, 1889-06-09

But We can't all begin thnt WY, and we
wouldn't want toif we could, say The Detroit
News. A good way 30 learn TO sail Is to go
along with somo ono who knows how, TO obey
his orders promptly, and then, by observn-
ton, study and inquiry, find out why at one
timo you had TO haul In on a line and at nm
other to slack up on It This can DO done on
a largo yacht, II you have access TO one, or on
n small sailboat; tho principles IN handling
one nre precisely tho same as In handling tho
other; and II you once master tho ideas-the
reasons why-you can apply them 10 n fore
and aft rugged vessel of any size But IL Is
not n wise thing for any ono to attompt TO
handle ever 30 small a craft under sail with
neither any experience nor any idea of tho
forces he has to contend with.
1t Is doing this which causes the occasional
accidents on river and lake.
Tho various rigs In ommon uso on fresh
water are;
Tho single cat.
Double cat
Sloop.
Cutter.
Ynwl
Schooner.
The single cat has only one mast and one
safl, and, because of the simplicity of rig, is
the best one for a beginner to start In with.
1t hns n centerboard Tor a standing keeD, as
ehthhA NNNA MA liplIAta bl hAAht DNIADr
without either of these 1t Is practically i'm
possible to beat 10 windward.
If boat were made perfectly round like a
tub, and had no ce~nter.board, II would only
go In one direction, namely; before the wind,
or In tho direction towards which the wind Is
blowing. A sail boat cannot he made to 20
directly against the wind, but 1t is the
province Of the designer, tho builder, the sail
maker and the sailing master to make il go
as near the wind as possible.
Within four points Of the compass is the
practical limit, though the Volunteer, the
most w~eatherly yacht in the world, points In
smooth water as high as three and a half.
To get back to tho cat boat. The mast Is
stepped very close TO tho stem, and according
10 tho size the sail may be stretched by means
OF a spirit leading up to the upper and outer
corner-the peak-or by means of a gaff to
hoist and lower. Tho tyro who essays 10 sail
the cat boat should steer and hold tho sheet
rope in his hand; II he has a companion, let
him act as ballast.
Safety is the first consideration, and the
beginners should learn to keep n boat on her
bottom first and to get fast time out of her
Afterwards.
So much for tho cat boat, the sailing of
which is almost simplicity itself.
Then comes the double cat the next
simplest rig. In this rig there ore two mnsts
and two sails, each rugged like the sail In the
single cat The foresail Is generally larger
than tho mainsail "a misnomer in this case)
and is the principal driving sail. Here there
are two forces at work, one In tho fore and
the other In the after body Of tho boat. It
complexities things somewhat, but gives the
young sailor a better control of the boat II
the fore sheet is hauled in close and the main
sheet Stacked off the head Of tho boat win
pay off from tho wind; and II the main sheet
Is hauled in fiat and the fore sheet Stacked off,
the head Of the boat will DO thrown up
towards tho wind, and, with the helm down,
she will go in stays, n maneuver which will
DO described in speaking of the sloop.
Getting towards larger boats, tho double
cat is safer than the single cat They should
have two rigs, and tho beginner should al
ways sail tho boat with the small rig, no
matter how light the wind or pleasant the
weather. In this, Us In tho single cat, tho
shoots should never DO mnde fast
The sloop, when modified with tho double
head canvas of the cutter las Is the case with
the modern compromise sloop CUTTER, makes
the most effective racing rig.
In speaking of the sloop, only one bead sail
viii be considered This Is properly called
the jib, though sometimes misnamed the
staysal- Hero first comes into notice the
bowsprft, for which there Is no use on the
~ W
the jb far enough outboard forward to bal
ance the mainsail, which extends outboard
aft
In small sloops the jib sheets should always
extend aft so as to make the boat, II desira-
BILE, a single handler. For proper handling,
however, a sloop should have q crow of at
least four men-one TO steer, one to tend
main sheet, one to trim jib sheets and another
to work forward clearing up.
NOW AS TO HANDLING THE sJooP.
II you are lying at anchor in a place where
there is no.current, mako on your mainsaIl,
heave your anchor short, that Is, 50 that the
chain or rope holding 1t Is up and down.
Mako up your mind which way you want to
'cast," that is, on which side you want the
yacht to fill away. Don't leave 1t to chance
or to luck, but choose sidt. and mako it come
your way. II you conclude to cast to port
that will be taking the wind on the starboard
Eide-put your helm to starboard, catch q
turn yourself with the starboard weather,
Arnica saIve.
Tho haof o.lva - A. ,-1~1l - -