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��Popular Science Monthly
��other fittings, or sawed out from oak or ash.
A light sail is needed, and this may be made at home on the family sewing machine, or sew^ed entirely by hand. Five-ounce unbleached cotton drill is heavy enough, and yard wide material may be used. The bights or laps are made by turning over a fold on each side, about i in. wide, and stitching along the two edges. Narrow laps about 6 or 8 ins. make a neater appearance and strengthen the sail. The laps must be made to run parallel with the leech, as shown in the sail plan, page 929. The corners of the sail should be re-enforced with a segment of canvas sewed on each side. About I foot above the boom, sew in a row of reef-points (3;^-inch cotton rope) so that 6 ins. may hang from either side. By tying these together around the boom, the sail is shortened or "reefed," as the nautical term expresses it. The sail may be bound with cotton rope, but a simple and strongly stitched hem will answer. At the leech make a i-in. hem, so that a small rope may be run through to take up any slack as the sail stretches out. This prevents that bug-bear among sailors, a flapping leech, and makes the sail set flat and not bag.
The sail is attached to the mast by mast-hoops; either oak or metal hoops may be used. Seven or nine hoops will be needed, in the 3 or 33^-in. size. Grummet holes must be worked in the sail on the side marked hoist, and the sail secured to the hoops by seizing with a double strand of marline. To make the grummet holes, purchase a dozen or so of 3^-inch galvanized iron grummet rings, cut a ^^-inch hole and place a ring on either side of it, and sew over and over with waxed sail-twine — overcasting the ladies term it. Your mother or sister will show you how to do it. A row of grummets must also be worked in along the boom and the gaff to attach the sail to these spars, putting a grummet at each lap or bight.
To rig the boat, procure a mast band with two eyes, of the right size to slip down about 2 or 3 ins. from the top, where it should bind firmly. Drive the band on with the two eyes fore and aft,
��that is, in line with the boat. To the forward eye, splice or seize a length of 3/16-in. wire rope, which must be long enough to reach the stem where this end is secured by seizing to an eyebolt screwed into the oak stem. Instead, a strap fitting the stem may be used. This is the stay to support the mast.
To the rear eye in the mast-head band, seize a metal pulley-block (2-in. shell, for }^-'\n. rope is correct size). This is for the peak halyards. A foot or so below this block, screw an eyebolt in the mast and fasten a similar pulley for the throat halyards. To the gafif, splice or fasten a bridle of wire rope and to it fasten the end of the peak halyard, either with a bridle clip or a bull's-eye, which is merely a wooden ring with a groove in the outside circumference in which the rope is spliced or seized.
On each side of the deck, opposite and about 6 ins. from the mast, screw a galvanized deck-pulley. This arrangement will lead the halyards aft to within reach of the helmsman, and also serve to support the mast.
At the bow, screw an open bow-chock 3-in. size, on each side of the stem on deck. A cleat is unnecessary on the forward deck, for the mooring line may be more securely fastened to the mast.
The main sheet may be rigged in several ways, but in a small sail like this no great purchase is required, and two single blocks will be sufficient. To avoid shifting each time when going about, however, a traveler may be screwed to the after deck. This is simply an iron rod about 18 ins. long, fitting with a sliding ring to which a pulley is seized. When going about on another tack, the sail shifts without attention. Cleats for belaying the sheet may be screwed to each side of the deck, but a cleat placed in the center of the rear seat or on the deck, will make it unnecessary to shift the rope every time one goes about.
A Cheap, Practical Mooring for Your Boat
While a 20-pound anchor is about the right size for our craft, most boatmen prefer to use a heavier mooring for the permanent anchorage, with a marking buoy or pick-up. One of the best moorings is easily and cheaply made of
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