Fill a clear glass jar—a fruit jar will answer the purpose—with sand, to the depth of two or three inches; insert a few pieces of sulphate of iron, sulphate of copper, and sulphate of aluminum, so that they will be barely covered with the sand.
Now fill the jar to within about three inches of the top with a solution of silicate of soda, commonly known as “water-glass,” which can be procured at most large city drug stores. This should be diluted with three times its bulk of water before it is poured in; and care should be taken not to stir up the sand and disarrange the chemicals.
After standing about a week, the silicates of the various bases will appear in a luxuriant and variously colored growth, resembling vegetation.
Now the silicate solution may be displaced with clear water, which should be poured in very carefully, so as not to break or disturb the vegetation. This permanent miniature forest will be found to present a very attractive appearance, and as no pruning or weeding are required, the young gardener will probably feel that his trouble is well repaid. Its development from day to day will be watched with interest by all the members of the household, although it will be of especial value to the invalid, to whom any new and interesting object to watch is a blessing indeed.
Another pleasing and ingenious device I insert for the benefit of this class of my readers, wishing, in the meantime, that it might be in my power to make their in-door life so bright and full of interest, that they would forget the more active sports of their sturdy brothers and sisters, or at least cease to regret their enforced confinement. This little affair I shall call
This sparkling ornament will almost make itself, so little trouble is required.
You have only to half fill a tall glass tumbler with water, and put in half a teacupful of table salt, then let it stand.
As the water dries out, put in a little more, adding salt also in due proportion; and keep this up for five or six months.
By degrees an incrustation of crystals will fill the tumbler, and spread gradually down the outside; extending and thickening till the whole vessel is covered with an irregular glittering mass, which might well be the work of the ice-sprites in the kingdom of Jack Frost.
As the crystals approach the bottom of the tumbler, the latter should be set in a saucer; when the tiny stalactites have enveloped this also, the vase is complete.
Should it be desired to enhance still further the decorative effect of this by the use of color, a blue tint can be communicated by adding a little indigo blueing to the salt and water. Should other colors be desired, almost all of those employed in coloring alum crystals (see page 25) may be used with equal success in this case. By adding different colors at different times, a variegated effect may be produced.
The gradual growth of the crystals, and enlargement of the mass, is a very interesting spectacle.
When speaking of Christmas presents in an earlier portion of this book, I unintentionally omitted three quite interesting and easily made puzzles, which are always pleasing sources of amusement to the young folks, and sure to while away many half-hours on stormy days. Such presents are always valuable additions to the nursery closet, and in an indirect way are as gratifying to mamma and nurse as to the little recipient himself. The first of these is called the
This puzzle consists of twelve irregular pieces of stiff pasteboard or wood, which are to be arranged in the form of an octagon.
Although these pieces can be cut from pasteboard, they are more lasting, stronger, and better every way if made of wood. White holly, such as is employed for brackets, is a nice material to use.
With a jig-saw cut four pieces in shape like that represented in Fig. 1, four like Fig. 2, and four more like Fig. 3; rub the edges down with sand-paper, and, if you like, paint each set a different color. When the paint is dry, varnish them.
Pack them in a small pasteboard box, which you can neatly cover with paper—any fancy color will do—and you will find your little brother or sister will be as well pleased with them as with many toys which have come direct from the store.
Another puzzle of the same character as this is
In this, as in the Octagon, the pieces composing the cross may be made of pasteboard, but are better and stronger if made of the white holly or other thin “bracket wood.”
Cut three pieces—with the jig-saw, of course—in shape like Fig. 1, one piece like Fig. 2, and one like Fig. 3.
These pieces may be of any size, but relatively each one must correspond with the sizes and shapes indicated in the diagram.
Paint as fancy may dictate, after smoothing the edges off with sand-paper. Pack in a box treated like that used for the “Octagon Puzzle.”
The last of these interesting puzzles is known as the
Of the pasteboard or white holly cut out eight squares of whatever size desired; divide four of them into halves by cutting them from corner to corner, so there are in all twelve pieces.
The puzzle is to form a square of these twelve pieces. The illustration shows how this is done.
When these puzzles are given to the little folks, no “key” should accompany them, but the children should try to put them together without help. If, however, you find they begin to lose interest, show them the first step, and encourage them to try to finish it by themselves.
