The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-08-31
LIST OF SPECIFICS.
The Sea Birds Cruise.

A 25 Foot Yawl Safely Crosses Ocean
Wonderful Record of Knox Engine
A remarkable achievement has beer
accomplished this summer by the sue.
cessful passage from Martha's Whey arc
to Rome by the 25foot auxiliary yaw
Sea Bird, carrying on board Thomas F.
Day, [. R. Goodwin and Fred Thur Der.
They started June 18th and arrived at
the Azore Islands June 3Oth and Rome
July 10Th.
The part of this story that espe cially
interests Camden people is that the boat
that performed this wonderful feat had
as auxiliary power only little three
horse power Knox engine made by the
Camden Anchor Rockland Machine Co.
of this place.
No doubt the success of the voyage,
and perhaps the lives of the crew, were
in which this little gasolene engine did
it's work. 1t proved, as Knox engines
have habit of doing, reliable and de-
pendable in every way, and when need
ed did its work smoothly and well.
this yawl and full description Of the
equipment is given in the August num-
Der of Motor Boating. In this article
the following description is given of the
engine equipment:
The engine has been thoroughly tried
and tested, and according to Mr.. Good
win, who is in charge of it, is absolutely
reliable. In the practice runs he had in
the Sea Bird few days before the start
it ran like watch and consumed very
little Juice" She can be run on gaso-
lene or kerosene equally well, and during
the first stage of the journey only kero-
sene will be used, in order to get it out
of the way, for there was no place to
store the two dozen gallon cans inside
the boat, and they were dashed on the
starboard side of the deck house before
the start.
1.-The engine is located under the tiny
hatchway leading into the cabin and is
not in the way in the least. 1t occupies
very little space and does not interfere
with the sleeping accommodations. When
it Is to be started Goodwin removes the
hatchWay stairs and cranks up, after
which it requires no further attention.
The exhaust is above water on the stern -
An interesting fact connected with
this trip is that the King and Queen of
Italy were deeply interested in it. The
hing doubted the practicability Of so
small boat crossing the ocean and Of
Tered $1,000 cup for a race across the
ocean by small boats. 1t was impossible
/ to organize a race, but the King offered
Mr.. Day the $1,000 cup if he would make
/ such voyage successfully, so the trip
became of intern atiOnal interest and i'm
portance.
Speaking of the run to Azores, the
article in Motor Boating says:
1.-The Sea Bird covered at least some
distance on her course during eighteen
days of the voyage and lost ground or
only two. This was made possible by
the little Knox engine, which kept hel
plugging along in the calms and helped
her in the head winds, for she is unable
to beat with sails alone 1t is safe tc
say that if she had not been equipped
with an engine, even such little thing
as the three horsepower Knox, she would
still be cut in Mid-Atlantic, trying tc
reach the islands
Mr.. Day wrote to Mr.. Bird, manager
of the Camden Anchor Rockland Ma
chine Co. from Gibraltar on July 10Th
and stated that the Sea Bird covered
better than 33-hundred miles and Kno,
Engine pushed the boat alone, outside Of
any assistance in sails, better than 1OO(
miles, not taking into consideration the
help she rendered the boat when under
sails.
Sixty gallons of kerosene and 100 gal
Ions of gasolene were consumed on thu
trip. He makes special mention of thu
fact that the engine consumed littl,
juice. He said it did not give one mo
ment's trouble, and his estimation is tina
it is the greatest object lesson of the
value of internal combustion motors.
Mr.. Bird also had letter dated July
26th, written from Rome, after the triI
was completed. The masts and sail!
were removed from the boat when sh'
arrived at the mouth of the Tiber River
and TIE little boat went up the rive
under her own power, being escorted by
an italian war ship. Mr.. Day write.
that the current of this river is stronger
than two knots and he considered it very
remarkable that this engine should b.
able to push the "Sea Bird" against thi
current for the distance of 26 miles ant
make speed of five to six miles PEI
hour. Further on in his letter he state!
the event has made tremendous sensa
ton in Europe and the papers are full O
it. Many people do not believe the,
came across the ocean in so small boat
and he says when they see the boat thes
foreigners throw up their hands and sa,
impossible.
Certainly this trip is big testimonial
for the Knox engines and ought to be
big help in showing the public the merit
of the engine. The foreign papers hav
been greatly interested in this trip AM
are unstinted in their praise for the littl
boat and the reliable little engine tina
helped on this record breaking trip
Camden Herald