Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-04-23
YACHTS AND INLAND YACHTING.
w. IL. II. Murray Talks About IA New Yacht
and other Aquatic Matters.

rondack fame, who will be recollecteu as
the builder and first owner of the pecu-
liar "Sharpie," owned and sailed so sue
cessfully by Col. Hindes for several years
past, and interviewed him in regard to
yacht of the same general pattern as the
Sharpe only much larger, the construc-
ton of which he is supervising III TINS
city. Mr.. Murray is an enthusiastic adVO-
cate of QUITO door sports ana recreation,
and on being asked by the reporter about
the yacht he was building replied
81 am glad to give you what you
wish, and the public interested in yacht
sing and outdoor life also. The yacht
whose construction | am supervising is
mot my own. 1t is being built for several
E0irties who are interested in encouraging
outdoor recreation and of showing TO
beslth and pleasure seekers the desirable
ness of Lake Champlaln as II summer re-
Sort
q. Will you give us the names of these
gentlemen
Ans am not permitted to do so. 1t is
a personal effort prompted by public spirit
,edness on the part of those enlisted IN
che enterprise and they do not wish their
names to be given to the public until the
matter is farther advanced. Indeed the
final ownership of the boat is not as yet
decided and | anticipate that when she is
finished her appearance ana aNallaDlllty
for the service for which have designed
her will be so attractive and apparent, that
half n dozen repntitions of her will have
to be made that there may be enough to
Ego round" for don't believe there Will
be q single one of those interested i'll the
building of her who will not want one TOR
himself
@. May ask who initiated the under
taking?
Ans. Certainly. did myself For years
have fully understood the value of Lake
Champlain as a yachting ground and hoped
to be able sometime to call public atten-
ton sufficiently to it, This spring came
to the opportunity Of doing it. But being
too poor to build a yacht of adequate size
and equipment myself | was forced to en-
list others in it. Perhaps it is well that
it is as it is for now u wider interest Will
be felt and more public attention drawn
to it than would be the case in IA strictly
personal matter. For the building of this
yacht is from its very inception in the in
terest Of public and not OF private enjoy
ment and has for its confessed object the
demonstration of the wonderful facilities
that Lake Champlain and its connecting
waters offer for yachts and yachting.
The contribution that make personally to
this endeavor is this Il give my services
and acknowledgement as they may be-to
designing and supervising the construction
of the yacht and its equipment and
agree to sail it on its first voyage out of
Burlington.
@. How far will your voyage extend
Dir. Murray?
Ans. Tie run will cover going and
coming something over 1000 miles, al
though | may extend it to 1000 and more
Q. Incredible Where can you find such
reach of water?
Ans. Oh, there's water enough. think
that had | time, | could sail the yacht
twenty thousand miles and more, go
ing and coming, and nearly all OF it IN
.safe, inland water too. But the first run
will be short one. shall 90 down to the
st, Lawrence, visit Quebec, sail up the
aSaguenay, cross to Riviere du l.oup, drop
down to Dalhouisie in the Bale of Chaleurs,
visit the mouth of the Restigouche and
the Miramichi for a little salmon fishing,
and then swing back, coasting up along
the north shore of the st. Lawrence from
The Labrador line. Perhaps shall not re-
turn direct to Burlington but go up to the
Thousand Isles and Niagara. Had time
should keep on ana passing Chicago
through the Illinois canal drop down to
New Orleans. You see there is water
enough and that the natural, we may
say the only, suitable home and starting
point for all the hundred yachts that in Il
few years will be cruising far and near
along the splendid water ways of the con-
tinent, is Burlington.
G.. 1t astonishing, such an outlook
and boating facilities as you represent.
And you anticipate that this inland yacht
ing interest will actually spring up
Ans. Anticipate it OF course | do.
Did | anticipate fifteen years ago that the
dear old woods opposite this window there
would he filled with a hundred thousand
visitors every summer? Certainly Why 2
Because there on that side were the rivers
the lakes the sweet OdorS and health giving
air men and woman love and are benefit
ted by. And on this side in all our sea
board cities of the East were the men and
women that loved them and wanted only
to be told of them and they would flock
to them. My little book and my lecture
on the Adirondacks gave them the need
ed knowledge and stimulated them to
make one visit and all the work was done.
And now, right under the shadow of the
same noble bit of country see a splendid
lake, long and wide and deep, sur
rounded by majestic scenery whose shores
are alive with historic memories, and
which has easy navigable connection with
all the inland water ways of the continent
and hence | know what is to be. shall
live, If live many years, to see hundred
yachts in this lake, and | ought to live tC
see and shall, if Burlington has any en-
terprise in it, a hundred yachts sailing
out of burlington Bay alone, any bright
breezy summer day.
q. And you think the sharpie-built
yacht the best
Ans. Decidedly so for inland waters.
q. Will you please state why you pre-
fer them to the keel yacht.
Ans. First, the sharpe is large
like a round bottomed boat. Ladies ant
children can get in and out of it safely
Secondly, il draws little water and can b,
sailed safely in shore and in shallow riv
Sers, and can be run upon beach in ordi
nary weather safely. Thirdly, it is SAT,
boat in squally weather and in higl
winds, for the shape OF its sails is sucl
that the wind, as the boat careens, pour
out of and away from the SAIL thus re
leasing it from pressure. Fourthly, thu
sharpe yacht is a fast boat, very fast
especially beating up against n current o
head wind. Filthy, she is easily han
died and answers her help as if turnin!
on a pivot, and, lastly, she is cheaply- bull
and thus is placed within the reach of al
who are thrifty and economical in short
the sharpe yacht is par excellence tn
popular boat, and as such | select it a
the model yacht of the future so far IA
inland boating is concerned and recon-
mend it because OF its many merits to al
q. How much does II sharpe zach
of thirty feet in length cost, Mr.. Murray