New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-07
A YACHTING VACATION.
FIGURES TO SHOW THAT 1T IS NOT
FOR THE RICH ALONE.
ESTIMATES FOR A PARTY OF SIX PERSONS
HOW TO SECURE A SKIPPER AND
PROPER CRAFT

shorter season, one reason why yacht-cruising In
America is less popular than in Great Britain Is
an exaggera ted Idea OF It's cost. Many persons
who would be distinct gain to American yacht
Ing are frightened away from II by the belief that
yacht-sailing is necessarily confined to the very
rich. This unfortunate condition Is due primarily
to the breezy Indifference OF yacht-owners and
the careless credulity OF writer's who would not
know preventer- ba ckstay from dophin-striler
II they fell over It in the street
No yacht-owner ever was known to make
curate statement. Of the cost Of his yachting Ac-
curacy Is not in him. Men who figure within a
fraction of cent In their business affairs are fond
of Diminishing the subject of yacht expenses with
generous wave Of the hand and vague remark
about making up your estimates and then doub-
ling them" or an unctuous "Oh few thousands,
| more or less" To the hectic imagination Of the un-
Informed enthusiast who sometimes allows his
opinions to be quoted In print this means thou
sands of dollars instead Of hundreds and the man
who can afford hundreds but not thousands hard
his heart to the voice Of the summer sea. Men
who unhesitatngly assert In business that they
are so ground to the wall by competition that they
cannot pay expenses not unwilling to be
cassed as millionaires aboard their yachts Styles
in yachts may change with each cup defender but
human nature remains the same throughout al!
time
As a matter Of ordinary fact. vacation afoat
costs more than a vacation ashore Further
more. there many persons of limited income
who live the entire summer on board their yachts,
because II IL cheaper than living at home just as
there hundreds OF Americans who live In Eu-
rope because they cannot afford to live respecta
bly, In America. there are dozens who eagerly
fit out their yachts a. the beginning of summer to
oh 70
who have learned the secret Of living cheaply,
while taking no pains to deny the impression that
they are millionaire yachtsmen would not ex-
change their delightful saltwater cruises for all
the summer hotels and veranda campaigning
along the Atlantic coast.
But he who goes to the for economy's sake
will remain for the seas sake When the salt Of
the blue sea has once entered the blood It will
never come out
With the finest yachting climate In the world
and an almost limitless extent Of sheltered water
to sail on. there is only the element Of cost to
be taken into consideration Cost. however. is so
much matter Of personal prediction that 1t
Is almost impossible to say anything definite
about 1t. The cost Of yachting varies IS much as
the cost Of living In a fat in New-Ycrk City.
The writer will undertake TO fit out fishing
sloop for party OF six or eight persons FOR
summer cruise in rough or smooth water, fur-
nish an experienced professional skipper. anu
provide plenty OF good wholesome food at a
| total cost Of about S. a week for each person.
This may be taken as the minimum Of cost for
a summer cruise unless a party owns its own
| boat and does not employ paid skipper. Where
! a Marty owns its own boat and does all the work
| tho cost NAV be reduced 10 SO a week or even
fraction below man can get all the plain food
he can eat for So a week II he Is careful In buy
lrg and cooking. A noted American canoist once
| made a long canoe cruise at cost Of 81 %
week.
| Lest the people hiring a fishing sloop for
| summer cruise should not think that 1t was
| really on yachting cruise 1t may be explained
that any vessel used pleasure craft may be
classad as a yacht. The old sailors definition
Of a yacht is we'll known. You goes an hires
any vessel you please. an fills her up with grog.
an gifts your fr'en's on board; an that's
yacht"
A marty Of half dozen persons who have de-
cded TO pass the summer aboard fishing sloop
need not have any bother or worry about ntting
out The skipper. who will probably be the own
or Of the boat will do all that at his own ex-
pense He will cleanse his boat from the smell
n 0sh. AMI paint her inside and outside as
vide hunks for all the party. and see that there
are dishes and cooking utensils enough Tor the
cruise Possibly the skipper may buy himself
new suit of clothes. Most persons. however, pre-
fer a fishing skipper In his old clothes "a he Is
In that garb a more picturesque object for anna
teur photography But that is detail easily ar
ranged
The fishing soop and skipper will cost from 500
Tha may y
even SO week for each person. according to
agreement among the members OF the party
The marty will probably want to do Its own cook
,rg although the skipper will do II II desired
ASH IS impossible to give in the limits OF this ar
tIcle de.ailed Information regarding the cost or
uniting into commission. manning and provision
ing yachts Of all sizes. estimates are made on
yacht capable OF accommodating six persons with
out crowding For party OF six II Is not advisa-
bic to take yacht smaller than forty feet water
line length Some of the old-fashioned thirty
footers will bunk six persons but they are not to
be recommended for a long cruise.
II is usually not necessary that the members OF
the party should attend 10 the fitting out or the
Yacht as the owner does that at MS own expense.
The va cht In seven cases out of ten is placed at
the disposal Of the charter party fully ntted out
and freshly painted. In the event of hiring
vocht at q reduced rate on condition that the
charterers make her ready for the cruise. the
work NAV be done by the skipper and the ex-
nenses incurred deducted from the charter money.
After the cruising party Is made up and the
limit Of cost of the cruise decided upon. the first
duty OF the executive head OF the party Is TO OBJ
tain a skipper. This IS comparatively an easy
matter A letter to a yacht agency will bring half
a dozen capable men. or an advertisement In
newspaper will give the choice OF two or three
dozen skipper for forty-foot cruising yacht
will cost $40 a month and his board, which Will be
about So month more. The plans Of the party
should be fully explained to the skipper selected.
ard the limit OF expense plainly set forth.
The skipper should then be sent out to hunt for
q Yacht He will naturally know where most