BRIGHTON BEACH BOATS.
The Brighton beach boats enjoy a very high repute on the South Coast, and no doubt they are very capable little vessels, and well adapted for the work they are put to. As there is no sheltered anchorage at Brighton, the boats are hauled up on the beach ; and a more or less flat floor is necessary for this operation, in order that the boats may be floated as far up on the beach as possible. The boats are fitted with stout bilge keels three or four inches deep, on one of which a boat rests as she is hauled up. Ways are now laid down for hauling the boats up and launching them off; but a few years ago the boats were hauled over the beach, by a capstan, without ways. The latest boats are built with much more rise of floor than formerly, and their sailing qualities are said to be improved thereby.
There are many advantages justly claimed for the Brighton beach boats, and especially for those of the Black Joke type, whose lines are given in " Yacht Designing ;" they can be ran over a sandbank in a foot or two of water to the " smooth on the other side ; " whilst the deep boat, of equal length perhaps, must remain pile driving outside in the lop. They can be allowed to take the ground without fear of their not getting upright again ; and, if necessary, they can be ran ashore to effect a landing. These certainly are advantages which cannot be claimed for a 5-tonner of the modern school, and it is not surprising that for coast work the beach boat is in such very high favour.
Mr. Thomas Stow, of Shoreham, has built many successful beach boats, and the design on Plate X. was taken from a model he made. The " fairing" process required the design, as taken from the model, to be modified a little, and the midship section * is a trifle farther aft than it was in the model ; but no important departure has been taken from the original lines as first taken off. It will be seen that some portion of the counter is immersed, and we believe that this is admissible under the rules of the Brighton Sailing Club, whose present rule of measurement takes length from stem to sternpost. The design has a trifle more displacement
than the generality of the boats; but this can be considered an advantage.
The rig common to all, we believe, is that known as the cutter, and the boats require a very great deal of head sail ; but, as the design given (Plate X.) has a finer entrance than is usual, the probability is that such a boat would require less head sail than the ordinary rim of beach boats, and would consequently be less hard on her helm.
The boats are decked-in up to the mast, and the counter is also decked, whilst a water-way is built round the midship sides of the boat about lft. wide, with Sin. coamings. The centre plates were formerly much larger than that shown in the design ; but, with so much keel under the boat, very little plate is necessary, and, indeed, the boat would hang to windward very well without any plate down at all.
The general floor construction of the boats is shown by Fig. D, representing a floor section at No. 6. The floor is joggled to the keel as shown, and shaped to the mould at each section; the floor is then taken out and joggled and- bevelled to receive the plank, as the boats are generally clench built. Where they are carvel built the construction is shown by Fig. A, representing the midship section, with heels of floor cut through to admit the centre plate. The construction at No. 7 station is shown by Fig. B, where considerable depth has to be given to the throat of the floor. Sometimes the floors aft and forward are steamed and bent into their stations, being afterwards removed to be joggled (as shown by Fig. C, representing No. 2 station forward) if the boat is clench built.
The centre-board case is generally of wood with a knee, as shown by a, Fig. A, to keep it in its place, and to generally strengthen the floor of the boat.