Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-08

was fred. The preparatory at 11:20, and
during that time we slowed our working
lib and set balloon jib. The fleet was well
punched at rs when the start was made.
Capsicum and Vingt-trois, near the buoy,
got away first; length or two ahead of
Tanya.> and to windward Of them. Red
Rover, Regina and Little Peter, followed
by the rest
The boats that were to windward got
clear wind and gained little on those
nearer the point. Red Rover and Regina
leading when they rounded the bell and
spar off Lloyd's point. Here all Jibed
their mainsails to port and set spirnakers
to starboard. There seemed to be a diff
ference of opirion as to the quickest way
of getting to the Cornfield, for after
passing Eaton Neck Busy Bee hauled In
sharp and followed the Long Island beach
around into Smithtown bay, while Red
Rover and Regina laid a compass course
straight down the middle of the SOUND.
For a while Busy Bee made wonderful
time close inshore, giving good demon
stration of how the little "Okee" won
both Block island races s-by hugging the
beach, There was scupper breeze 1or
about a quarter of a mile Off from snore,
and outside OF that 1t was almost calm.
We hauled up to the southwark and
Tanya struck a gait that landed ner up
even with the leaders, but way TO the
southward of them. Little Peter and the
New York thirty, Dahinda, gained on the
leaders passing Regina and almost eaten
ing Red Rover by the time they were OH
Stratford shoal light.
BUSY Bee In the meantime found SOFT
spot and fell way behind, only to get
brisk wind again and run past the Tanya
off Old Field point. BY following every
bay and every point she kept good stin
breeze that heeled her we'll over, while
we on Tanya had mere zephyr.
This Was Real Heat
oh, but wasn't it hot that afternoon!
Whv. It was SO hot I struck match
to light my pipe, and when it was lighted,
went to blow the match out and found IL
had not been lit The atmosphere had I'LL
the tobacco. (Sandy says he'll take a
high one.) All the crews began to shed
we poured bucketful over each otner
boats Jumped over and had swim, but
we pourned a bucketful over each other
heads and accidentally about half of II
down their backs to see them wiggle as
the cold streams ran down their spines.
/ was sitting peacefully steering, with
nv bare feet in bucket of water, wher
| a cold deluge from aft made me gasp fol
breath. That began bucket fight, ant
before we were through every boat In tn
| fleet heard us Shouting, for we were al
wet through. So back to nature or t.
underclothes we all wentA and the Tanys
looked like weeks washing hung ou
to dry.
| OFF Port Jefferson we had to jibe ant
reset the spinnaker to port, and that lit
tie snake of raceboat, Busy Bee, hat
sneaked alongshore, going two feet to oul
one and was mile or more ahead OF us
| We chose our watches, Harry ant
Sandy going below and sleeping like al
automobile with unmuffleh exhaust, while
| George and l held the deck from till 8
having supper at p. m.
Busy Bee ran into a soft spot once, and
we. by keeping offshore a little, ran uI
| even with her, but she got away again
| Just as 1t grew dark. The last we saw OF
| the rest of the fleet 1t looked to us as II
| Little Peter had caught Red Rover. then
| came Dahinda, Capsicum, Vingt-trois,
Regina, with Vagabond last. We held
close to shore, standing in and sighting
block spar buoy No. near enough to
read the number, and then we laid a
compass course for the lightship with a
nice beam wind and balloon jib set, but
| no spinnaker.
At p. m. George and went below and
| the others took charge. heard them set
| the spinnaker, jibe, rejibe, and jibe
again. Then she seemed to get a nice
breeze from the southwark. and she went
reeling through it in grand style on her
course with fair wind, and fell asleep.
| l was awakened In about two hours by
the slide being showed back and some one
getting into oilskins, while the soft pat
! ter of rain told me it was getting wet
outside. dozed until about II o'clock,
and then found George had dressed in
oilers and gone on deck. There was only
an oil coat left, so / put it on and went
| out Things were black and nasty out
side. The wind had veered to the north
ward, and, close hauled, Tanya was
slashing through 1t with rain spatterine
over everything. Rubber soled shoes
don't keep ones feet dry very long in
such weather, and l soon went below
and piled on blue finannel shirt, and
on top of that a sweater, SO from my
waist up kept warm: but all the water
of my oil coat soaked my breeches, and
from the waist down 1 was soon cold. and
having a slight cold, felt it all the
more.
Lights All Around
Horizons Point Light was off to star
board and Faulkner's island flashing
white to port but Cornfeld Light could
not be seen. At midnight I took the
helm and Sandy gave me his long coal
as he went below, but Harry was toe
| interested. He stayed on deck ano
rubbered for the light. In an hour oil
so we began to see more lights thar
there are on the Bowery-the soune
was full of them to windward Big
sound steamers moved along like glow.
worms; ocean tubs with their three
lights aft and red or green side lights
loomed out brightly, and 1t was hare
| problem to pick out the fixed red one
and flashing white we were after.
Once we thought we made it all out
distinctly bearing northeast. but jusD
| then lot of tows interfered, and WE
were uncertain again. Ahead of us the
red Bug Light shone clear, with &
| flashing white we'll to windward, and
by counting the intervals. we found
| that was Gull island, so again we
| studied what we first thought was
| Cornfield, and as the last tow drew
away from 1t, we made it out for GER
tain So tacking to starboard, we
stood UP for it with the wind and see
both increasing fast. Getting nearer
we made out the Oneida burning red
white and red Coston lights. Bui
| where OH where. was Busy Bee? We
| learned later she mistook the Big Light
for Cornheld. and both she and Dahinds
/ went off their course looking for 1t ant
| got lost in the dark.
We jibed around the lightship with its
two huge Illuminating bird cages at S:5l