The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-10
AMONG THE YACHTSMEN,
A General Overhauling of the
White Wings of San Fran
cisco Bay.
The Ramona Beautified-Reminis-
cences of Commodores Of
the Past.

Masts were scraped and decks holystoned
and sails secured this week in the yacht
feet, for the merry western breezes have
come to stay, and the winter Gains have
gone to the land of doldrums. On Thurs
day last the White Wings, which James
". Coleman has chartered for the season,
and which now flies that veteran yachts
mans private signal at the main, came off
the WAYS at South San Francisco. The
White Wings has been thoroughly over
hauled, new woodwork introduced where
needed, and is now one of the daintiest, as
she has always been one of the sturdiest,
boats in the fleet. Captain Chittenden has
worked in cooperation with Mr.. Cole
mans ideas of how frst-class yacht
should look, and the result is more than
satisfactory.
The Ramona has been beautifed by
Commodore Mccarthy until she looks like
debutante about to step into her first
ballroom. The graceful lines of this beau
tiful yacht have been accumulated with
paint, scraper and polish, and her SYM
metrical spars are so bright that they actu-
Sausalito hills Mac is a sailor from the
ground up. 1t was of him local bard
wrote:
The winds may blow, the pillows flow,
The stout boat rock and reel
We're not afraid, for well we know,
McCarthy's at the wheel.
This versical raconteur went on to de-
scribe a yachting party on the Ramona
when
The pretty girls, they came on board,
In silks and muslins dressed.
OH some were blonde and some brunette,
mali UQStq
Huzza! huzzai the anchors weighed,
And on an even keel,
Away the good yacht glides, and 10!
McCarthy's at the wheel.
What Captain Brooks has done to the
Chispa shows how fond that stout tar is of
the timbers he has SO long called home.
Commodore Cutie, whose sails are bent
all the wear round, for the Chispa is never
out OF commission, sWears by his starry
toplights and topgallant eyebrows that the
Chispa should, metaphorically, "walk in
silk attire and siller have to spare" and
that tough seaman has nobly kept his word.
If any man in the world, not excepting
in any yacht or sailing in any waters, gets
more fun out of his boat than Commodore
Cutie he must be double ballasted with
gray matter. He has plowed the waters
of Raccoon Straits so long and so faithfully
that it would not be surprising to see
crop of barnacles adorn the surface of the
booming current.
The Tessie, with whom Commodore Mac
donough takes modest Sunday trips,
though withal the old man sails boat
handsomely, is the perfection of grace and
trimness as she lies at her moorings. Her
flush deck is SO comfortable and roomy
that one cannot but regret the harbor has
not more yachts of her class and build.
The Lurline, the Frolic, the Aggie-all
the good old -timers-have been freshened
up and will give their canvas to the breeze
tomorrow.
The Annie, Commodore Caducs pet,
famous by the part she played in helping
the notorious Boss Tweed to escape,
shines up fresh and comedy this season
as if she were launched only week ago.
These boats with oaken ribs defy time
and decay, and only mellow in place of
growing weaker with years and service.
Not many of the yachtsmen who held
the spokes aboard their own craft to-day
60 back to the early seventies" when
the first yacht club house was built on
Long Bridge to the leeward of unsaYory
Butchertown. Samuel Plat of Platt's
Hall was the first commodore, and clam
bakes and clam chowders were at that
period in their infancy on the coast. As
Judge of this succulent dish Commodore
Plat had no peer, but his seamanship was
not even theoretical. He was an easy
| going, good-natured old gentleman and
was most conscientious in his attendance
at the everv-Saturday chowder.
Eckley, DR.. Tucker and Captain Moody
were then the representative yachtsmen of
the time. Eckley had the Emerald and
| Dr.. Tucker the schooner Minnie, while
Captain Moody took a wheel all around.
| Stewart Menzies was the proud COM
mander of a steam launch, DR.. Merritt
built the Casco and Ed Wiener sailed the
Startled Fawn, which afterward became
| the Seven Bells under Captain ShelIey's
ownership. Charles Yale, George Brom-
| ley and Captain Dick Ogden were promi-
nent in the club Captain Ogden labored
| hard to make yachting popular, and may
| be considered one of the patriarchs of the
pastime in these waters.
Captain Richard Floyd brought out the
| big Ariel, a keel schooner, but she never
was a success. Even Floyd, who was an
| old sailor, became disguised with her. and
| she lay for many months in Richardson's
| Bay until purchased for the sealing trade
| in the north seas. She was clumsy in
stays, with trick of hanging in the wind s
| eye which was not pleasant when lacking
! off lee shore. OF those ancient yachtsmen
DIR. Tucker and DR.. Merritt are dead, Eckley
has given up sailing. Charley Yale is as
enthusiastic as ever and the veteran Cap
| tain Moody still delights to sit in the lee
of the San Francisco Yacht Club and watch
the sport which he has loved so dearly and
has done so much to promote.
DAN O'CoNNELL