Year: 1869

The Boston Yacht CIub-Its Growth and Sue


cess in Spite Of Opposition-The Prepara-


tiOns for the Coming Season-FuIl List and


Description of the Different Yachts in the


Fieet-New Theory Of Measurement Adopted


by the Club.


BOSTON, May I. 1853.


Nauticay speaking. the Club OF the Universe"
Is not fully up to the mark with some OF Its rival
seaport cities In the matter OF radcallsm in poll
tics, religion, temperance and reforms generally she
ts however, far In advance OF any other section OF
the country within the Jurisdiction OF President
Grant and the National Congress. The people here
are industrious, and, taking 1t altogether are very
good in their way; but the majority Of them are mar
row.minded and prejudiced and are only in their
satisfactory element when lighting some liberal
or progressive measure brought forward by
liberal and progressive men. 1t is on account
OF this hereditary Puritanism that yachting has
advanced 80 slowly in Massachusetts,. Every
thing In the shape OF stumbling blocks and
obstacles was thrown In the way when few Of the
enterprising citizens OF Boston undertook to en-
courage naval architecture and nautical SCIENCE
aud when the formidable opposition is remembered
1t is matter OF surprise well of satisfaction to
realize the encouraging triumph which the followers
and admirers Of old Neptune have achieved
those old fogies who never heard believed in any
other sailing craft but that In which the lamented
Noah ana his family fOated around during the
great shower few centuries since.


1t is fact, strange as 1t may seem, that the Boston
Yacht Club was just two years In getting charter
from the Massachusetts Legislature, and when IL
was finally granted 1t was by very small vote, and
in spite OF some thirty theological and philosophical
speeches which had been made against It, The clergy
and the countrymen held up their hands In
holy horror when asked to sanction corporation



ance measure, and in their declamations against it
most terrible and fearful pictures OF dissipation
along the coast Of Massachusetts were portrayed.
They claimed that the only motive the club could
possibly have was to have or two annual cruises
for purposes of dissipation. and secuted Indignantly
the assertion OF the fact that the great purpose OF
the association was to encourage yacht building and
naval architecture and the cultivation Of nautical
science Such narrow minded men were those who
composed the legislative body of 1867, and although
there were many Of the same limited views in the
successive Legsl ature they were not sufficient in
numbers to form a majority, and the Yacht Club
consequently obtained an act of incorporation, and
upon the 9th day of April 1868 the bill approved
and signed by Governor Bullock.


From this time hencefOrward the club has ad-
vanced in influence and usefulness, and the old pre-
JUDGES against 1t are being rapidly wiped out. 1t
has capital OF $5000O, One-half In real and the
rest in personal estate, and its members repre-
sent millions OF wealth. The rooms of the club
on the corner of fremont street and Pembert on
square, and comprise four or five ia number. They
are elegantly ftted and among the attractions are
library and rapidly growing museum of models
and inventions in nautical science. They are kept
open day and night the whole year round, and are
resorted to largely by the members Of the Organiza-
tiOn and their friends visiting the city.


Preparations for the present season have not yet
been very actively commenced, and the reasons for
the delay are twofold. The CHIEF one is that the
spring has not advanced so rapidly here 1t has in
New York, two hundred and thlrty-sx miles south.
The other cause OF apparent apathy is the pro-
nA fasfi xrhia in fhn
middle Of June-amost the exact time when
the annual review has eretofore taken place.
Is now contemplated to defer the review until
the very last Of June, and then have the annual re-
tnen on The Fourth-the Yankee nations great carni
val day-the crafts composing the fleet will unite In
another regatta for the customary prizes offered by
the city OF Boston. Then, after few weeks respite,
Will come the annual cruise of the squadron which
Is In many respects the chief feature OF the annual
history Of the club. The sailed for the regatta
prizes will be in the bay In the neighb0rhOOd OF the
forts, and be reached from the city considerably
inside Of an nonr. Concerning the annual cruise,
there has yet been no definite conclusion as to where
the squadron Will CO. but Is not unlikely that New
York and points farther south will he visited by
some OF the larger yachts.


At present time the majority OF the yachts are
housed and undergoing repairs ana renttlng for the
pending season. Within fortnight three weeks,
however, many, and probably all of them will have
been launched and then the nautical sports will be
as numerous as they ever are enjoyable There have
been large additions to the membership roll OF the
club during the year, but the fleet has been only
sgntly Increased aS yet Dut Is likely tnat IL viii
be IN the course OF few weeks The Sprite, owned
by $. ID. NickersOn and G. W. GaOupe, among the
acquisition OF schOOners to the squadron She Is II
tons, old measurement and about AZ new measure
ment. The only s00p added Is owned by George B.
Durfee, OF Fall River, and she Is named the Elaine.
She is OF the general style OF soops predOmnatlng


IN the feet OF tie New York Yacht Club; Is 81 TONS
old measurement So feet long, about Is feel
beam and draws tribe over four feet of water. The
only sale OF yachts belonging to the club has been
the schooner J: Q. Adams which was purchased
from Augustus Lothrop OF Boston, few days SINCE
by e. ID. Macomber, of Boston.


The squadron, as now composed, Is as foows:-