There are great differences in children in this respect; some persevering and unwilling to be helped at all, while others become discouraged at the smallest obstacles and refuse to try. The latter should be encouraged by a little help, care being taken, however, that they do a considerable portion of the work themselves.
No doubt this “indolence,” as it is sometimes erroneously called, is generally due to a weak physical condition, rather than to inferior mental powers. A child of this temperament, instead of being ridiculed by his more vigorous companions, should be encouraged and stimulated to action; and such games or puzzles as those contained in this book are just the things to accomplish this end.
Take a bottle holding eight or ten ounces, and insert a tube in the cork. A fine glass tube or even a pipe-stem will answer.
The tube should reach nearly but not quite to the bottom of the bottle, and should fit air-tight in the cork.
Fill the bottle about three-fourths full of water, and blow with considerable force down the tube. Upon removing the mouth, the water will spurt out, forming a miniature fountain; which will continue to play as long as any water remains in the bottle.
A few months ago, a friend who had been for several years a resident of Japan, came home to America for a visit, and brought with her a bright little son and daughter, neither of whom had ever set foot on our American shores before. The children were delighted with their American cousins; and evidently could not find words strong enough to sound the praises of the new games and sports which they were constantly learning.
Their lives had been spent with Chinese or Japanese nurses; and although kind-hearted and devoted as my friend assured me these people were, the little exiles must have had a sorry time of it in their foreign play-room, when compared with our own boys and girls. The respect and almost reverence with which they regarded Jack, the most daring scapegrace in our family, would have been very amusing had it not been pathetic. What Jack did was always marvelous in their eyes, and into many an unsuspected trap they were beguiled by his mischievous pranks. They were what most of you boys and girls would call very green, when they first reached us, but under Jack’s tuition, I fear that next winter—in fact, at the very time you are reading this—perhaps they will be trying the same tricks upon their innocent Japanese nurse that Jack tried upon them.
It will not be strange if that long-suffering personage does not in his secret heart have less respect for this illustrious nation than he has been wont to have before.
But if so ignorant in most things, these children were very ingenious and uncommonly happy in making things of paper.
One rainy morning, about a week after they came to us, I had occasion to go into the nursery for something, and was quite surprised to find the children busily engaged in folding paper. Edith had brought down some rice-paper from her trunk, and with the help of her brother, was fashioning all sorts of odd things from it; while the younger members of my own family were looking on with intense interest.
I left the room, after watching them for a few minutes, but an hour later, upon entering it again, found them still employed in the same amusement.
It seems that their nurse had been in the habit of teaching them many Japanese arts to keep them still while under his charge. Their nurse was a man, strange to say, as very few female servants are employed in either China or Japan, and now they in their turn were teaching these to us. I confess the graceful, pretty things they were making had quite a fascination for me, and I even left off what I had been doing, and became a pupil with the youngsters. I took up the article which they were just beginning to learn, and, following my little teacher’s directions, I made what I have styled “The Fan from Nagasaki,” because my little instructress was born and lived in that city, and learned her art from a native Jap, and not because the fan itself, if it can strictly be called a fan, came from that region.
The children called it by a delightfully odd Japanese name, which you would find it hard to pronounce even if I should invent a way of spelling it.
Edith used Japanese or rice paper for those she made; but we found a stout quality of brown wrapping-paper, not too stiff, answers nearly as well.
If brown paper is used, a rectangular piece about two feet long, by one and a half feet wide, is a good-shaped piece to use.
Mark off each of the edges which measure eighteen inches into six equal parts, each division being of course three inches long (see Fig. 1). Now double the paper on the line at x, and you have a shape like Fig. 2. Fold the uppermost half under at the line a a, and again outward at the line b b; then fold the under half in precisely the same manner, and your paper is like Fig. 3.
Upon examining the edge a a a, two openings between the folds will be seen; whereas at the edge b b b, three openings will be found. The hand has next to be placed in the middle of these three openings, and the paper spread out toward the right and toward the left; that middle fold lying flat or unfolded for the time being. Another figure is now made like Fig. 4. Now commencing at one end of this long strip, crinkle it the whole length as you would a lamplighter top, making the folds even, about a quarter or half an inch wide. Be careful not to make these folds wider than this, as the fan does not work as well when they are wide. Yon have now a figure like that seen in Fig. 5; and if your folds have been carefully and firmly creased, your paper is prepared to make all sorts of strange shapes. I think Edith told me her nurse could make sixty-five different forms from a similarly folded bit, and most of these she was able to reproduce; but as it is some time since the children left us to visit other friends, and I have not given the subject a second thought till now, I find I have forgotten how many of the more intricate ones were formed. Perhaps with the directions for these my readers will catch the knack, as we Yankees call it, and can improvise some forms unlike any of these, for themselves. Whatever you succeed in making, you may be quite certain that the Nagasakian nurse, away off on the other side of the earth, is ahead of you, and has made the same form before; for his sixty-five must include about everything one could possibly fashion from its folds.
