Occasionally a single-framed vessel is to be met with—that is, instead of two timbers being worked closed together to form one almost solid frame, one single timber forms each frame, placed at regular intervals. These vessels, unless the timbers are of superior size and placed very close together, should be regarded with great suspicion ; the space from centre to centre of the timbers should be at least 25 per cent. less than in a double framed vessel, and the sizes should be 15 per cent. greater; and if the timbers are too long to be all in one piece, the " shifts " or lengthening pieces of the timbers should be so arranged that two shifts never come on the same horizontal line in adjoining timbers. In almost all vessels the frames of the bow forward of the mast are single, and in some old vessels these bow frames might be found to be of fir; these frames will require a great deal of inspection and pricking. Some 20-tonners which we have met with have had single frames 12in. from centre to centre in the middle of the vessel, these frames extending over a distance equal to half the length of the vessel; similar frames were used in the bow and stern, but the spacing was increased to 16in. There does not appear to be any objection to this plan, and it has a slight advantage in weight of timber. A plan adopted by Mr. Alex. Richardson in framing the 10-tonner Lily was as follows : Sawn frames (4drin. by 2in. under platform, tapering to 2iin. by 2in. under deck) were spaced 3ft. apart, and between each pair of these were three steamed timbers 2in. by lain. ; this framing has stood fairly well, and for lightness could be recommended. The Harvey Ship and Yacht Building Company use alternate sawn and steamed frames, with a double skin. This plan has now had a fair trial, and, so far as the experience of five years goes, it appears likely to be very durable, and has an advantage in lightness. In regard to " materials," all the frames should be of oak and so should be the stem piece, stern post, dead woods, knight heads, apron, beams, shelf, bilge strakes, and keelson ; the keel will generally be found to be either English or American elm. The garboard strakes are generally of American elm, and it is best that the planking above should be of American elm or oak to the load water-line, and teak above to the covering board or deck edge. Very frequently, however, only the gar board strake is of American elm, and the remainder red pine or pitch pine, with a top strake of oak. Again, sometimes the first four strakes above the garboard are of American elm, and the first four strakes below the deck of oak or teak, and the remainder pine. Occasionally oak plank is used at the bilge, with a wale or " bend " of oak above the water-line ; and, again, sometimes the plank is all oak from keel to plank sheer, and nothing in the way of wood material can exceed the strength or durability of a vessel so planked.
The floors and keel fastenings of yachts are now variously contrived. Twenty years ago a builder never thought of constructing a vessel without grown floors and a keelson ; but, owing to the increasing sharpness in the bottoms of vessels, or increasing " dead rise," it became very difficult to find suitably grown floors. The result was that iron floors were cast, and these, whilst having an advantage in strength and durability, have the additional recommendation of forming excellent ballast. In some cases (almost always in vessels of 40 tons and under) grown floors, or floors of any kind, are dispensed with entirely ; the heels of the first futtocks are brought down to the keel and connected by iron V knees, which are securely bolted in the throat through a hogging piece and keel.
If a yacht is met with that has these iron knee-floors, it should be ascertained if she has been ballasted with lead ; if it turns out that her ballast has been lead, it will be necessary to have the iron knees very carefully examined, as lead very quickly destroys iron. It should also be ascertained whether or not the floor bolts and other fastenings are of iron ; if they are, it is just possible that the lead ballast may have eaten off their heads.
If the yacht be twelve or thirteen years old, it will be incumbent to examine her very thoroughly inside and out, unless it is satisfactorily shown that she has recently been so examined, and all necessary repairs made. To effectively examine a yacht the copper should be stripped off, and the planking scraped clean ; if, however, the copper be good it will be a pretty fair evidence that the plank underneath is sound, as the copper in such a case is not likely to have been on more than three years; and, of coarse, the plank and caulking would have been thoroughly examined and made good when the vessel was re-coppered.
If it is stated that the vessel does not require re-coppering nor needs stripping, be well to be present when she is hauled up high and dry, or as the water is pumped out of the dry dock into which she has been placed, as the case may be ; as, if there are wrinkles or folds in the copper, giving evidence of strains, it is quite possible, where the oppor tunity exists, that these " wrinkles" would be " dressed " out. The wrinkles will generally appear in a longitudinal direction, under the channels and under the bilge over the floor or futtock-heads. But if the vessel has been subject to very severe racking or twisting strains, or has bumped on a rock or on very hard ground, the wrinkles may run diagonally or in half circles across the copper. Very long and deep yachts, that have not been properly strengthened longitudinally by internal bilge strakes and continuous diagonal braces across the frames, may be subject to great racking or twisting strains ; if there be evidence of such strains, the yacht need not be condemned, but she will require strengthening, and should be put into the hands of a competent builder. In a case where the copper shows unmistakable signs that the vessel works or strains, she should be thoroughly examined in the vicinity of the supposed strains, and be strengthened and fastened in the manner which a builder from his experience may consider necessary. If iron fastenings have been used in the vessel, it is very likely, unless the heads have been counter sunk and well cemented, that iron rust stains will show on the copper ; if such stains are met with, it will be best to have as much of the copper stripped off as the case requires, so that the fastenings may be driven out and new ones put in. The keel should be examined for strains and splits ; and if the keel or false keel be worn away from the through bolt fastenings, the bolts should be cut off and re-clinched, and if necessary a new false keel should be fitted.
The stern-post, rudder-post, rudder braces, and pintles must be examined, and if the rudder-post is twisted, or braces or pintles much worn, there will be work for the shipwright.