The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-15
YACHTING IN MIDWINTER.
INTERPRETING ACCOUNT OF 4
 CRUISE TO THE SOUTH.

| Spite of Difficulties the Trip Much En-
 jOyed.
 Last July the yacht Hattie J., of ten
 tons burden, which had been building
 for six months in the rear of Hallock
 avenue, this city, was successfully launched. Her sanguine owner expect
 ed to take out yachting parties in the
 summer and do some fine fishing in the
 fall. q shall never shove the plane
 any more, as have boat can make
 living with" was his exclamation to brother joiner. The yachting season
 passed quickly with little doing and the l stormy weather made the fishing a fail | ure in the fall. On the 18th of October
 she was seized by Sheriff Chatfield to | satisfy a claim of a Crown street plumber and was brought up to the flats off Brewery street and put in l charge of a Ship-keeper. While at an- chor an unknown tug struck her big | anchor and Git being a cheapone) broke
 off one of the 1ukes, while her main
 boom (being too small and an old one)
 was broken by the rainy weather con
 tracting the ropes holding it. In No
 vember it was proposed to have the yacht taken to Florida in hope buyer
 could be found there, and then her sale
 might liquidate her bills, which were
 heavy and numerous. While waiting
 for her owner to raise little money to
 go with six weeks were wasted away
 with no result. Finally party was
 made up of two boat-bui1ders (out of
 work), one joiner ditto and the ship
 keeper, all of whom were to pay equal
 ly the cost of the stores which were
 bought Ion tick" for a. three months
 trip. At the last moment another
 joined the party, going free for his ser
 vices as deck hand. So after borrowing
 a gaff, boom, big anchor, little anchor
 and cable, compass, pump, stove, skiff
 with oars and numerous other articles,
 the yacht left New Haven, her water and coal bill unpaid, and sailed for New
 York on December 23d, to there await
 run down the coast. Leaving New
 York on January 1st, early, quick run
 was made to Norfolk, Va. Here the
 Hattie J. took the canal. and tow of
 sixty-five miles Cat a cost of only four
 dollars and a halD brought her upon Albemarle Sound, N. c. In the tow was also the yacht Wautange, a. longer boat
 but one not near as able, which, push ing on, reached Florida in the latter part of January. From Albemarle through Croatan, down Pamplico and through Core Sounds the yacht sailed to Beaufort, N. c. Here a delay of twelve days was made and another week was consumed in passing Bogue Sound only twenty-five miles long, but very shoal. Finally Southport, N. C., was reached on February 7th, just be- fore the late cold spell. Another week quickly passed, when the owner, who had been doing considerable blowing ashore and receiving the like in return, conceived the idea that money could be made by putting the new yacht into the clam trade, for which she was to- tally unfitted It was represented to him that one hundred bushels of round clans could be easily caught in two days or less, the natives here, being too lazy to work hard, did not catch but a few. So acting on this idea Cwhose fol- ly was evident), the yacht sailed for the claiming grounds and awaited low tide to begin operations. A small broken rake was found by one, while the rest had to use old stove lid covers, old chis- els and screw-driver or else dig clans with their fingers and toes. In the meantime the coffee, which had been used too lavishly, ran low and the to- bacco gave out, and the tea, which was abundant, was wasted away in smoke by the inveterate smoker. After an absence of five days the yacht returned to Southport with eleven bushels of clans and a better knowledge of the clam trade. As the market was bare and the demand lively the clans sold | for forty cents a bushel, making the | sum of four dollars and for ty cents for the work of five able bodied | men five days. This sum 1t was deci- | ded to invest in tobacco and grub, | which was running still lower. Anoth- | re delay of five days and more clam | yarns absorbed, when fresh start was | made for the sand banks near Fort | where the lamented Terry | gained renown. A sail up Cape Fear | river of six miles was made and the | yacht anchored in the river. Then two | flat bottom beats were dragged over stone dam or break-water and after a | row of about three miles the haunts of | he SuCCulenI Cldill were SuppOSGu lU Dt found A careful search was made, fol- l owing directions minutely given and | marked out on chart, and the net re- suit was a little short of one bushel of | ,Iams Overcoming the anger and dis gust which was growing mighty, an- other days work was rewarded by the finding of about six bushels of clans md lots of knowledge. Rowing home with the game (after waiting for the idle to first rise) and dragging it across he dam and then transferring from small boat to yacht was found to be a drawback to the sport. On one occa- ion the weather being tempestuous, he boat was swamped and went to the but fortunately was so near hore that none of the bivalves escaped, md at low tide the boat was found un- lurt. At the end of six days the accu- of clans had reached forty i've bushels, but the price had fallen to cents a bushel A check for eighteen dollars in settlement of &C., ount was given, to be divided up in- tead of getting stores,
 The yacht owner claimed one-fifth of his for the yacht, which was granted, considering that the damage to the ,oat in wear and tear had exceeded IL. FH1..