In Fig. 6, the lower edge of Fig. 5 is held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, while the top is spread out like a fan. For Fig. 7, take Fig. 6, insert the fingers at a, and pass them round to b, raising the paper outward. Fig. 8 is a continuation of 6 and 7, as the upper layer of the overhanging edge in Fig. 7 is raised by passing the finger under it at c, and bringing it out at d.
Fig. 9 is a reverse of Fig. 8. Catch the paper by the part now uppermost, pinch that part well together, and loosen the part which was confined in Fig. 8.
It must be remembered that every time the fan is changed, the paper must be pinched into its original form, Fig. 5. It will now be necessary to make that change. After creasing the folds firmly in place (Fig. 5), lift up the upper part a, bring the lower plaits b well together, and hold them for the handle. With the disengaged hand, arrange the upper part in the form of a sunshade. Another form may be got by raising the upper layer of the sunshade cover, a species of cup or goblet. By drawing out b until it is at right angles with the upright, the goblet form is nearer correct.
Now reverse the paper, and spread out the lower part so that it may represent the body of a wine-glass; that which in Fig. 10 was the top of the sunshade, is now the foot of the glass, as seen in Fig. 11.
The Chinese lantern (Fig. 12) is as easily made. Open out all the paper, and twist it around; catch it now by the central part, and by compressing the central folds well together, these wheels are produced (Fig. 13).
The hat, or cup and saucer (Fig. 14), is readily made by opening the paper out again, and catching it at the two ends.
We now come to a new form of subjects, so the original form (Fig. 5), must once more be reverted to. If the paper is caught at both ends, it can easily be folded so as to form Fig. 15, and a table-mat may be made by drawing it out like Fig. 16.
A “nappie” dish, oval in form, and resembling Fig. 17, may be made from Fig. 16, by simply raising up the sides a and b. By pressing the paper inward, Fig. 18 is obtained. Fig. 19 is made by drawing the paper out again, and letting it loose at the end. Thus you see, by pulling out some parts and drawing in others, a quantity of things could be made other than these I have shown. It would be quite interesting if every boy and girl who reads this, would try on some rainy day to see how near to the sixty-five he or she could come. If two or three friends in the same neighborhood should unite their forces, and count all which are unlike, without reference to the maker, they might not fall so far short of the illustrious Japanese—I wish I could remember his name—after all.
Boat making and sailing are most fascinating pursuits, and we do not know but the old saying, “When a man has taken to boat-sailing, he is a sailor to the end of his days,” is to a certain degree applicable to the boy who intelligently fits out his tiny craft, and sends her on little voyages across the neighboring pond.
If the sailing is to be done on water of any depth, there is one caution we should like to give at the very outset: Learn to swim before you sail her. No mere pleasure is worth risking one’s life for, and accidents will happen even to the most careful boys.
After this, you may play on or near the water with as much safety as on the land.
Aside from the pleasure, one learns an extremely useful lesson in making a miniature model yacht, and in sailing her. A certain familiarity with the rigging, and the looks of the thing, will thus be obtained, and if your fingers have patiently set up shrouds and stays, and rove the mimic halyards, they will be less at sea with the ropes and stays of a real vessel.
Many boys living near the sea, and accustomed every day to see vessels lying at anchor, or sailing in and out of the harbor, have very hazy ideas concerning the rigging of any kind of craft. Well I remember in my early days of being obliged to run down to the wharf to see where to attach my topmast. Whether it belonged forward or aft of my mast I had not the slightest remembrance, and yet scarcely a day went by without my seeing a vessel in some form or other.
Boys are not the only persons, however, who look at things and do not see them. The power of minute and careful observation is a rare quality, and the majority of people go through life without forming the habit, or indeed dreaming they have not made the best use of their sight.
