THE " NAUTILUS " RACING CANOE OF 1879.
The Nautilus of 1879 (Plate %XXVIII.) was designed for "special racing service,"* and not for general work, and consequently, both in form and fittings, differs considerably from the type of canoe previously described. The Royal Canoe Club measurement rule, as already shown, limits length and beam by a sliding scale of relative proportions. The fixed keel of wood is not to be more than 2in. deep outside, including the metal keel band, which must not exceed half an inch in depth ; the depth of the canoe at the fore end of the well, from underside of deck to- the upper side of the garboards, must not exceed 16in. ; all ballast and metal weights, except centre-board and keel band, must be carried inside the canoe ; ballast may be shifted ; and there is no limit beyond these as to ballast or rig or mode of building.
Bearing these limitations in mind, the idea was to create a craft which, without being of excessive displacement, thereby requiring a heavy equip ment of ballast, should have sufficient area of lateral resistance of hull to perform well " on a wind " without being dependent on a centre-board, and at the same time by this greater draught of water to obtain a low centre of gravity of ballast. The next point of importance was to obtain a long light bow, with little or no " gripe ;" a deep drag aft, with a raking post and powerful rudder ; the sail plan being that of a " Ketch " without head sails, the latter being incompatible with such a sheer plan.
The draught of water and weight of ballast are the only drawbacks the 1879 Nautilus has for inland cruising. At sea, however, and in lake and navigable water, the depth and weight are advantages.
A freeboard permitting a 25° list, coupled with a flat deck at fore end of the well, determined the draught of water at that station in the length, owing to the club limitations of depth and keel ; from this point the keel is raked so as to allow a great draught aft to be taken. Between the well
and the mast is placed a centre-board, which is used solely in manceuvring, though at first trial it was anticipated that it might be necessary for beating to windward. Experience, however, has shown that the canoe goes to windward equally well without it, and it might be replaced for manceuvring purposes by a very much smaller and lighter board.
A watertight bulkhead is placed at each end of the well, so that water shipped is confined to the well space, and therefore comparatively harmless. The well and deck fittings and steering gear are exactly as described for Plate XXXVII., excepting that the centre-board, as already mentioned, is forward of the well altogether.
The mainmast is stepped in a tabernacle, to admit of its being lowered when passing under bridges, and in cruising is worked and set up by a fore stay and tackle ; but for racing the mast heel is bolted to the kelson block by a long perpendicular slide bolt screwed on the fore side of the mast heel, which is worked by hand from the deck. This bolt is an ordinary slide bolt, such as is fitted to doors, shutters, &c.
The ballast consists of two kinds : firstly, 701b. of shot in three bags, for shifting to windward ; and, secondly, lead blocks cast to fit close down on her garboards, weighing 1901b., and a centre-board of boiler plate, weight about 651b. The lead lies in four blocks equally dispersed between the two bulkheads, and the shot bags are about at the midship section. (The sail plan will be described further on.)