Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-29
Interesting Yacht Talk. Co
lumbia and Shamrock in
Dry Dock.

Dry Dock.
new York, Sept. 27.--The Shamrock
was today safely dry docked at Erie
lasln. Every precautlon was taken TO
prevent mishap to the big cutter. and
20 minutes after she was warped into
position over the 10 blocks at the bot
tom of the dry dock her keel was rest
ing securely in place. There was no
attempt to hide the lines of the yacht
from view The yard was open to the
puolic from morning to night and
hundreds of yacbtsmen stood for hours
while the water was being pumped out
that they might get look at the un-
der ody and keel of the challenger
L. was too late in the day for secrecy
and so the "clouts' and "petticoats'
that prevented the people from seeing
the Shamrock when she was launched
in England early This summer and af-
terward when she was docked at the
Erie Basin shortly after reaching this
country were not used. Every one had
fine look at the craft.
The Shamrock lay alongside the
parry burned steamer Bucaros all
night, and early this morning her crew
was put to work scraplng off the green
pa that covered her topsldes, expos
ing ne true metal underneath. Just
VIVA, metal these two upper streaks of
plates is composed of is secret, but 1t
looks much like a composition of al
uminum and nickel, very light and at
the same time very strong. 1t is quite
probable that the Shamrock will not
have her upper body repainted for fear
it may retard her speed. Captain
Wringle, when asked about the matter
said he did not know about the paint,
but if any was put on it would be the
true Irish green. At the same time
the Shamrocks keel touched the
blocks there was about 81 feet of water
from the blocks to the surface, which
makes her draft about the same figures
or an inch or two less. The crew was
at once put to work in two squads
scrubbing the hull with brushes.
The Shamrock is a powerful craft,
with her greatest beam about where
the masthead runners fasten to the
deck. The under Dody which is of
bronze, was covered with a sort of
slime, which came off readily with a
vigorous application of salt water and
brushes, leaving the plates shiny and
smooth. When the hull and keel were
fully exposed there were expressions of
disappointment on all sides. The eX
perts expected TO see something new,
and a radical departure from the old
English type of cutter. The Shamrock
can be described as a vessel with
Britannia body and defender fin and
lead, including the latter's rocker keel,
but with greater draft than either.
There is nothing particularly hand
some about the cutters lines, except
they are all curves, there being no
straight ones, except from the turn of
the cardboard to the lead.
In comparison with the Columbia,
the Shamrock is fuller bodied amid
snps, has about a foot more beam,
and draft about 10 inches greater Her
overhangs are shorter,so that the lines
of her hull are not so well carried out
as in the Columbia, and being short in
crease the look of bulkiness. Then she
is higher sided thant the cup defender.
She has a rocker keel like the Defend
er; that is, her keel is rounded up like
that of the '95 champion, but little
more at the bow than the latter. Her
lead keel is about as thick as the Co
! lumbias, but not nearly so deep. From
four and one half to five feet is a fair
| estimate, while the cup defenders Is
about eight feet. The lead on the keel
weighs about Is tons less than the Co
lumblas, or about so tons, but as it is
about five feet longer than the latter's,
or about 33 feet. and not nearly so
deep, it puts the ballast lower, and
therefore gives the Shamrock fully as
much if not greater stability, The
Shamrock carries more sail than the
| Columbia, as her mast is stepped about
two feet further aft, giving her more
headsald, while the mainsail is also
larger than the cup defenders. The
Snamrock's amidships sections are
continuous curves from the deck lines
to the turn of the cardboard. Her bilge
hardens greatly at the quarter just
opposite to the Columbia's, and gives
one the impression that it will retard
her progress in sailing.
Amidships the Columbia has line
almost straight from the bilge to gar
board, giving her a flatter floor while
the Shamrock is full and round.
When the lead keel was exposed it
was found to be unlike the Columbia s
in that it is unprotected by bronze. 1t
is painted with some sort of red com
position to protect from the action of
the salt water but the crew had con
siderable work in cleaning off the
Shiny coating.
When the hull of the cutter had been
well scrubbed the crew commenced
putting up a staging about the craft
and will use electric polishers on her