BUILDING A YACHT Some men seem to have quite a passion for building yachts, whether for cruising or racing, and do not believe in the paraphrased adage that " fools build yachts for wise men to buy." So far as a racing yacht is concerned, it is quite natural that a man should wish her first success or fame to be identified with his name, and that he would not care to own a vessel which had already become famous under another man's flag. On the other hand, there are plenty of men who, directly they hear that a yacht is successful, and read of her wonderful exploits in the reports of matches, long to possess the wonderful craft. And so it happens that there is always something for the builder to do. The man who finds excitement in building is always certain to fancy that there is something even in his last success that can be improved upon ; and he is glad to meet with the obliging purchaser who so covets the possession of the property he is anxious to discard.
The man who knows nothing whatever of yachts and yachting, in setting out to build, will be mainly troubled to know which builder to go to. He will hear that one builder is famous for cutters, another for yawls, and another for schooners ; whilst another, more wonderful than all the rest, is famous for every kind of craft, from the tiny Una to the bold Mediterranean cruiser of 300 tons. Then, again, one builder is celebrated for the soundness of the materials he uses ; another for the excellence of his fastenings ; and another, perhaps, for his disregard of the quality of both materials and fastenings. All this will be very perplexing to the man who has yet to serve his apprenticeship at the sport, and he at last dives into it with something like the feeling with which he took his first header, and inwardly appeals to the honour of the builder : Build me straight, 0 worthy master, Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel, That shall laugh at all disaster, And with wave and whirlwind wrestle.
And probably the master does build him a staunch and strong and goodly vessel. But there need be no doubt about the matter. Lloyd's
Society for the Register of Shipping have long been in the habit of superintending the building, and afterwards classifying a vessel ; and if builders generally objected, and no doubt correctly, that Lloyd's rules were not quite adapted for yacht building, principally on the ground that those rules required the scantling of a yacht to be unnecessarily heavy, reasons for the objection are now swept away; Lloyd's have, during the past two years, modified those rules so as to accord with the undoubted soundness of the practice of the best builders, and there is now no reason why even a yacht intended for racing should not be classed. It may not be considered prudent to use materials to qualify her for the highest grade of seventeen years, but at least every yacht, whether intended for racing or not, should be built of materials to take a twelve year's class. The highest grade of class is A 1 seven teen years, and a vessel that is qualified for this high class is certain to be a " staunch and strong and a goodly vessel ; " and it will be of little consequence, so far as these qualities go, which builder has the con struction of the vessel, as it will be the duty of the surveyors to see that the work is carried out in a proper manner. The owner will know and feel that he has a vessel which will come out of the heaviest storm untrained, and should he wish to dispose of her the unquestionable character which she has for strength will facilitate her sale at a full value. Therefore the advice to a man who knows little about yachts cannot be too urgently repeated—always build up to Lloyd's rules and ender Lloyd's survey. No matter how high the repute of the builder may be, he will be only the more willing to agree to the survey, and will take delight in showing that he, so far from having any objection to build up to Lloyd's rules, will actually exceed their requirements, both in quality of timber used and in fastenings.