The New York herald., 1871-11-08
YAcHTING G.

The International Yacht laces-KeeI and
CcnfreboRrd vessels-The Inn1eacc Of
Yacat BUILDING on Naval Architecture.
To THE EDITOR OF THE LONDON TIMEs:-
SIR hope you Will faver me with as small q
space as can condense my remarks in to reply to
tue anlmadverstons OF your anonymous corre-
spondent "Knickerbocker," on my statement given
IN the Times OF Friday last.
II IS because do know American waters ana
'the sailing craft thereon" that was able to make
the statement did, which was intended TO be OF
general nature and to apply to the best form OF
vessel the naval architect can design for car
rying, sea-gong qualities and speed; and although
"Knickerbocker" terms my description or centre
board schooners as "richly ludicrous,r he confirms
my fact when he describes at great length that
'useiui vessel" as being designed for and used In
1.-The generally shallow harbors OF the United States
which inaccessible to vessels OF deep drauQbtn
have been on board and have examined vessels
In America OF that class OF nearly 400 TONS and nd.
mired their usefulness for the shallow rivers and
creeks where they are required. and have equally
In the shallow waters OF Holland admired their
nat-noored seaboard craft and nearer homo our
spritsai nat-b0ltomed seaboard Thames barges;
but arter study OF such matters for forty years 1t
never occurred to me TO look upon them In the
same light OF excellence for sea-going purposes as
our unconquered China clippers, the yacht Llvonia
and The American yacht SapphO.
Now the Llv0nia Is an ordinary deep keel sea-
going vessel, with head room IN her cabins for q
man six feet high, with his hat on; In fact, large
carrying vessel, as c0ntrasted with any Ameri-
can sliding Keel yacht oil ner length and breadth,
and oDserve from the New York YACHT Club
book before me that there arc forty vessels
thereabouLs In that important cluo, and as the ma
jority are. like the Livona, Keel vessels, It waa
hoped they would nave selected one OF that kind 10
oppose her rather than one oil a nature tnat In this
country, where we fancy we do know something
about match sailing Is considered Ineligible Tor
racing.
"Knickcrbockcr'' says It IL ''chndsh folly to pre-
tend that yacht building has any influence upon the
naval architecture Of tic present day." Now,
provcmenis out or many That nave come 10
my notice. When building the Livonia Mr..
Asnbury cent 10 New York, TO the best
maker in that city, Tor the cotton canvas to make
the sails When this became known In England our
great cotton spinner Sir Eikanah Armltage, at
once made o trial sample ana presented 1t 10 Mr..
superior in all respects IN the perfection OF its
manufacture that "knickcrDocAcr" may rely upon it
that II cotton - 10 supersedc max canvas (Which
donbt 1t Will be English. and not American, that
Engisnman named Saunders invented and used y
very ingenious sprlng or bunet, aud the frst vessel
IN which | saw 1t used was the American
yacht Sappho, III 1878, and no doubt 1t
Is now iargely used in the states
10 the benefit OF their merchant recL
Does sKnlckerbocker" see any "childish iolly' IN
to the shipping interest Of the word through tho
aKnicKefhockern says that the Dutch applied The
centre board or Ieeboard centuries ago anu that IT
its alleged invention IN England by Captain ShanK'
*. NJ, IN 1890.
aKnickerDocKcr, must allow INC TO correct him.
IL was the leeboard that was used In Holand anu
IN England too centuries ago. ana 10 an Engish
naval olfcer alone s due the invention OF the less
useful cenirc.bolrd. winch Is quite discarded ia