Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-03
RICH MEMS SPORT
What It Costs to Own a First
Class Yacht and Sail Her.
1T TAKES A BARREL OF MONEY.

Yachting Affords u Lot Of Fun-James
Gordon Benefits steam Yacht Ma
mouna-A sample Of the Best In the
World.
How much does it cost to run a yachts
You might MS well ask what it costs to
keep a house. The dinner of a millionaire
may he as unpretentious As that Of a
thrifty farmer, while the dinner of his next
door neighbor, who is worth perhaps only
five thousand n year, will ba prepared by a
French cook and served in ten courses
with wines nd libitum. It's all a matter
Of taste.
II n man on shore Is %extravagant in his
habits he will be sure to carry his sumptu-
Gus elegance on board Of his yacht, and
during the sailing season Is apt to give lit
tie attention 10 the matter Of expenditure
~ long As he and his guests enjoy q good
time. An economical owner OF a first class
craft, say a large sloop or schooner, will
limit his yachting outlay to 10000 or s2S,-
600 q year, but the instances are numerous
in which the amount runs well up to ESQ.,
900.
The amount Of expenditure depends on
the size Of your yacht and whether 1t Ii a
steamer or not. An expert who has fur
nished much Of this information says that
| the usual wages paid to men on yachts is
rather more than the pay in the merchant
service. while the men are better fed and
clothed. The average is about $50 a month,
and at the end Of the season, IL their work
has been ~creditably performed, IL is Gus
tomary TO give them an additional sum as
"merit money" As a rule the sailors are
foreigners, many of them being Scandina-
vians and Germans. IL they are Ameri-
cans they have generally had a. admirable
training on fishing smacks and coasters,
and naturally become the best Of profess
sional yachtsmen.
Among the minor expenses the uniforms
of the men constitute ne small item, to
which must be added the daily wear and
tear of the boat, the renewal Of spars and
rigging and the bills for towage. Many
enthusiastic sportsmen prefer to sail their
own boats, while others, who don't know
the difference between a marlinespike and
a jibboom, are satisfied to enjoy the dolce
far niente of "life on the ocean wave" and
leave the real fun and excitement Of han
ding their craft to the sailing master. The
first will not spend SIS in a season, while
the last won't hesitate to disburse s15 a
day to be dragged around by a tugboat.
In England men before the mast receive
from three to four pounds per month, with
which they form their own mess and live
rs they choose. The officers are also paid
less than on this side Of the Atlantic. An
important adjunct Of nearly every first
class yacht in America is the cook, and
some Of this class who have fancy employ
ers with epicurean tastes are rs high priced
as the chefs Of q cuisine on shore. The av-
erage cook, however, receives from s. to
ESQ per day. Among the larger sailing
yachts, say like the Dauntless, the crew
when in commission will consist Of four
teen men before the mast, two officers,
three cooks, two stewards and two boys,
making a pay roll OF about el,200 per
month, to which must be added the cost OF
food, clothing and repairs, wines and the
expenses Of entertainment, for when a gen
uiIe yachtsman goes on a cruise there are
dinners, balls, receptions, music and the
qualification of the lovely women who con.
stitute a part Of his guests to make prepa-
ration for, and all Of this takes a pile OF
money.
II Is said Of Commodore Garner, Of the
Mohawk, that his expenses were about a
thousand dollars a day. IL will therefore
be seen that yachting is an expensive
amusement when conducted on eminently
high toned principles.
In steam yachts tue engineers and assis-
tants receive about tIe same pay as the
sailing master and mates, and the iiremen
the same as men before the mast. The
cost of fuel and engineers supplies also
adds 10 the expense. The three largest
steam yachts in the country are Mr.. As
tors Nourmahal, 233 feet long and a39tops
burden: Mr.. Gould's Atalanta, 80 feet
long and al tons burden, and James Cor
don Benefits Namouna, 226 feet long and
si5 tons burden. Shortly after the latter
was built IL was written concerning her
that ''she is the most luxurious and expen.
sively run yacht In the world"
She is an iron three master with steel
decks and carries at all times a full COM
plement Of men. She Is always ready for
an ocean voyage, and can at any moment
man all her boats In case of necessity. Her
crew numbers upward Of fifty men. Mr..
Bennett commands and navigates her him
self. Then there are four officers, who
take watch and watch; four engineers, nine
firemen and coal passers, ten men before
the mast, boatswain, gunner, ships carpen-
ter, two deck boys, four quartermasters,
first and second steward and four cabin
walters, two cabin boys, chief cook and
four assistants, four mess boys, etc. Mr..
Bennett has among his crew many old EN-.
ployes, who receive larger salaries than is
usually paid, so that his monthly pay roll
must foot up mt least $500. At a moder-
ate estimate IL will cost an average OF fifty
cents a day per head TO feed this crew,
making alone the snug little sum Of $3.50
per month.
When at sea the Namouna burns In the
neighborhood Of twenty tons Of coal a day,
This at 1915 per ton amounts TO si5 per
day, or in "A month Of cruising to &a,2JJ.
When to this is added the cost Of repairs,
engineers and mates stores. the interest
at 9 per cent. on about SIPS 900 and a proper
allowance for the depreciation Of the value
Of the property IL will he seen that with
out reference TO the cost Of maintaining
the cabin and wine locker the expense OF
running a yacht like the Namouna is some
thing fabulous. At a rough estimate 5000
a month Is probably within the mark. But
for this money the owner has u floating
palace as a home. He il free to go wher-
ever he chooses and at whatever time II