For the benefit of the boys who belong to this class, and those less fortunate ones living inland where yachts are unknown, I write this chapter.
In several of our large cities, ponds are set apart for the especial purpose of sailing toy vessels. They are the exclusive property of the boys, and any fine afternoon in season, and frequently out of season, if the ice does not interfere, crowds of boys may be seen sitting on the edges of these “lakes,” intently watching the graceful fleet as it skims lightly over the water. The sixty-acre lake in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and Conservatory Lake, Central Park, New York, are both set apart for the owners of these miniature yachts; and it is wonderful how many older people, as well as the boys themselves, take interest in this amusement.
The building and sailing of tiny yachts is carried to a much greater extent in England than in this country. There the Prince of Wales is deeply interested in the sport, and has instituted a “Royal Yacht Club,” presided over by himself, which has regular yacht regattas. These regattas take place on Serpentine Lake, in Hyde Park, every summer, and are considered quite important events. The yachts belonging to this club are very elegant affairs, one of them being valued at $5,000, yet none of them are over five feet in length.
We do not expect our boy readers to emulate their British cousins, but with the following simple directions we feel confident they can, with a fair amount of skill in the use of tools, and careful labor, make a very respectable miniature yacht, which shall be correct as far as she goes in both form and rigging.
In the fashioning of a miniature boat, the hull is the first thing which claims our attention; and in making this, two elements are to be considered, rapidity and stability.
The rapidity or ease with which a vessel moves through water, is gained by a narrow hull—that is, narrow in proportion to its length—which, to be sure, renders the vessel somewhat unstable; but this instability may be overcome by loading the keel with lead. There is danger, however, of carrying this to too great an extent, by lowering the vessel so much that the friction against her sides more than counteracts the fine proportions of her build. Hence a skillful designer reconciles these two points.
There are two types of model recognized in yacht building: First, the English cutter model, which is narrow, and quite deep in proportion to width, with its keel heavily weighted to secure the necessary stability. This model is best adapted to rough cruising in strong winds and heavy seas, such as prevail on the English coasts.
Second, the American: This, our model, is much wider, or, in nautical phrase, has much more beam in proportion to length and depth. Indeed, it is often so shallow as to merit the term “skimming-dish,” ofttimes applied to this class of vessels.
These boats are usually fitted with center-boards, which can be lowered or raised according to the need of the moment, instead of the deep keel of the English model, American vessels having the advantage of smoother water in which to make their cruises. The sheltered surface of Long Island Sound and the bays which adjoin it at either end, afford excellent sailing grounds for those owned in New York and the vicinity.
For the toy boats our boys may desire to make, a medium between these two types will probably be found preferable in practice.
The center-board may be ruled out at once, as both itself and the well in which it plays would require more time and patience in their construction than most boys would care to give.
It is much better to have your boat too wide than too narrow, as a capsize is far more disconcerting to the average young yachtsman, than a slight inferiority of speed.
For a sloop yacht, the greatest width should be about one-third the length; and the point of greatest width, or beam, should be somewhat nearer the stern than bow.
Probably the best way to make a toy yacht is to procure a piece of wood, which is about three times as long as it is wide and deep, and whittle out your hull as your judgment or fancy may dictate; keeping in mind a few essential points, however, to insure ultimate success.
First, draw a line from the middle point of one end to the middle point of the other end of the top of the block; this will serve as a guide to the bow and the center of the stern. Care should be taken not to make your vessel too blunt at the bow; as a sailor would say, “the lines at the bow should be fine when they meet the water.”
The elegant appearance of the boat is increased by giving an overhang to the stern, instead of running it up vertically; and if the young builder is confident in the use of his tools, a sheer, as it is called, of the lines at the top, or the gunwale, will add greatly to the grace of its appearance. For the benefit of those who do not understand the meaning of the word sheer, it may be explained that it is the gradual and graceful downward curve from bow to stern, noticeable in the bulwarks of vessels when seen from one side.
It is perhaps superfluous to add that great care should be taken to have each side of the craft alike, for if a preponderance of weight is on one side, the vessel will tip; while if the curve is unequal, she will not sail evenly.
The hollowing out of the inside is most conveniently accomplished with a sharp gouge and mallet, while the hull is secured firmly in a vise. When this is finished, a hole should be made in the bottom to receive the lower end of the mast, and care should be taken not to bore through the hull, as it would be difficult to stop the ingress of water through it.
