The New York herald., 1869-03-18
THE Measurement OF YACHTS.


The following communications addressed to tho
the editor Of the London Field were published In
that paper February ~, 1850:
SIR-I am anxious to make some remarks upon
the letters OF the numerous correspondents IN your
last paper, but before dong so will state that In my
yacht clubs addressed letter on January 70
the Commodore OF the New York Yacht Club,
WncS her % on sSor arr me w 'ne In fts o
present time have not received any answer TO
my communication, which deeply regret, because
arrive at just appreciation OF the size OF the Daunt
less as compared with the Cambria: Until obtain
for the English rule I sent them, must, from the
slight information possess OF the ,Dauntless. hold
the opinion that race between the two vessels
would be waste or time; for no just conclusion
would DO arrived at II tho American yacht Is as We
suppose practically double the size OF the English
cans enable US 70 arrive at the true facts Mr.. Ash
bury will not peril the reputation OF our yachts BY
accepting so unreasonable challenge.
In the letter you inserted from Mr.. Charles H.
Haswell, civil and marine engineer, to the COmmQ-
dore Of the New York Yacht CLUB, there appear to
tan to Correct But half OF his letter s devoted to
an exposition of the reasons for time allowances
for difference Of tonnage. and he fairly enough ad-
vessel should give allowance IN time proportion
ate to the advantages she derives nom her greater
Then this gentleman makes the remarkable state
ment that the British and American governments.
until within the last few years used rule which he
designates as ''absurd.n He.misqu0Les the rule or
rather Is inaccurate In his description OF IT.; but
whether or not 1t deserved 10 be called s'aDsurdn
your readers must judge. Enough for me to state
continued In use for our merchant vessels until an
act passed and William w., cap. &c. and Is stin
builders measurement and by 1T contracts for the
building OF vessels IN this country are arranged
Mr.. Haswell is quite correct In stating that the
British government ''n0w compute the actual
capacity or Internal volume OF vessel;' but this,
Il that invented by the late Mr.. M00rsom, whose
labors for this country were most valuable. They
are recorded in our Merchant Shipping act Of 1854
and Il Is the law by which our merchant ships'
mage Is registered The United States have since
then adopted our rule, and believe 1t Is now the
law in France and most other European nations.
Nevertheless 1t Is not considered to bo
applicable to yachts for match sailing, and that fact
Is apparent a. glance to all VINO understand , the
adhered to by all yacht clubs ut Is called the
Royal Thames Yacht Club rule, because that Ii the
oldest club In England, being instituted IN 1923,
forty-six years ago) and the New York Yacht Club,
since their organization IN 1874, twenty-five years
ago, have not succeeded In bringing out plan that
as far as we are aware OF their rules, we have con-
sdered worthy OF trial.
repeat again that the New York Yacht Club have
not furnished the particulars dimensions OF the
Dauntless or the rule hy which they measure their
yachts, although am able to positively state that
they are IN possession OF every particular needed
about the Cambria, and have the exact formula by
which she Is made to appear as 1SS tons, half the
size OF the Dauntless when measured by the same
rule, and from notion OF the vessel as compared
with the Sapph0, which we have SEEN the latter
being set down as 274 TONS and the Dauntless 262
tons, in their own club book.
The clubs Of this country TO which the Cambria
belongs number about 2UO members and more than
800 yachts while the New York Yacht Club, to which
the Dauntlcss belongs numbers only 2!9 members
and forty-two yachts; and hardly think 1t cour-
teous.of Mr.. Haswell to complain so strongly Of our
rule. while OF the same time he keeps Us In utter
Ignorance OF the rule he desires to force upon Mr.
AshDury. And while the 1000 ydCltInen 4
various clubs see ar present reason TO alter their
rule Of measurement Mr.. HaswelI can hardly expect
Mr. AShbury to consent to adobt RUE for the Cam
bria OF which he Is ignorant and uniformed, to
please the views OF the members, 27o gentlemen, OF
In the New York Club book the Danntlcss- is put
down as having q crew OF thirtyfour men, number
far beyond any the Cambria could require.
protest most strongly against Mr.. Haswells con-
GLIDING remark-"That II the owner OF the Cambria
adheres to his proposition he subjects himself to the
charge OF an unwillfngness TO compete with the
Dauntless upon equitable terms.'
This letter mas grown to q greater length tnan
expected, and must for the present thank you for
tho space it must necessarily occupy. ii. l.
L.. In which stated that believed II the Cambria
and Dauntless were measured for displacement
there would not be much difference between them.
Unfortunately / burnt It, as / expected only TO be
Mes not nd
completely confirmed my views that am tempted
70 write again. wish II. l. 70 understand that
q fair chance with the Dauntless from my own
experience. 1 was master Of q schooner Much
after the style OF the Americans She
shallow hold. She was close on 800 tons B. ~,
l2s register, and would carry 202 tons u. w. ]
lSSn %easnera Deauu ses boat S wnen hove TO-
When blowing hard she would 90 through the water
at glorious pace, but she made such pad weather
OF 1t that II impossible to keep sail on ner for
any length OF time When took charge OF her she
had three bowsprits In about two years. besides
other damage ] made great alterations In her, and
tmurOVe1 her acaQOluQ 0uQlitIc9 but still she
no more than match for schooner5 that would
carry as much and were not above $50 tons u. NJ.
Directly saw tho Sappho, felt sure she could not
beat large sch0oners, unless she had free wind
the greater part Of her course BY the extract from
Vitkes SPIRIT, gather that the New Workers refuse
TO sal under club measurement and think they
quite right, as they would not have ghost OF
chance by Thames Club rules. shsulo Ike 70 take
against them on that lay. l guess 1 would
win few matches. You can judge roughly
Sprad eW mucn more does the sapphs shove
than the Canbriaf doubt if she spreads much
and II she was absolutely double the size OF the
as much as is comfortable for 1er. In your Cowes
news you mention that the Cambria has one foot
added 20 her masts TO clear the aws q ner gas o.
! saw In paper short time ago, about three feet
being added aud lot o lead placed 10 her Keel Her
snn saannel sos sa s ine Is c er'is ni hsa
better answer ono or two OF II. LIS remarks he
asks " tDuk one OF the small steamers tnat went
round the island when the Sappho sailed fair
match for an ocean mall boat 6ound 10 New York
Certainly not they arc not built 20 encounter bad
weather neither have they the twentieth part OF the
displacement Of any New York steamer; whereas
the Cambria processes TO be seagong vessel, and,
as contend, not very much smaller tnan the New
Yorker. With respect 10 what n. 1. says about my
getting dressing, l have had more than ny fair
share OF getting IN nrs taking all tho vessels have
commanded, and l am not such cod as 70 bo
asnaIncd Of owning'to defeat when 1t happens. 1t
seems we were both wrong about sliding keels and
centre boards by what Seagull states; anyhow, "a
understood H. LIS letter, ne made distinction, but
did not fnsinuate anything.
am glad to see that admiral Sullivan endorses
what said about the RIG of small boats he II an ex
ceIleut authority what he says about spritsais is
particularly true No amateur should attempt 70 use
them. MERCHANT SKIPPER.
sn,--The question respecting our mode OF mcasur
ing yachts for tonnage. 70 which the proposed
given rise Is ono deserving Of careful cons deratlon
Ii n well known To all yachtsmen that small vessels