CENTRE-BOARD BOAT FOR ROWING AND SAILING.
The boat most generally in quest on the Thames is the one for " rowing and sailing," or centre-board gig, which has been so laboriously described from time to time in the Field. This boat, for the man who likes the exercise of rowing and the pleasure of dodging a wind between the banks of a river, is admirably contrived. But he who has one need be content to limit his cruises to the water upon which she was intended to sail, until he has become a perfect master of the art of boat sailing. He should not be tempted into " cruises " down the river to Sea Reach, to Sheerness, Leigh, or Shoeburyness, as he may be " caught " in a nor' wester ; and then, if he has only been used to open-boat sailing in smooth water, and to very little of that, it may go hard with him. He will find it impossible, even supposing he can reef down and so far handle his craft as to tack her, to get to windward against a lee tide and yeasty sea ; and the probability is that, even if the tide be a weather-going one, the sea will be so bad that she will be blown farther to leeward every tack than the tide will carry her to windward. Under these conditions there will be no alternative but to " up helm " and run for it ; and, as it may be no more practicable to get into Sheerness than up Sea Reach, the situation of the " outward bound " boat sailer would be decidedly unenviable. Why not put her head to the sea and row her ? she is a boat for rowing and sailing. Well, a man cannot row a boat head to sea with much success, and the need of doing so would be a rather severe argument against the sailing qualities of the boat. Then rig and throw overboard a floating anchor, ride to that, and wait till the turn of the tide. Very capital advice, and an old hand might do it, but not a frightened novice. The broad truth is, that a light centre-board gig, easy to row, and not an indifferent performer under canvas in smooth water, is not fit for open water where there might be a real sea—as different to the "magnificent furrows " of up-river as a chalk is to a fox-hole ; and even in the hands of a skilled boat sailer, such as a coast waterman, they would be out of place in Sea Reach under canvas.
The annexed diagram (Plate III.) shows a design for a centre-board gig which, whilst having fair sailing qualities, would be no greater labour to row. The drawing is made to half-inch scale ; but, as it is rather small to work from, the following tables can be referred to in laying off.* The references to the body plan (Plate IV.) are as under : w is the load water-line (L.W.L.) ; a a 1 and a a 2; bblandbb2; c c 1 and c c 2 are " diagonals ;" o is the middle vertical line, from which all distances are measured; pp are perpendiculars denoting the extreme breadth ; m m is a kind of base line 10in. beloW the load water-line, and parallel thereto ; x is a water-line.
The numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., denote the respective sections or timbers, and their stations in the sheer plan and half-breadth plan. No. 9 is the " transom," and of course will be a solid piece of wood, and not a "frame." z is a water-line struck 3in. below w, but will be of no assistance in laying off, as it does not intersect the frames sufficiently at right angles.
All the half-breadths, and the distances measured from the middle vertical line o along the diagonals to the various sections (as given in the tables), are without the plank ; so in laying off no allowance will have to be made for the thickness of the plank.
The length of the boat is 17ft., and the breadth 5ft. 6in., and the extreme breadth, with the plank on, 5ft. 74in. Weight of displacement of boat to L.W.L. about 12cwt.
The sections 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., are 2ft. apart, and No. 1 is 1 ft. from the fore side of the stem at the L.W.L.
The frames actually will only be lft. apart ; but every other one is left out in the Body Plan.
The scantling of the boat will be as follows : Keel, sided (thick) amidships 44in., tapering gradually to 24in. forward, and 34in. aft. The moulded depth of the keel will be found in the table.