We have now come to the keel, which must be firmly attached to the hull. The best way to do this is to drive three slender brass screws through the bottom of the boat, with ends projecting from one-fourth to one-half an inch along the line of the proposed keel. Make a temporary box around these, inclosing a space equal to the length and breadth of the keel, with strips of thin wood, such as cigar-box wood; strips of heavy pasteboard may answer the purpose sufficiently well. In either case this mold should be firmly attached to the hull, in such a manner that after casting the keel it may be readily removed. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is to paste it in place by means of narrow bands of stout paper. The inside of the mold must be rubbed with oil or lard to prevent the lead from adhering to its sides. This lead must be melted over a very hot fire, so that it will not cool too rapidly upon entering the mold, in which case it would not hold together as well. When cold, the mold may be detached, and the keel will be held firmly in place by the three screws.
The deck should be made of thin board, cut so as to accurately fit the top of your hull. If a sheer has been given to the bulwarks, it is of course much more difficult to fit the deck accurately, as it should follow the curve. It will very likely be found necessary to steam the board used, to make it sufficiently flexible. It will be possible to use stout pasteboard for the purpose, if both sides and edges are given a couple of coats of paint, which treatment should also be applied to the inside of the hole for the mast.
This hole should be placed very slightly farther astern than the hole already mentioned, made in the bottom of the vessel. The effect of this will be to give the mast a slight rake. This is always the case with the masts of a schooner yacht, but builders of sloop yachts occasionally omit the rake and “step” the mast in a vertical position.
The bowsprit may be fastened by two staples made of small wire, and driven down over it. One is driven down into the stem, or extreme forward point of the hull, and corresponds to what is called the “gammon iron” in a full-sized craft; the other secures the “inboard” end of the bowsprit, or that which is nearer the stern. This end is called the heel, and should nearly reach the mast. The outer end should project beyond the hull to a distance of nearly one-third the latter’s length.
The rudder can be whittled from a thin piece of wood, in the shape shown in the figure; the upper part or head is round, and passes up through a hole in the overhang. The top of this rudder-head is squared off to fit the hole in the end of the tiller or helm. The rudder is “shipped” very much as a barn-door or window-blind is set in place. Suitable hinges for the rudder of a toy boat can be made of pins from which the heads have been filed. Two pins may be bent double for staples, and inserted into the “stern-post” of the vessel; while two others bent at right angles may be driven into the rudder, the projecting ends hanging down through the staples. The rudder should turn with sufficient friction to hold its place, at whatever angle it may be set. The hollow of the boat should not extend back into the overhang, as water might enter it through the rudder-hole.
The mast is composed of two parts or pieces; the lower part is what is always understood when the “mast” is spoken of. The smaller piece, fastened to the upper end of the mast, is called the topmast.
The “mast,” which extends above the deck to a distance equal to about three-fourths the length of the hull, passes through the hole in the deck already mentioned, and rests firmly in the hole made for it in the bottom of the hull.
The lower end of the topmast is lapped on in front of the upper end of the mast, as seen in the figure, and may be secured in place by two loops of fine brass wire.
The spars of next importance are those which stretch the mainsail. The larger is called the “boom,” and extends along the lower edge or “foot” of the mainsail; while the other, which is called the “gaff,” is secured to its upper edge or “head.” The boom is equal in length to the mast; the usual meaning of the word is here intended, i. e., the lower part. The gaff is a little over one-half the length of the boom.
The mast and topmast taper slightly toward their upper ends, while the gaff is nearly the same size throughout its entire length. The boom generally swells a little, being somewhat larger in the middle than at either end.
The boom and gaff are adjusted to the mast by a “jaw” on either side, forming a crotch, which keeps them from slipping off. Builders of miniature yachts will, however, probably find it more convenient to whittle the ends of the spars in the form of a crotch than to attach jaws as separate pieces.
Other smaller spars which enter into the equipment of racing craft, will be mentioned in speaking of the sails.
The standing rigging is now to be considered; this consists of stays and shrouds. “Shrouds” are ropes which lead from near the head of the mast to either side of the vessel, where they are fastened into the chain-plates. These are strong iron bands firmly bolted to the timbers. The shrouds of the model yacht, however, can be attached to copper tacks driven into the sides. They—the shrouds—are tied around the mast just below the point where the lower end of the topmast ends.
