The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-17

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pered from keclson to watorllne. her
/ outside planking two inches thick
divided into three watertight compart-
ments by bulkheads. rigged with chain
plates, running rigging. stays, blocks
and general tackle that would fit a
craft twice her size. Expense has been
lavlshed to make her staunch. There
are no butts. every plank runs from
stem to stern and it will take years of
buffetlng TO make much impression on
her sturdy mould. Her cost will prob-
I ably run close to $4,000 before she sails
out through the Golden Gate She is
/ ffty-seven feet over all. with n draft
OF seven feet. freeboard of four, and
a rail of eighteen inches. she is flush
/ decked, with q beam of 10 feet, and is
a roomy craft Her clipper bow with
! It's ample flare means freedom from go-
ing head under, and should keep her
nose well In air. Beneath the water
line her lines are better than those
that appear above. To the yachtsman
she would look better were she a foot
or two longer but she must prove an
excellent sea boat.
| On deck, in davits, she carries a four
| teen-foot power launch, and double
ender whaleboat eighteen feet long,
which should prove invaluable for surf
| landings and bar work. On deck, too,
are carried shear pcles for unstepping
the masts when the exploration of Chi
nese rivers or other low bridged wa
ters is planned. Upon her deck also
will be carried many other things, for
| despite her bulk, the craft has little
| room for stowage.
The big engine, the other machinery
with the shaft, takes up much of the
space. Aft the gasoline monopolizes
the usual lazarette storeroom. Mr.. Lon
don purposes carrying library Of
some two thousand books; there is
much stationery to go aboard, a phon-
ograph, typewriters and two saddles
all of which will take much of the
room usually devoted to stores. Just
| where the water tanks and the provi-
sions are going when everything else
is aboard is a puzzle that will doubt-
| less be solved satisfactorily by those
| who sail. Certain 1t is that dunnage
will be condensed for everyone. The
forepeak will carry the chains and
| spare gear. 1t is to be hoped her high
freeboard will keep her free from seas
as it seams imperative to utilize much
of the deck for larder stores.
Her trial trip proved the Shark sea-
worthy and her engine powerful. She
ran gaily ten miles out to sea and came
as briskly back on the flood in a dead
calm, while craft that had only sail
power. stayed outside all night. She
steers with a weather helm and points
up closely under sail. A ketch rig is
not a fast one, but on the run to Ha-
waii,-her first anchorage,-the engine
should need only perfunctory turning
over and before the steady trades, from
fourteen to seventeen days should find
the voyagers safe at Hilo.
AS the diagram shows. the Londons
have their cabins forward. The main
cabin has bunk room for four more
while Captain Eames has his dormi-
tory aft of the engine, The galley is
roomy and the bathroom a luxury.
Both London and his wife are expert
swimmers but they will be wary of
sharks and keep their natatory pleas
ures for guarded waters. Both, too,
revel in horseback riding and the TWO
saddles carried with them will be in
frequent use ashore.
The vessel has an armament of shot
guns Winchesters and revolvers, for
protection as well as sport, and this
will be added to later by small rapid
firing gun. Cruising in the South Seas
and Oriental waters is not entirely free
from excitement even nowadays and
the weapons may well prove needful.
The seven years of the cruise spell the
Seven Seas also for Mr.. London, who
has in mind the Amazon, the Congo,
the Zambesi, and the Nile before he
again sees his home ranch at Glen
Ellen.
Present plans include definitely only
Hawaii; landing for the big island.
probably at Hilo, ride across and
about the island, taking in the volcano
and ending at Kailua where the Shark
will join her owner again. Lanai may
be visited and some time will be spent
on Oahu, where the boat will rest in
the quiet waters of Pearl Harbor Off
the bungalow of Commodore I. w.
Hebron, of the Honolulu Yacht Club,
who has placed 1t at Mr.. London's dis
posal. Quiet is what he is looking for
especially. While he is not going to
avoid social life entirely, there is work
to be done and the 'owner ashore" flag
is liable sometimes to wave at visitors
under false pretences.
MI. l<DluOu WI No Sy wv
and a half hours every day. his wife
acting as his amanuensis. The rest of
the time not occupied by seamanship
will be given up to the pleasures of the
trip. Everyone aboard stands watch
and has a trick at the wheel. including
Mrs. London who shares all of her hus-
bands work and pastime. from ath-
letics TO revising manuscript. The voy-
age can not be considered a contin-
uous one. Mr London calls the Shark
his combination workshop. hotel and
means of conveyance. He says they
will probably be ashore three months
to every one month aiioat.
The glanor of the sea held London
first In It's thrall many years ago when
he went sealing and Junketing about
the bay OF san Francisco. one OF his
earliest stories had the trade winds for
Inspiration. His earlier sailings how
ever. were conducted on a less exalted
plane than that OF owner OF his vessel.
IL Is far cry from the foreeastle OF a
sealer hunting pelts In frozen seas to
tho oozy quarters of the Shark. cruis-
ing IN balmy nights beneath the south
ern cross,
What an Ideal trip for writer is
this yoyagol How many hard pressed