The Republican journal., 1905-07-20
The Log of the Fiona.
A Five Days Cruise Down the Bay will
Isle au Hsut the Objective Point.

Isle au Haut the Objective Point
Monday, July 10th, party of three sailed
in Capt. T. D. Barr's sloop yacht Fiona fol
a trip down the bay. As there is only one
other sailing yacht large enough for cruis-
| ing in commission at this port brief des-
cription of the Fiona will not be amiss. She
was built at Quincy, Mass, in 1871, and her
length over all is given in the government
list as 25 feet 3 inches, but she is today 81
| feet over all, showing that she has been re-
built since first set afloat. She is II feet 3
inches beam, and comely looking craft,
albeit without the spoon bow and long over
hangs of the more modern type. A
thorough overhauling this spring showed
that she is sound as nut in every plank and
timber She has ton of lead for outside
ballast, with iron inside ballast cast to fit
on the timbers; and needs it all to support
| her lofty rig. Her wide companionway,
| slide and Skylignt are of mahogany, and
| she has in her cabin large table of the
| same wood. which will seat half dozen
| comfortably but occupies little space
| when the leaves are dropped At the after
end of the cabin are two clothes lockers.
There are two standing berths and roomy
| transomS that furnish good berths for two
more The galley forward is fitted with
| dish racks, lockers, etc There is an ice
chest in the maiI cabin and many other
conveniences which need not be enumerat-
ed. Her standing sails are mainsail, stay
| sail, lib and gafftopsail, the latter setting
from aloft. For light sails she has three jib-
topsails and a balloon jib, but for this cruise
only the baby jibtopsail was taken.
Monday morning the last instalment of
stores was put on board, with the bedding
and dunnage of the crew, and at 10 a. m.
the mooring rope was cast off. The wind
| was from the northwest, light and puffy,
and we held it until off Saturday Cove
when it came off dead ahead. There was
quite fleet of schooners bound out, but we
overhauled and passed them all. Just
bove Camden we were becalmed and it
was thought we should have to make har-
Dor there, but later a squall came Off the
land and we squared away for Rockland,
passing Negro Island light at p. m. Off
L.
Yields steam yacht Malay came up from
astern, swept around in the mouth of Rock
port harbor, and then headed across the
bay for North Haven. After a while we
got light air from the eastward, but wind
or no wind the Fiona never lost steerage
way, but crept along toward port. We
soon came within sight of the government
-aIc d.
breakwater-two cruisers, monitor, a
torpedo boat destroyer with four tunnels,
and the bark rigged Hartford, Farragut's S
old flagship. now a practice ship. In the
twilight the monitor with her wooden
superstructure was an odd looking craft
and it was some time before even the navy
man on board could make her out. This
reminds me that the Fiona's crew have not
been introduced. They we're Capt T. D.
Barr, owner, Capt Henry Staples. and the
writer, who shipped as log keeper.
At $50 p. m. we were inside tne break
water, becalmed, but with an occasional
zephyr we worked along and anchored near
the shore on the south side of The Eastern
Steamship Companys wharf. After max
ing things shipshape for the night and eat
ing supper Capt. Staples and the writer
went ashore in the tender to get a daily
paper (Which nobody read) and call on
friends. We stopped at W. {. Pooler's
drug store for a glass of soda and Capt
Staples was told by the proprietor that his
money was counterfeit. Then a call was
made at the residence of Roscoe Staples of
the firm of Simpson Il Staples, harnesses
and trunks, where we found Mr.. and Mrs.
Staples seated on the veranda. Their
house is on a corner, and the cool breeze
was very acceptable to the yachtsmen, who
had found it hot work walking about on
shore, and some Of Mrs. Thurlow's deli
cious ice cream tended to still further lower
the temperature. We made a long call and
| were urged to remain for the night, but
| mindful of our shipmate on board the Fiona
we said good night and good bye and start
ed for the shore. On the way we passed
| for the second time the plant OF the Cam
dem Anchor -Rockland Machine Co., which
is running day and night, and yet can hard
! ly keep up with the demand for the popular
| Knox gasoene engines Rockland was
swarming with jack tars on shore leave
and they were particularly numerous on
the Point, but none that we met showed
signs of drunkenness and we were told by
Rockland people that they were well-be-
haved lot, which could not be said of like
class of visitors few years ago.
| July 18th. A fine morning, but no wind.
The steamer City of Rockland came in
from Boston, and soon after the steamers
| Catherine and Juliette went out side by
side, the j. T. Morse leaving little later
for Bar Harbor. Still no wind, and the sun
came out hot Decks were washed down,
mainsail hoisted and gafftopsail set,to await
a breeze At 7 a. m. the anchor was Gated
and in light air we beat out to the break
water. When fairly out of the harbor We
got southwest breeze and laid our course
for the Fiddler at the entrance of North
Haven thoroughfare. The baby jibtopsai
| was set for the first time and pulled us
along in good shape. Just at the entrance
of the Thoroughfare we were overtaken and
passed by the steam yacht Sapphire of New
York, which we had left at anchor in Rock
land harbor. At p. m. we anchored of
the clubhouse at North Haven and Capt
| Barr went ashore. Since the writer's last
| oil nj, E,,r