Evening journal., 1921-03-22
CHESAPEAKEBAY
CANOE unique
Little Brother to Bugeye,
It's Swift and Peculiar to
Maryland Estuary
SPECIAL TYPE
FOR RACING

EASTON, Nd, March 22.-Chesa-
peake Bay has a number OF different
kinds Of craft, both power and aux
i'iary traversing its waters, but
there IS none more interesting than
the Chesapeake Bay canoe" ves-
sci that is a product of this partic-
uiar body OF water 1t is unlike
anything else, for Il is In a class all
TO itself the true type being a. de-
velopment OF the dugout canoe as
made by the Indians on these shores
long before the white man settled
here.
The Chesapeake canoe. which
looks like a small bugeye without a
deck has been built for the past 200
years with but very little variation
in the methods OF construction ex-
cept that iron nails have been sub
stituted for wooden pegs. But even
today some builders prefer the wood
en- pegs TO the iron nails, saying that
the metal rusts while the wood does
not.
Both the bugeye and the canoe are
log boats, strictly speaking, but in
later years there are many OF both
plank construction. The log canoe
in it's early stages was padded; then
came the sailing canoe, and this led
to the development OF speedy racing
craft for the regattas held at oxford
and ST. Michaels Most fishing and
utilitarian canoes Of the present are
equipped with gasoline engines, and
this materially lessons the number
available for racing.
1t is said that the fastest canoe Of
the Chesapeake was built on Thigh
mans Island, and the man who pro-
duced it was w. Sidney Covington.
About 60 years ago he built his first
racing canoe, the Island Bird. Then
In succession came the Island Beauty,
Island BELLE, Island Bride and ISL
and Blossom. All Of these boats were
less than 80 feet, the Bird being
about 26 feet. and the others in be-
tween the Bird and the Blossom,
The latter measuring 81 feet.
These boats were built within a
poriod Of not over 10 years, and
each one was designed TO heat its
predecessor. The builder succeed
ed in living up TO the expectations,
and today there is not a canoe afoat
that can beat the Island Blossom, in
the opinion Of yachtsmen. Syndlcates
have built boats along racing lines to
try and rob the Blossom Of its laur-
els. but so far have been unsuccess-
full one OF the syndicates was
formed in Baltimore. and engaged
John Hudson, a famous boatbpilder,
to build a boat to plank frame to
race the Blossom, but his boat was
unable TO beat her.
These racing canoes carry an
enormous amount OF sail, and CON
stantly depend on the crew, who
hike 70 windward on long boards
called outriggers A pretty sight is
that Of a canoe on the wind with "A
crew OF 10 TO IA men perched high
on the boards. When running be-
fore a light breeze The boat has great
square sails lNng from both masts.
IL requires the greatest skill 10
handle one OF these canoes, for
usually they will not even carry
their own spars, having 10 be tied
up 10 a dock when not sailing. From
start to finish it is a case OF expert
Juggling,
In regard to the builders OF these
canoes. it is believed that the most
euccossful ones were not strictly
speaking boatbuilders. Greenoury
Coffin. a noted huilder. Of Talbot
was a farmer until shortly before h.t
death, when he Nuilt up what re
scmblcd a shipyard When ai
order Is given FOR one Of these boat
the only specifications are practie.
ally the length and width. IL thi
boat IS TO be used for racing 1t
generally made sbout 80 feet 10
length. while II it is wanted fo'
work. such as oystering and cral
bing. Il is made larger.
The builder starts for the wood
and February is considered the be
time TO get material when a pin,
tree is seen meeting the require
ments it is cut, but here the knowl
edge IS put 10 the test, for II is SAID
il takes a clever man TO pick OFT th'
right kind OF a pine tree. especially
since they are becoming more scarce
each year. From TO u pieces
according 20 the size OF the boat, arl
required.
These pieces Of timber are fastened
together and turned upside down
then the builder starts ia to shapl
up. While this is simple. it call
for skill to follcw definite lines
Only the bottoms and bilge piece
of canoes and bugeyes are OF los
the remainder being built OF plank
ing. But before the builder start
10 build up a process" Is necessary
This Is done by eJ'tng the log wit
linseed oil and turpentne. This ]
continued until the wood can absor