Milford chronicle., 1901-08-16
THE RICH MANS SPORT.
Yachting and the Money 1t Costs 1t
DeyOteea

DeVOteeBs
There is a boom in the yachting bust
ness. New vessels are being built, and, |
although there are some pleasure yachts |
in the market at the disposal Of men who |
are willing to pay a good price, the num- /
Der is small The activity is due in part
to the interest in yachting which always
/ makes itself manifest in cup race years,
but more to the general business prosper
/ ity.
Yachting is an expensive luxury, and
| one must have money in addition to en-
thusiasm to indulge in it. The men who
own or charter sailing yachts are in most
instances amateur sailors, but the owners
of expensive steam yachts rarely lay
claim to the title. There are two classes
Of yachtsmen," said yacht broker whose
| business brings him in contact with many
owners. 'The members of one class are
ambitious to own and cruise on a private
vessel because they like the sport; the
others buy, have built or charter yachts
because it is fashionable. Men often
graduate from the fashionable class
into the other and from having chartered
a yacht Just because there was nothing
else to do have become deyOtees of the
sport and valuable members of the fra
ternity. Men come here and say that
they have tried the seashOre, the noun
tains, Saratoga, Newport and Europe,
and now they would Ike a go at yacht
ing If the man belongs to the got all
! the money l want class, he gets yacht
but if he is modest and has had no expe
: ricnce in the line he expresses wonder at
2 the great cost and thinks the matter over
l because it costs from $500 to $4,000 &
J. month to run a yacht"
>. The crew of a yacht Of the 200 foo
class includes a captain, who receives
about So, 900 a year, and first engineer
whose pay is from 81 500 to $4,000; (
3 second engineer and mate, at about $50 {
o month; two quartermasters, at about sol
n a month; a head steward, at $50; chef
e whose pay is in keeping with his statlo
If in his calling, but rarely less than SlOO
"a six assistant stewards aud COOKS, Q
= about S25. and IA sailors, at $14. l
= some instances a yacht is chartere
"wages paid"-that is. with the crew
- and some vessels are turned over to tn
temporary owners bare" There is Ii
tie trouble in securing a crew if applic'
ton is made early In the season to I'll
brokers who make it a business to supp
10 them. The captains are English an
American, but the crews are for Il
al most part made up Of ScandinRvians.
he II is the intention Of the owner to III
MS his boat for a season Of four months.
nv must figure on at least six months pa
ne for his crew because of the time nece
is sary to get into shipshape and to NAL
= ready for winter quarters.
Id 1.-THE cost of maintaining a yacht, sa
On an owner, Cannot be estimated any mo
he than the cost of keeping house. 1t d
X ponds on where you so, how much "
n entertain and whether you run your DO
on the liberal or the close plan. I
man who splits hairs about the cost of
set of signal flags or a cabin carpet W
Gu need less money to run his vessel tn
he the man who gives an order for vac
es, and never goes near the constructor L
" til the Job is completed. But the clio
ed man gets no fun out of his yacht, and
a. Is usually n make believe yachtsmi
-, who when he returns from trip sa,
'eu There; now that's done, and I'm glad
IT,"
Many private yachts are built as al
: iliary business institutions. The own
a.. use them for the entertainment of tn
business friends. and they find that
business deal can be made to better
me vantage in a luxuriously furnished ca
'lct or on a deck arranged for the comfort
,ial the visitor than in an uninviting office.
the But the majority of the steam vac
cen owned by Americans are maintained,
col great cost, for the pleasure which n
90 be derived from their use While SC
GIG of the vessels make long cruises, 9th
are kept near home, but always ready
tice short notice to carry the yachtsman
de- his friends to foreign ports, and there
dis rarely an important meeting of yachts
ito European waters where the Uni
~, States is not well represented.-N
York Tribune