The design is arranged for two moderate weights, such as twelve stone and nine stone, which we may take as average for a " married member's " canoe ; in that craft the "better half," £.e., the heaviest weight, should be in the forward seat, and then the "light weight" and the baggage in the locker will bring about the correct balance. When it becomes necessary to jump out and shove off from the ground when running a rapid, it is the " heavy weight " who should do so, and should do so from the fore end, so as to prevent her swinging broadside to the stream. When the canoe is being towed, and the after sitter remains on board to steer her, the foot yoke forward is connected by two wires, (a) Fig. B, to another foot yoke which is fitted into a step on the keel and into a notch or chock on the afterside of the back board beam of the fore compartment ; the after well is covered by a macintosh apron abaft the half hatch. When the canoe is to be worked by one man only, he would sit in the after place and put the luggage under the fore hatch and join the two hatch covers together.
The canoe shown is for about twenty-one stone of crew; for two men of twelve stone the sections from No. 7 each way should be lft. Sin. apart, i.e., length 17ft. 8in. The placement of the masts and centre board should be the same, measuring from the ends, as in the " single " canoe; a slight advantage might be found, where much lake work is contemplated, in having a small centre-board aft in addition to the one forward, but as its case takes up valuable space in the locker, and as centre-board cases are apt to get out of order on long rough journeys, and leak, on the whole, it will be better to omit the after centre-board where rough work is anticipated.
The same rig and sails should be given to the " double " as to the " single," for though longer and more heavily weighted, she may often have to go single-handed, and even when double-handed sufficient speed will be got out of the suggested rig and area.
Where the chief work is to be lake sailing slide flaps will be very useful, but where much hauling about, and jumping in and out are anticipated, side flaps are utterly out of place. If fitted to the travelling canoe the after end of the flap should be just forward of the backboard beam, and it should be strongly hinged at the outer edge, and, in short, strongly fitted in every way, as it is just about in the place that one's hands lay hold of to raise the body in case of a sudden jump up or out. A broken, and perhaps lost overboard, flap would be a dangerous
mishap to a canoe in rough water.
The hatches by which the well is covered may be seen in the drawings, and it will be noticed that on the after end of the fore hatch, and on the fore end of the after hatch, are small coamings, with a beading on them; these coamings are for the purpose of holding the " coat apron" flounce (see page 422).
One side under the fore deck, forward of the foot yoke, should be as nearly as possible filled up by a macintosh air bag or air bed. Such a bag is of little weight, and makes it impossible for the canoe to sink. If sleeping in the canoe, or indeed any camping out is contemplated, an air bed will be found a great comfort. It should be specially made, having one end smaller than the other, so that when folded lengthways and blown out it just fills the space on one side under the fore deck. If a bed, it should be wrapped up in a macintosh sheet, which for sleeping in the canoe will form the tent between the masts, or ashore acts as ground sheet. The canoe should be fitted with a strong pair of slings, ready for hoisting her on to steamers or quays, &c. For each end of the canoe a strong webbing band, with an eye at each end, is passed under the keel, the eyes meeting over the middle of the deck, at about 3ft. in from the end ; a piece of lin. or I tin. manila is spliced into the two eyes, and is of such length as, when fitted at its other end with a pair of clip-hooks, to reach the mid-length of the canoe; here a large-sized galvanized iron ring, having the after sling rope spliced to it, and also coming to the mid-length, hooks on to the fore sling, and the steamer's crane hook hooks into the ring. The sling thus fitted can be shipped or unshipped in a very short time, even when afloat in rough water.
Sails for the cruising, or travelling, canoes will be found described further on under the head of " Canoe Sails."