I should not have less draught; she would sail with very little centre-board down, say 1ft. forward and 1ft. 6in. aft. If you rig her with a lug and mizen I know from experience that you

will not be able to compete with cutters. We tried the yawl rig thoroughly in Lough Erne, and had to give it up again for racing. I work my six-ton boat alone, rigged as a cutter, but two hands are of course better. I think such a boat will cost you not less than £150 with the most simple fittings.

"You mention in your letter that you prefer a three-ton to a

four-ton boat, but if I were you I should certainly have her up to the four tons, because time allowance, as a rule, is not worth having. I think, if you keep about the same beam and put finer ends on the plan I sent, the craft will be much more sightly, and also faster, and will not require more canvas to drive her. I find that 22ft. by 7ft. gives 3 tons, so that I should run out the lines astern, and also at the bow up to those dimensions. A boat on the scale I sent you will look very short with such high freeboard and short counter, whereas the four-ton boat would look handsome in the water. I should rake the stern-post and show a good deal of rudder above water; you would also get more room in the well.

"About the weight of ballast, I think she would take about 11⁄2 tons, besides the iron centre-board of about 5cwt. if of in. boiler-plate. If I were you I should divide the head sails, carrying the forestay well out on the bowsprit; for working single handed two head sails are much better. I think the dimensions of sails should be as on the accompanying illustration (Fig. 44), on which the sizes are marked in feet."

It will be seen that Lieut. Tipping, in his valuable communication, speaks of the cost of such a boat as £150 at the least, and it would probably be much more than this if made by any well known south country builder. We obtained an estimate from a Norfolk builder, whose price for hull and spars was £55. The sails (one set), made by Chambers, would probably be £12, iron ballast £5, sundries £20, total £92 at the outside.

CHAPTER XXIV.

KNOTS AND SPLICES.

THESE are very simple things when once understood, but it is astonishing how few boating men there are who know how to make the commonest knot. They are utterly helpless in any emergency which requires a rope bent or made fast to anything, and either make some knot which slips when the strain is put upon it, or one which cannot be untied when required. Often have we seen amateurs busily engaged in tying the knittles of a topsail on to the yard, and then their knots have either to be done over again by some competent hand, or, if the topsail is sent up without, they will blow out one after the other. Some people never can understand the difference between a reef knot and a “granny,” however often they may be shown, and we fear they will derive but little benefit from the instructions we are about to give. The figures, however, have been engraved from the actual knots, and we hope that with their aid and a little practice on the part of the reader with a bit of cord, he will be able to master a few of the most useful.

First, the loose ends of all ropes must be whipped with spun yarn to prevent their unravelling. Spun yarn is slackly twisted twine, well tarred. The mode of making and fastening such a whipping is this (Fig. 45):

Take the rope in the left hand and lay the end of the spun yarn about an inch from the end, lap the yarn round the rope half a dozen times, taking care that the end lies under the first

turns so as to secure it. Then make a large loop with the free yarn, bringing it back to the rope and laying it on it; then con

tinue the lapping for three or four turns

round both rope and free end of yarn, then

draw the loop tight by hauling on the free end, and the whipping is finished, and the surplus can be cut off.

Now, in order that the reader may understand the technical directions

Now, for a reef knot (Fig. 47), by STANDING PART' which you will tie up reefs, tie the

FIG. 46. ROPE END.

head of the sail on to the gaff, the topsail on to the yard, and which you will commonly use where a simple knot

is required. You are now tying a knittle round a yard. Take one end in each hand, pass the left over and under the right, then the right over and under the left. Remember the formula, left over, right over-that is the proper way.

Now, for a duffer, or granny

FIG. 47. REEF KNOT.