In “real” yachts these shrouds end in loops which encircle the mast, and rest upon, or are held in place by blocks called “hounds” attached to either side. But young ship-builders will probably find it will answer all purposes to make a slight notch on either side of the mast, at the point indicated.
A sloop yacht has usually two shrouds on either side, while in a large ship there are four or five, making, as is known, a good-sized ladder.
The “fore-stay” runs from the same point on the mast to the top of stem.
In case the reader may be ignorant of the meaning of nautical terms, it may be well to say here that by “stem” is meant the piece of timber in the hull placed farthest forward, also called “forefoot” and “cutwater.” The “fore-stay” may be passed through the staple already mentioned, which fastens the bowsprit to the hull. The jib-stay passes from mast-head to outer end of bowsprit.
The topmast-stay runs from the top of the topmast to the forward end of the bowsprit; here it is sometimes passed through a hole in the end, and brought down to the forefoot, near the water line.
The bob-stay runs from the end of the bowsprit to the stem, and acts as a brace to offset the strain of the “headsails,” or the sails in front of the mast. In a large yacht it is necessary that this stay be very strong; and in such cases it is often a substantial strip of iron or steel.
A yacht has, also, what are called “backstays,” which run on either side from head of “topmast” to points on the sides somewhat abaft, or back of the places where the shrouds are attached.
There are also “cross-trees,” with “topmast shrouds” leading from them to the top of the topmast; but these, as well as the backstays, may as well be dispensed with by our juvenile naval architect, as a complication of unnecessary cords is to be avoided on a miniature craft.
We must now take up the sails, the most important of which is the mainsail. The shape of this may be sufficiently well understood from the figure. The edge next the mast is called the “luff,” while the outer or longer side opposite to this is called the “leech.” The upper and lower edges are called respectively the “head” and “foot.” The lower after corner of this sail is called the “clew,” the lower fore corner the “tack,” while the upper after corner is called the “peak.”
The “mast-hoops” are attached to the “luff” and run up and down the mast as the sail is raised or lowered. In vessels of miniature size, these may be supplied by small brass curtain rings. The “foresail” also runs on small rings or loops which slide on the forestay. The jib, in like manner, is attached to the “jib-stay”; the “jib-topsail” or “flying-jib” to topmast-stay.
It may be well to dispense with the forestay, and to enlarge the jib so as to occupy the additional space thus given, as the work will be less, and the appearance quite as good.
It now remains to consider the “gaff-topsail,” which occupies the space between the topmast and the gaff. This sail is set in quite a number of ways; in a sloop yacht it is usual to stretch it on two light spars, which are contiguous to mast and gaff.
Beside these, racing yachts in light winds carry a “balloon jib,” which is simply an extremely large jib-topsail; and a “spinnaker,” which is used in going before the wind. It is shaped like a large jib, and is spread by means of a small spar extending along its foot, called the “spinnaker boom,” so that it may take the wind on the side opposite the mainsail.
These sails are spread by means of running rigging. First, the halyards, by means of which the sails are hoisted. The mainsail usually has two halyards, one line being attached to the gaff near where it touches the mast, which is called the “throat halyards.” The other is smaller, encountering less strain, and is termed “peak halyards,” as it raises that part of the sail after the luff has been hoisted.
The gaff-topsail of a regular yacht also has two halyards, one of which raises the edge next the mast, and the other draws its foot out to end of gaff.
The “jibs” are each raised by one “halyard” attached to head or upper corner.
In a small boat like that we are considering, one halyard for each sail will be amply sufficient. In fact it is a frequent practice to keep the sails permanently spread; which has this in its favor, that they are much smoother, much less wrinkled, than when furled between cruises.
The “topping lift” is a line which leads from the head of the “mast” to the outer end of the “boom,” which it keeps from falling on deck when sail is lowered.
The sheets are not sails, as the reader not conversant with nautical expressions would suppose, but ropes, or lines, which keep the sails in their proper position in respect to the wind. The main-sheet, which controls the mainsail, is attached to the boom at a point just above the stern, to which the other end is led. Here it is fastened to a cleat.
The sheets of the headsails are fastened to their “clews” or lower aft corners, and led to cleats near foot of mast. In large craft the sheets are passed through a number of pulleys in order to secure sufficient purchase.
