paper. The sails and rigging were worthless, but the hull was perfectly sound and the spars excellent. She finally cost us

and we would not sell her now for £60. As we handle her alone there is no further expense attached to her.

A six-ton yacht on the Tyne, quite sound, and with two suits of sails, owned by a working man, was sold by him for £15, and there are several on the Tyne which could be bought cheap. It only needs a little inquiry, but we think the inquiry should be made anywhere but at Cowes or on the Thames. Also purchase of amateurs if you can, and not of boat-builders or watermen. The following instance will show the wisdom of this: A gentleman sold his eight-ton yacht to a waterman for £25, the latter painted her up and sold her shortly after for £75. There are always amateurs who are giving their hobby up, and are ready to dispose of their ships at absurdly low prices. The greatest demand is for centre-board boats within the capacity of one man to handle, and these fetch larger prices in proportion to their size than any others.

CHAPTER XXII.

SAILING PUNT.

HITHERTO We have assumed that the reader has sufficient cash at his disposal to either build or buy a boat, new or secondhand, but we know that there are very many indeed who cannot give themselves that indulgence. It seems, therefore, but fair to point out to them a practical way by which they can overcome the difficulty at moderate cost. If they have the smallest mechanical skill with joiners' tools, they can build a boat on the plan we shall give, at a very small sum for materials, and even if they have not that skill it will be a week's work for the village joiner, and an addition of, say, £2 to the bill. The boat so built shall be fairly fast, very handy and safe for smooth water sailing, and, although her looks might challenge criticism on the Thames, there are many places where she would not be considered unsightly. At all events, if the reader is sensitive to criticism, let him modestly call her a sailing punt, and this will disarm much of the comments which may be made upon her of their ill nature. It will be seen that she is flat bottomed. In smooth water sailing this will not be much disadvantage, but among waves she would be very wet and dangerous, therefore, she is only designed for inland waters.

She has been well tried in America, and will go to windward sufficiently well with the aid of her centre-board.

The drawings will explain the principle of her construction,

and we must leave it to the reader or the carpenter he employs to fill in the details of the outline description which we give.

Fig. 34 gives her elevation. The first step will be to make her keel. This can be a piece of deal if expense is a great object, but elm is far the best. It should be 15ft. long, at least 4in.

thick, more if procurable, and 6in. deep. It will be seen by reference to the figure where A A is the keel that it is left its original height at the stern but bevelled off as it approaches the bow. This is to give the bottom boards the curve of the sides (BB). At the stem it may be 3in. deep. A stem piece of oak,

2ft. deep, is securely morticed on to the keel, and a stern piece of hard wood, lin. thick, of an oblong shape, 4ft. wide by 1ft. in depth, is also morticed on to the keel. A slot, 1in. in width and 4ft. long, is cut in the keel amidships for the centre-board to drop through. The figure, which is drawn to the scale of in. to the foot, will show the position of the centre-board. The sides will now be cut of in. plank of the shape shown in B B, 1ft. 6in. deep at the bows and 1ft. at the stern. The bottom will be made of planks of the same thickness, and of the shape shown in Fig. 35, the greatest breadth being 6ft.

The midship section will be the shape shown in Fig. 36, and strong frames of the required shape will be fixed on the floor before the sides are attached. A simple way is to have a solid piece right across the boat against the end of the centre-board case, and this can have a seat on the top for the purpose of rowing.

In Fig. 36 the centre-board case is drawn out of proportion, in order that the mode of its construction and fastening may be more clearly shown. The centre-board may either be of some hard wood (the heavier the better), in. thick, or of iron.

The mast is stepped through a thwart, and in a hole on a block nailed to the keel. The rig is the Una rig, and the

I

sail dimensions can be obtained from the drawing. Gravel in small bags will form the cheapest ballast. The reader who adopts this style of boat will make the sail himself, or get his

FIG. 36. MIDSHIP SECTION AND CENTRE-BOARD
CASE SAILING PUNT.

vas or cotton

duck) is not attainable, the strongest calico

may be used.

The breadths

will overlap each

other in., and

each selvage will

even double seam

be sewn to the stuff, so as to make an (Fig. 37). The head, luff, and foot will be roped round rope stitched slackly on through each strand. Rows

with small

of eyelet-holes

should be made

for the reef lacing to pass through, or reef points may be stitched on. Eyes of rope, sewn round with cord, and painted, will do for the reef earings to pass through if the

FIG. 37. SEAM OF PUNT SAIL.

ordinary brass or galvanised eyes are

not procurable. If the maker of the boat has a little more