The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-07-09
FREAK YACHTS AT CHICAGO.

| Old Craft on the City's Water Front
 Chicago is becoming known as thu home of the freak boat. Along its
 water front are to be found examples O
 nearly every type of craft that IS de | parture from orthodox" methods O
 unarine architecture Boats built fol speed without comfort, comfort withou speed, and economy without regard tt 1 either, as well as boats built to satisfy | somebody's theory of the manner II | which a wonderfully ewift vessel ough' | to be built, appear to exceed in number l the cruising yachts of the city. Al hours strool along the breakwater thai separates the inner basin from the soutr harbor offers an opportunity to see more of these strange craft than can De found in similar area in almost any other yacht anchorage In this country The construction of novel types Of
 vessels has always had fascination foi the dwelers by the great lakes. There are few lands, to be sure, in which
 genius" does not now and then invent
 new hull or a new sngine that is des-
 tined, before it is tried, to revolutionize
 marine methods of the world. But on
 the lakes, where nearly all shipping has
 had to be built on experimental lines
 and a new style of architecture suited
 to new conditions developed, this habit
 has grown and produced an inordinate
 number of freaks" It was on the lakes that Alexander McDougall
 dreamed of his strange "cigar-shaped craft" which led to the building of the first whaleback-a type of vessel known
 the world over to-day.
 Down on the lake front dozen Me- Dougalls are developed every year, and the result Is the queer collection of steam and sailing craft that filters up the breakwater. Down on salt water and it used to be so here--the favorite type of yacht is one which combines fair speed with comfortable cruising qualities. A boat must draw enough water so that a cabin or cubby can be put under her deck, with room enough in it for the crew" to cook a meal over an oil stove and for two or three men, at least, to bunk on lockers. This must be tightly covered, The cockpit must be protected by a good, high combing, to keep 1t dry, and must have it's floor high enough, if possible, to drain through scuppers. There must be a fair 'freeboard" forward to make a good sea boat. Heavy spars that will stand through blow and plenty of canvas make such a craft steady, weatherly and comfortable in a gale or a calm anywhere on the lake,
 Tn the shallower waters of the inland lakes, however. the development of the pumpkin seed" and from that the "skimming dish" catboat, with very slight draft, rounded bottom, and big centerboard, showed long ago that such a boat could be given great speed. This type has been evolved here in contest for fast boats, until freeboards, cubbies. combings and comfort have been sacrificed, and there are in the harbor half dozen sailing yachts which have not more than a foot or eighteen inches depth, and appear like big raft, with double skin inflated.
 These yachts have stability to a cer- tain point, and when they pass that lose everything. They make little re- sistance and glide over the water on smooth days at great speed. But they cannot be used for cruising, since they