In addition to the rigging already mentioned, many other ropes might be enumerated, such as the “downhauls,” “outhauls,” “spinnaker brace and guy,” “bowsprit shrouds,” etc., but as has already been said, the less confusion of cords in a miniature craft, the better.
In this the length should be greater in proportion to its other dimensions than in the sloop yacht. The mainmast should be stepped a little abaft the middle point of the hull. The foremast is stepped about midway between the mainmast and the stem, and should be very nearly as high as the mainmast. The foretop-mast, however, should be decidedly shorter than the maintop-mast.
The bowsprit of the schooner yacht should be somewhat thicker and shorter in proportion than that of the sloop yacht, and is lengthened to the desired extent by means of a small spar resting on its top, which is called the jib-boom.
The forestay comes down to the bowsprit head, instead of to the stem. The jib-stay runs from the mast-head to the jib-boom, through which it passes a short distance from the end of the latter. The topmast stay extends from the upper part of the topmast to the end of the jib-boom. The two latter stays pass from the jib-boom to the “martingale,” a short spar, which has a hook at its upper end. This hook passes through an iron ring on the under side of the head of the bowsprit.
The martingale extends downward toward the water, while the stays pass through it, or through iron loops affixed to either side, and are fastened to the stem or the upper part of the bows.
As in the sloop, one or more stout bobstays connect the bowsprit head with the stem.
The two masts are braced together by means of certain stays, of which the most important is the spring-stay, which connects the mast-heads. Two other stays extend from the maintop-mast to the foremast head. (See figure.)
The mainsail and its gaff-topsail are similar to those of the sloop, but the foresail is much smaller, as it must pass between the masts in tacking, and varies little in breadth from head to foot.
A schooner yacht has a maintop-mast staysail, which is used in racing, and comes down nearly to the deck. Its sheet is rove through a block at the after end of the boom, whence it is brought back to the stern and “belayed” to a cleat.
“Belaying” is the nautical term for winding a rope on a cleat or belaying pin; which is done as a boy winds his kite string, on each end alternately, in figure-eight style.
The fore gaff-topsail is not provided with spars or booms at its edges, but has rings along its luff, like those of the lower sails, which run on the foretop-mast.
The sails of a large vessel have ropes called bolt-ropes, sewed entirely around their edges, which may, of course, be dispensed with in the sails of the miniature yacht, as they will be sufficiently strong without such aid.
The reef-points are short lengths of small rope, arranged at equal distances from each other, in rows parallel to the booms; they pass through the sail and hang down on either side. There are usually two rows of these on the foresail, and three on the mainsail, while the larger headsails are also provided with them.
Before the sails are put on or bent, it will be advisable to paint the yacht. A coat of paint should have been given to the inside of hull as well as under side of deck, to prevent the wood from becoming water-soaked in case of leakage.
Custom has rigidly prescribed the colors for the exterior of a yacht, above the water line; either black or white, with a narrow gold line below the gunwale, being universally employed. Below the water line greater latitude may be given to individual taste; either dark green, brown, or black, may be used, according to the preference of the owner.
The greatest pains are taken to keep the bottom of a racing yacht in the smoothest possible condition. It is usually covered with black-lead and polished to the utmost degree. This treatment is often renewed three or four times in the course of a season.
The mast should not be painted, but stained a bright yellow, with a little raw sienna in oil. When dry it should be shellacked; in fact, the latter will form a good coating for the painted surface of the hull as well. If the shellac be thick, it may of itself stain the mast to a sufficient extent, but in that case—if thick—it should not be used on the white hull. The short space where the mainmast and topmast overlap each other should be painted the color of the hull. The bowsprit should be the color of the hull, and the jib-boom stained like the masts. The deck may be painted with white, to which enough sienna has been added to give it a buff tint.
The prow, or upper portion of stem just below the bowsprit, is usually carved and gilded; and the stem is occasionally decorated in like manner; but although there seems to be no limit to the increasing richness and elegance of the interior of our American yachts, the tendency of the time leads more and more toward a severely plain and quiet treatment of the exterior.
A yacht always carries a little triangular flag at the topmast-head called the “burgee.”
A schooner yacht, of course, flies two of them, one at each mast-head. These are simultaneously hauled down at the moment of sunset. A national flag, called the “ensign,” is generally hoisted at the peak of the mainsail.
These instructions apply equally well to the papier-maché boats described at page 90, which have the advantages of lightness and ease of construction.