The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-19
SURROUNDED WITH MYSTERY
Original Ideas Wrought Out in
the Details.
HER VERY EXTRAORDINARY KEEL
A World Beater With an Ancient
Air and Modern Aspect Soon
to Sail These Waters.

The east has had almost an universal
monopoly on freaks. and especially so In
the yachting line. But from herceforth
this bay Will challenge them TO produce
our equal
Some months ago several young men
started TO build racer at the foot OF
Hyde street and it was this action that
gave birth to what will be one of the most
wonderful crafts aflOat Chat is If she
foats).
In a little cover at the foot of Fort
Mason and next to the old Pioneer wooden
mills there lives a b0atman who up to a
few mouths ago lived life of ease and
contentment but when these young men
began to shape their craft his soul was
fred with an ambition to origin ate a craft
that would be world-beater. Many long.
dark, dreary nights were spent in calcula:-
ing and drafting lines until his ideal was
reached. One morning the Inhabitants of
the adjacent district were startled by the
music of the hammer and from that time
on this dream began to take on form, IN
til to-day its realization is very near ready
for launching.
A visit to where she is being built will
repay those who take it. When her builder
was seen regarding the definite figures of
her construction it was found that the
whole surroundings were filled with an air
of mystery which reminded one of the re-
ports from the East of the cup-defenders.
From the natives thereabout it was
cleaned that she was % feet over all, 10
feet beam and about 80 feet on the water
line. She has a keel of about II inches
deep which starts a. the rudder-post and
keeps its width until the bowsprit is
reached. The floor of the keel proper is
straight until the water line is nearly
reached, when it takes an upward shoot,
giving her big overhsng. This keel run
Mug up her stern is supposed to steady
her and give those aboard time to think
when she is going about.
The midship section is a study. 1t has
fat floor, with sharp dead rise till near
the water line. where it broadens out a
little until the latter place is reached,
when the freebOard starts to tumble home.
The stern has an air about 1t of the
Viglant, with the cast of countenance of
Columbus Santa Maria. 1t rises from
where the sternpost intersects the hull at
about 45 degrees, taperIng out to a very
narrow transom, which Is one of the
prom nent features of the craft. 1t is
here that the likeness TO Columbus good
old boat is noticed in the plaster paris
francy- work, which has an ancient look.
1t is said that the builder had a wind ow 10
the stern Overhapg. which some one mis-
took for hencOop. and that this so dis
gusted him that he removed it.
Fer planking is of one-inch stock and
the cabin two-inch. She has a flush
deck, except where the cabin and man.
hole for the helmsman Is. The seams are
cslked in with burlap and filled in with
putty. the inside is covered several inches
thick with tar and pitch to preserve her.
The ompanion-way, instead of leading
into the cabin from the center of the
yacht is close to the port side, which will
necessitate her sailing almost exclusively
on her starboard side in rough weather.
Another innovation is that the rudder. box
Is perfectly square.
As this was the extent of the knowledge
of those about the neighborhood, it will
be impossible to say what her sail-plan
will be. except that she will be schooner.
AS this description might be mistaken
fer the description of yacht from Fries
land, it might be suspected that she will
carry leebOards with gaffs shaped like the
half Of hoop, and no lacing, except to
the mast instead of rings.