The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-03-01
BIG SCHOONERS
improvements That Will Make Them
Quite Satisfactory.

During the last thirty years the
schooner rig in American waters has
lriven out almost every other form,
AVS the Scientific American. The
mnltlmasted vessel with its fore-and
ATT sails has enormous advantage over
All other forms of sailing craft. The
vessel is handled more easily, and her
.sy1lutions are quicker than with any
I-ystem of square rigs. With the ex-
option of the maStS, the SparS are
smaller. and with the proper form OF
dis the schooners can sail closer to
t.e wind, and this, with their quick
eoiutions, enables them to work to
.udward much more rapidly. But
.Deir important advantage is In the
asst reduction in the number OF men
.mployed. Five of the men above take
Tue place of twenty-five. Two men on
eek often handle vessel that might
with another rig require six or seven.
The rig is not only simpler, but Is less
ostly.
As the multimasted schooner has
E.oWn in size, steam power has been
sdded, and with the five and six masted
rssels there is practically no manual
4Oor required in handling anchors,
dis boats and cargo. Even the single
lows advantages which are by no
cans unimportant. But there is one
r.ulty with which the schooner has
ontend for which remedy is great
e ueeded. Reeting is practically out OF
-. question, on account of the size and
.irht of the sails themselves. These
from 50 to 80 feet in height and the
vas is, of course, of great thickness
corresponding weight, and stiff as
proverbial board and quite as un-
ldgeable.
When we say reefng is out of the
.~tion, it simply means that the can
S too heavy to be handled by man
labor. AS far as the hull is con-
ned. the lowering of one or more
is answers every purpose, The hull
--.ieved from the strain of the wind
can be easily unanswered under
or two sails, but the sail that re
rs is spread to its full area and the
lin on the masts, Shrouds and stays
not in the least lessened. The re-
of this is that as the sail becomes
re lofty the danger to the SparS In
tses very rapidly. So great are the
gers of these lofty and heavy sails
the insurance companies do not
k upon the large sChoOnerS with any
Hor
r. rat is needed imperatively is some
AIS OF reeting the sails so that the
ain ON the mastS, etc, can be rellev-
at will This, of course, must be
.r 10y power. Some rolling device
-6ed by the donkey engine would
AVER. Wien this is accomplished The
and seven maSted sch0onerS Will lie
advantageous for foreign voyages as
L., 4, ion
perfected, will be extremely
rtdue for it will be widely adopted.
tl of the larger schooners carry
t.rr and are often fitted with dynamos
truishing light and distributing
aver to the hoists and for handling
None of them, however, have
--sfully used their engines for
..I.g a screw, although the power
rd is ample for moving the vessel.
b. n-asun that screw is not used is
.Huse of the greatly increased power
-r-,try for screw propulsion over
so actually needed for driving the
~-. through the water Most of the
rye sChoouerS carry sufficient power,
applied in towing, to handle them
iGIy in calm and light winds. BY
sitting motor into one OF their largest
eats and connecting the dynamo with
through the towing cable, they
.,d be able to obtain speed OF three
tour miles an hour in calm weather.
ne same power applied to screw in
III own hulls would fail to give them
rWaId motion.
TIese two fields for invention and
Iovement are most promising, and
emily successful inventions along
lines would remove all the objec-
to the unlimited use of the
.gler rig. 1t would seem as if some
If electric motor could be utilized
management of the sails, sup
With current from central gene
which III turn would be operated
gas engine. A storage battery
also be used to energiZe the
rs in emergencies The Marine
al