Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14
BY WIN. B. LAUB, JR.

What about that equipment for the
and repairs you have promised your
outfit, now completely forgotten. in all
probability, as it lies covered with snow
in some boatyard?
The season is none too young for
planning and figuring on new acces-
series and for arranging a calking or
planking job. though if you happen to
be one Of those fortunate individuals
with a good-sized cabin cruiser and sew
eral years of experience, you do not
need to be "conned" on the course. If,
however, you are the proud possessor of
an open boat anywhere from fourteen
to thirty feet in length, and she hap
pens to be your first craft. you have no
doubt discovered many little things that
would add to your comfort and con.
yenience next season. For instance, II
you have water cooled exhaust. 1T is
possible that even though the cy lnoer
jackets and muffier were drained When
cold weather came on. there was some
water left in the lowest part OF the
pipe.
Now is the time to put drain cock
on this lower portion of the pipe. IL
II was necessary when laying up 10
uncouple that part part. Of your qoo Txnau Of
the cockpit, and you didn't particularly
enjoy the task of getting the planking
up, owing to the fact that IT was nalieu,
when you put 1t down again TINS year
|fasten those planks whicn Cover o'e'
the exhaust pipe with brass screws.
If there is sufficient mater. al III ,he
deadwood to stand 1t, rebore 1t, lns.an q
brass sleeve around your shait anu pu
on an inside stuffing box. TO KNOW lna.
YOU can repack your stuffing box without
will more than compensate 1or the coee
and trouble Have this bored out py d
man who knows his business ana stahu
over him while he is dong II 10 see ti.d'
he doesn't use hot iron on the Jop.
This hot iron practice causes deadWood 10
crack and consequently more leaks than
any other one thing that could DE done ~
that portion of the boat. II the craIt -
of the so-calied family runapout Spo,
with the engine insta led somewhere near
amidships, and you have only had one
steering gear during the past season,
you are probably thinking seriously OF
putting in a side steerer so located that
you can attend to the wheel with one
hand and the engine with the other.
Do not indulge in one OF the little nVe
or six inch spokeless steering wheels tnat
you have to revolve about fourteen tunes
before you make any impression on the
rudder and incidentally do the revolving
by main strength and awkwardneSs, pc
cause YOU are shy of leverage on the
lob. Get Just as big a wheel as YOU can
buy and one that will have good clear
ance between the top of the cushion and
its rim.
When you started out last season you
probably had a moderate-siZed collection
of tools, to which you added bit by bit as
the season advanced. They were beau
tifully ckel-plaited. blued or case-hard-
ened and looked real SWELL when they
came into your possession.
What they looked like at the end OF
the season, despite all your care. was
different matter. A boat is damp PLACE
at best and anything in the tool line
aboard won't stay bright. very long unless
it is stored in an alright place. Great
minds have from time to time evolved
plans for the construction of tool boxes
that will hold an equipment alright, and
led with admiration by all of US at some
time or other But the real solution of
the difficulty Is SO absurdly simple that it
has been almost universe ly overlooked
Carry the tools in canvas tool bag, and
carry the tool bag in turn in waterproof
canvas bag with a drawstring in the
neck and after drawing the neck up tight
take couple of turns of the draWstring
around it, Canoeists carry their cloth
ing in this way and their kits have been
known to float half mile down stream
after a capsiZe without an article they
contained being touched by moisture.
The importance of keeping tools in good
condition is shown by an accident. or. to
be more correct, series of accidents that
happened to local power boatist last
fall. The party referred to stopped of
Maryland point one night to substitute