sold by him for £15, and there are several on the Tyne which could be bought cheap. It only needs a little inquiry, but we think the inquiry should be made anywhere but at Cowes or on the Thames. Also purchase of amateurs if you can, and not of boat-builders or watermen. The following instance will show the wisdom of this: A gentleman sold his eight-ton yacht to a waterman for £25, the latter painted her up and sold her shortly after for £75. There are always amateurs who are giving their hobby up, and are ready to dispose of their ships at absurdly low prices. The greatest demand is for centre-board boats within the capacity of one man to handle, and these fetch larger prices in proportion to their size others.

than any

CHAPTER XXII.

SAILING PUNT.

HITHERTO We have assumed that the reader has sufficient cash at his disposal to either build or buy a boat, new or secondhand, but we know that there are very many indeed who cannot give themselves that indulgence. It seems, therefore, but fair to point out to them a practical way by which they can overcome the difficulty at moderate cost. If they have the smallest mechanical skill with joiners' tools, they can build a boat on the plan we shall give, at a very small sum for materials, and even if they have not that skill it will be a week's work for the village joiner, and an addition of, say, £2 to the bill. The boat so built shall be fairly fast, very handy and safe for smooth water sailing, and, although her looks might challenge criticism on the Thames, there are many places where she would not be considered unsightly. At all events, if the reader is sensitive to criticism, let him modestly call her a sailing punt, and this will disarm much of the comments which may be made upon her of their ill nature. It will be seen that she is flat bottomed. In smooth water sailing this will not be much disadvantage, but among waves she would be very wet and dangerous, therefore, she is only designed for inland waters.

She has been well tried in America, and will go to windward sufficiently well with the aid of her centre-board.

The drawings will explain the principle of her construction,

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »