The New York herald., 1877-03-05
CRUISING YACHTS"

The second monthly meeting Of the Seawanhaka
Yacht Club held on Saturday evening at Delmop-
ico's Commodore Colgate In the chair. The occasion
was mado interesting by Roar Commodore Center read
ing paper ON "CruIsing Yachts" Tho subject was
old with him, and he had no doubt that the
time Is not lar distant when cruising yachts
would como be built In this country as they are
In England. SO soon as the rich men OF the great
West come to the scaboard they WILL for recreation,
such boats must spring into favor At present there
are but few yachts mere worthy the name Of cruising
vessels. In England Glasses Of yachts oxiss the
racing and cruising Each Is distinct and kept 80. the
owner of the latter never entering his boat
and the tormer keeping his craft for contests only
Fast boats are in demand In America, and tho yacht
that has speed has no commercial value.
A craft with US that does not win "muRy''
now and then Is set down as failure
and Of no account After describing the differcncc oc
tween the racing and cruising crafts or England and
those IN this country Commodore Confer advocated less
bcam, greater dep,h, smaller masts ana longer top
as,s for tho cruising yachts 1t his idea that the
ldicr and Palmer were nearer the English cruising
crafts than any we havc In American waters More
sia,ereoms and less in one largo space
was recommended. In the matter Of model and
shape thcre must bo depth 10 the cruising
yachts than is now given American boats More arti.
ncial and less natural stability Is demanded Tne MO.
N
much artificial and the Idler combines botn. The
Mohawk Is not safe craft, neither Is tho Columba
but no vessels OF tins kind and szo Will ever %
built Tho class OF boats tnat will mako good cruisers
must be Of the stamp Of tho Dauntess ana ldier
There is known way Of making boat with large
beam and small drausht TO steer we'll IL 10 possible 20
build cruising vessels with centreboards, but tncre 10
uss in doing It.
Approaching tho most important point that OF con.
struction, tho speaker said that most OF American
yachts arc hight, tue sloops particularly 80. sim
gle gale generally strains the latter that there 10
danger of their going apart. Three KINDS can be
can be coppcred, aud thus the bottom does not ouL
Tho Disadvantages OF wooden boats are that they have
less room, they rot and soak water. They don't
get dirty, however, and are less expensive.
iron yachts are much lighter, stronger and
| very dry, but 1t Is difficult to keep
clean slsathng iron Win copper shd %ss
rig there may be adopted either the soop, cuttei:
yaw schooner brlgantine. Tho sloop can be built
up 10 40 tons. The cutter rig will be safc up to 100
tons The advantages OF the cutter embrace less SAIL
| shorter boom. ana having the nasts moro amid
ships This class OF craft is safer at sea tnan the
| 100 or 14O tons. The sails are moro IN
board than those OF the cutter. In schooner.
! 2UJ tons is about the limit. and above that
| we must look lor vessels rigged like the ldier.
Tho brigantnc rig the Speakers idea OF aperlect
cruising yacht, and he believed that the tno would
come when rich and we'll balance ! lover oi sail
ing would construct such craft, something Of the
nature OF small man-ofwar possessing great advan.
tages Tor comfort Discipline on board yacht ncxs
demanded attention. For crows good mon should bo
procured, ana these paid good wages Tho discipline
OF q boat should be IN the cabin
Rear Commodore Center has designed and laid down
the plans OF cruising cutter English ~ everything
except beam, which will soon DO built by Ioo umm,
OF Brooklyn. This boat Is intcndsd for - Thomas
Hitchcock. ST., and will be 40 ieet kee! 46 feet on
deck II feet beam and icet 10 inches draught OF
Her mast will be 81 feet, topmast 20 eet boom ~
eet gaff 81 feet inches, and the running bowsprit
room IN the cabin. II is expected that this yacht wt
be ready for delivery by the first week In June