Charlevoix county herald., 1912-07-27

determination to the utmost from the very start
as well as your power OF observation. And 1t will
gall for the exercise Of more discretion than any
other sport In world that is full of sports. No
body can teach you but yourself. and you can
Geacn yourself only by degrees.
There Is only one school for the beginner who
would really become of the elect-the smaM
boat. You must become waterman before you
tackle anything else. who sail a
canoe, and sail her properly. in any sort OF wind
or weather. is past master OF his art, and can
be safely trusted with any sort OF craft anywhere
Remember that. But begin with small open
rboat-the smaller the better-and spend at least
ia season poking about in harbors. and rivers. or
I any kind Of inland water sailing her when you
: csn, and rowing when you must.
j Never take anybody with you, and never call
on any one to help you. If you take an amateur
with you he will probaly get frightened and fus-
ter YOU and If you take hired man he Will try
to teach you, and will surely teach you wrong
! besides doing things for you that you ought 10
: do yourself. At the end of season or that sort
of thing you will have found out for yourself
whole crowd of things that will be of inestimable
service to you later on, when you have passed
rhrough your novtiate your hands will be hard
and horny your muscles will feel firm and COM
Portable underneath your coat; and your health
will amaze you nearly as much as your appetite
Almost the first thing you will discover Will be
that your principal requirement as a singe-hander
is nerve-a nerve that is alive, but panlc-proof.
II YOU have that combined with real love or ad-
venture and the spirit or independence, anu IL
Won start with the determination to do everything
sor yourself and do 1t properly after finding out
for yourself which Is the proper way; IL you en-
5oy real hard work In the open air for your own
! amusement you are in a fair way to become
single-hander even before you start. But however
good your nerve may be, II will need that pre-
lminary small-boat training before you can trust
yourself safely on the open sea.
Once you are sure Of yourself and have mas
tered the first principles of almost the most DIFF
fcult art in the whole world, that OF small boat
sailing the whole world OF adventure Will be
nj your feet the Seven Seas and all the navigable
rivers are yours to explore, and you can put out
M the only remaining trail where nothing Ia stale
and monotonous and where every wave and hol-
iow every creek and inlet. though as old as the
everlasting ages, Is to each seaborne adventurer
upexpiored alluring. and absolutely new. Moth.
ing ever happens twice in the same way at sea,
or ever looks quite the same twice running.
There are no beaten tracks to follow, for the sea
obliterntes them It is all new always-yours to
y,low up and explore to your hearts content
eut steady! That Is what is ahead Of you.
You are no single-hander YETI And IL you leave
your small boat In the harbor and go sailing on
some one else's yacht. or buy yacht OF your
own that is too big for you to handle by your.
self YOU will never be one. The worst thing you
can do is to get into the grip Of the hired man.
The next worst thing Is to make one of a yachting
party In either you Will learn to believe
that Il takes three four men to reef mainsail,
and at least two men to get up anchor; that var
nshed decks are things TO be desired; that you
should run for shelter when 1t comes on to blow
a gale OF wind, and other heresies OF that sort.
Stick TO your own opinions that you have be-
rin TO form already as the result OF your first
seasons experience. stick to your original inten-
lion OF becoming a singlehander and above all
,hings stick for the present to your small boat.
Put out 70 sea. Practice on the sea what you
baSe already learned to dc In the harbor and on