The Elbert County tribune., 1912-07-05

while it will dawn on you that the only opinion In
the world that really matters is that of other
ingle-handers, and even then only to the extent
tnat 1t agrees with your own A single-hander is
always an opinionated man: and before YOU have
been year at the game you Will be as opinion
ated as the rest Of them.
Fancy working hard for two seasons In an open
poat and dreaming all the while, as you will be
dreaming, of the little yacht you mean to have
when you can trust yourself to handle her and feel
mat at last you can do her justice-and then
sharing her with hireing!l Wouldn't you rath-
er wait even another season. If necessary and
have her all to yourself? One more seasons care
fui planning will do your prospects no harm There
VIII be thousands of things to think of-pot least
OF them is the rig and the tonnage of your yacht.
NO one can advise you those two points, be-
cause no two sngle-handers think alike
But although no single-hander ever took any
ohe aoVlce regarding the type or size of yacht
tnat ne should purchase. there certain broad
rules that may be laid down for the guidance of
the beginner And the first of them is: Never
buy yacht of any kind without first of all sub
mittfng her to the examination of an independent
expert Later ON you will become an expert your
sell. but as you intend to trust your yacht with
your life it would be unseamanike and lub
berly thing to do to buy without taking every
reasonable and possible precaution
The next thing to bear in mind is that the last
thing that you want for your purpose is a yacht
OF the racing type You are going to live on board
your yacht. possibly for weeks at a time. You
need yacht that will be dry and and com
iortaoie fou want headroom down below, and
room to cook and stow your stores and spare sails
And large water tank is an absolute necessity
yacht of the cruiser type is what you must look
out for. Whatever her rig she must have a long
straight Keel. SO that she will heave to- and stay
move to, and take the ground, when necessary or
IN case or accident, on an bottom.
One more rule must be emphaticaly laid down
ior the beginners guidance and that is that pow
er In any shape or form. electricity. petroleum
steam or gasoline. is something belonging to the
devil, to be dabbeG han hv
out to be eschewed-along with all other con-
trivances of the devil-by the singlehander.
knowing what you know of seamanship
you can cross the Atlantic If you want to- and
pick up the Bishops Rock Light on the other
side some fine morning. Doesn't that appeal to
you? Never forget, you lie there in the bosom
of the sea- to pray for the unhappy landsman. who
mas to make his bed on dry land and has yet to
taste his freedom. and the feeling of unmitigated
\ bliss that belongs only to the single-hander!
But he must be selfish man. this singIehand
er, this hermit of the deep who keeps to himself
on his little yacht! Is he? Ask the other fellows
the men that know. The does not breed self
ish men, The snglehander has looked alone at
the broad Atlantic, racing foam-topped before
shrieking wind. and laughed in the teeth of it.
His heart is too bold for meannesses Out on the
sea there he has learned to know himself and he
knows how to look over and beyond the weak.
nesses of others. The only thing that could make
single-hander mean would be to take his yacht
awayl
10, then, and be a single hander You will
never forget 1t as long you live. In health and
strength and peace of mind. and everything that
counts for happiness. you will be better of: and
you will meet with some new adventure every day
you live Show me singlehander and I will
snow you good citizen. one that will fight for his
country II need be. man who. when the horizon
looks gray and ugly. will know that there is blue
water somewhere out beyond It, and will set out
with matches battened down and sails double
reefed and with proper and seamanlike caution. to
find It.
He's not what you would call spectacular. On
board his yacht he usually wears a sweater that
once was clean. and old pair of flannel trousers
His feet which are usually bare, are unhandsome
from hard use and sun and salt water He is
as much unlike the fashionable yachtsman as any
one you could imagine. And he doesn't talk much,
But he is man who has formed habit of get.
ting there. and though the place he wants to get
to is seldom much good from business point Of
view, he Is none the worse citizen for that It's
the getting there in the teeth of the weather that
counts. not the reward at the other end.
Go and be singe-handerl