The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
YACHTS IN WINTER QUARTERS
THERE'S A GREAT DEAL or WORK
IN LAYING THEM UP.

Completely Dismantled. and Some OF Them
Look Anything but Nautical While
out OF CommissiOn--Care Needed
to Protect Fittings From Weather.
The yachting season OF 1908 is over. 1t
has been long one. many vessels having
been In commission since April Every day
the pennants are being hauled down and
the yachts laid up in winter quarters to wait
for another season, or perhaps, In the case
OF some OF the larger steam yachts, to mt
out again in few weeks for cruise to the
south.
To lay yacht up is not as long job
as II Is to put her in commission, but great
care has to be taken with the vessel and with
everything on board so that the wet will
not do any damage while the yacht is out
Of commission.
When an owner decides that he has had
all the yachting he wants for the season, he
notifies his sailing master to put the yacht
out OF commission on a certain day and
then to lay her up. The sailing master
at once makes arrangements with the
owners of the basin where the yacht is to
be stored and makes his plans. When the
time comes to 60 out OF commission the
owner will usually go ashore, probably
ct some yacht clubhouse or some club
station, and then gun is fired on the yacht,
and the club burgee, private signal and
yacht ensign are run down and the yacht
IA formally out of commission. The yacht,
II Q steamer, starts of under her own power
to the yacht basin, and If she is sailing
craft she Is often taken in tow.
At the basin berth has been prepared
for her reception. There are several OF
these yacht basins in the vicinity of New
York. In Brooklyn there are several near
Twenty third street, and there is another
ono at Fifty-fifth street, Bay Ridge. In
the Erie Basin there is lots Of room where
big yachts are laid up, and at Gravesend,
Bath Beach and Ulmer Park there are yards
where small craft are stored. On Staten
Island there are several places where the
yachtsmen send their craft. and the particu-
lar advantage of sending to some Of these
is that the basins are owned by builders,
and II any changes or repairs are to be made
to the vessel the work can be done while the
yacht is laid up and then will be ready by
the opening of the next season.
A steam yacht is generally laid up along
side some pier. She is made fast fore and
aft, and Tenders are placed around the
hull to keep the boat from chatting against
the pier and to keep other vessels from
damaging the hull if any should be moored
to the side Of her. The yacht is moored
90 that in case OF fire she can be easily
lowed out of the basin to place of safety
The crew then get to work on the interior
Of the vessel. "A steam yacht requires
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department has its own special work. The
sailors look after the deck, rigging and
deck fitting, the stewards look after the
interior Of the yacht, and the engineers
force takes care Of the engines and boilers.
All the deck fittings that will deteriorate
removed. Some fittings are stored below,
while the larger parts are taken ashore and
laadaway In a storeholLe. These storehouses
are very similar to storehouses where
furniture is put away. They are divided
into small spaces or rooms and an owner
the rate Of SO much a cubic foot. Rates
vary according to the condition of the store
house. The deck chairs, cushions, avn
ings and etaIer movable things are sent
to the storehouse The awnings have
10 be thoroughly dried before being laid
away or they will mildew during the winter.
Then the rigging is carefully taken down
and coiled up. II the yacht has topmasts
these are taken down and laid on the deck.
and just enough standing gear is left to
stay the lower mast in case Of good blow
during the winter Sometimes the bow
spirit Is slipped inboard. The compass is
taken OF and stored away carefully, and
all the brass work is carefully covered
with canvas.
Many of the finer steam yachts have
handsome teak rails and mahogany deck
houses. These have to be protected from
L.
Ii made to lay over the rails, and the houses
are boarded up Sometimes, when an
owner wants to have extra care taken Of
his vessel, he has sort of shed built all
over the deck. This protects everything,
not only the rails and houses but the deck
and all the fittings. Yachts covered in
this way have an odd appearance while
laid up and look anything but yachty;
but 1t is the best and cheapest way in the
end to take care Of the vessel. With a
shed built over yacht it is possible to keep
the interior well ventilated. Doors are
built in the shed and these are opened on
hne days to let the air circulate freely.
Below decks and in the Lighthouses
the same dismantling goes on. Carpets
are taken up, beaten and cleaned and laid
away. Rugs are treated the same way,
and each carpet is carefully labelled to
show where it belongs when the work Of
fitting out is to be started. Pictures are
Is packed in cases and an inventory
taken OF every piece. The staterooms are
thoroughly dismantled. Blankets are
clea ed and stored, linen washed and
packed away and mattresses and pillows
aired and covered. Everything movable
or perishable is taken down and carefully
packed, and when the stewards get through
with their work the yacht looks very much
~ II did when it was in the builders yard
unfinished and unfurnished.
Probably the most care is given to the
engines. A little dampness on the steel
win soon cause rust, and then there is no
knowing how much damage will be done.
Every part Of the engine is thoroughly
cleaned and then covered with vaseine
to keep 1t from rusting. The boiler Is
emptied and dried and the boiler tubes
carefully cleaned Of all dirt Sometimes
tubes are taken down and laid away until
the yacht is wanted again. A cover is
placed over the top Of the smokestack to
keep out the rain and snow.
The sailing master and the engineer OF
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