New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
THE PLEASURE CANOE.

posed to go over grass when there has been
heavy dew, and will carry full load on three
inches Of water
1t is more as measure of safety for those who
own the boats as we'll as those who hire them
that the people who make business Of letting
cut boats on the Harlem greatly prefer when
there is a mixed party after a boat to let them
have a fat-bottomed boat called skiff which
is broad sharp the bow. and broad at the
stern. with faring sides and sometimes round
up at the bow and stern. This boat is clumsy
imitation Of the "dory" Of the down East fisher
men, which passengers on the transatlantic
steamers sometimes see hundreds Of miles away
from the land pitching and tossing on the bosom
of the sea and only too often empty, showing
that its occupants have been lost.
With the heavier boats. like the whale boat
or the surf boat. with which all who dwell on
the Massachusetts coast are familiar or the
barge and yawl boats more fitted for the use Of
the strong armed toilers of the sea than those
who go on the water for pleasure alone. or the
sharpie which is much used for hunting pur-
poses or the sneak boat" fitted for the capture
Of unsuspecting water fowl or the gig, which
is one of the light boats Of ship generally re-
served for the use of the captain the NewYork
pleasure seeker has little to do.
When the dividing line between the man who
is out for his enjoyment or the pleasure Of
his family and the one whose efforts are directed
to the development of muscle and the acqusi-
ton of skill is reached the question Of rowing
and rowboats takes on an entirely new aspect.
The fat or keel.bottomed boat more or less
clumsy and always heavy is left behind. and one
comes to the beautiful modern racing boat. on
which all the science of boat building and the
most careful ard scientific workmanship are
In nod N he Of he q T. G
the boat most favored This is light. long. mar
row. open racing boat. with outriggers, weighing
from forty to seventy-n pounds, and adapted
for propulsion by one two, three or four pairs
Of oars. 1t is favOritc boat for oarsmen to
in knocking about In smooth or slightly
rough water for practice. Then comes the work
ing boat. which is the training school for the
shell This boat. Ike the gig is long. low and
sharp, but is often built without outriggers. the
oars resting In square ports in the gunwales
When this method is adopted the gunwales
cut away in curves between the ports. and also
clear forward and aft of the rowers. In some
Of the working boats, where speed is a requisite,
light outriggers are used. and the sliding seat
is brought into play, in order to insure familiar
fly with the workings OF the shell.
PRACTICE ON THE HARLEM
When the sun is sinking low in the west. and
sometimes in the early morning, the amateur
oarsmen may be seen pulling away on the Har-
lem River as II for dear life. in effort to &C
complish as much possible in the way OF
training in q short time Standing on the floats
which line the banks Of the river from the Third
ave bridge well up toward Spuyten Duyvn, or
with easy. lesurely strokes sending a light she'll
along even with the rowers. are the men who
Watching the work and guiding the crews
In the effort 10 get the best material possible
for races in prospect These shells the aris-
tocrats OF the pleasure boat feet. and bear the
same relation to the Whitehall boat that the De-
fender does to scow. The demands Of profess