WAGES OF THE CREW—CLOTHES—GENERAL EXPENSES.
The expenses of yachting is largely governed by the number of hands employed, and the magnitude of this part of the necessary expenditure can be calculated from what follows.
It is usual to pay the master of a yacht by the year, and the wages vary according to the size of the yacht and the qualifications sought. Thus, the master of a 10-tonner may only have 50/. a year, whilst one in charge of a 100-tonner may have 100/., and one in charge of a 300-tonner as much as 200/. Again, if a master for a racing yacht is required, very nearly as much will have to be paid for one to take charge of a 40-tonner as for one of 200-tons. Again, sometimes a master is paid 2/. or 2/. 108. a week whilst the yacht is in commission, and 108. per week whilst she is laid up ; when such is the rule the master does not always keep charge of the yacht whilst she is laid up, but the owner pays a trifling sum per week—ranging from 58. to 108.—to a shipkeeper who may be an agent who undertakes such work, or a yacht sailor ; but the most satisfactory plan would appear to be to pay the master by the year, and make him live near the place where the yacht is laid up.
The remainder of the crew will be paid as follows—from the time they are engaged commencing to fit out the yacht until she is laid up :— The master, mate, cook and steward, usually live at the expense of the owner, and if a table is not kept for them they are paid board wages of 128. each per week.
The seamen find their own provisions.
Often 18. per week is kept back from the seamen's wages as conduct money, and if either commits an offence during the week the Is. is stopped ; the fine however is seldom inflicted, as few masters have the courage to enforce it.
The coxswain of the gig is usually given 18. per week more than the other men, as before stated. The " dinghy man " whose duty it is to row the steward ashore, &c., for marketing, and to fetch letters off, and generally to do the carrying to and fro, also has 18. per week extra. In racing yachts the masthead man is sometimes paid 18. per week extra.
The steward and cook sometimes have more than the wages given above, and sometimes less. In large yachts where a second steward is
carried, the wages given to a good steward are perhaps as much as 2/. The second steward's wages will vary from 11. to 1/. 10s. according to whether he is a man or a boy, and to his efficiency.
We have known a professed cook to receive as much as 5/. per week, but generally a sufficiently good cook can be obtained for 1/. 108. or 1/. 158. It is a common practice in yachts of 70 tons and under to have a steward who can cook as well ; in which case the " cook " is dis pensed with. One of the fore deck hands acts as cook for the forecastle, and assists the steward at times in the caboose.
The clothes given to the crews are usually as follows : * Sometimes the master is given only one suit of blue cloth.
If white duck suits are not given to the men, it is usual to give them a dongaree suit of blue linen to do their rough work in, and an extra pair of pilot trousers.
Very frequently, especially in small yachts, only one suit is given all round, with one pair of shoes. Thus the crew's outfit largely depends upon what the owner considers it necessary to give them.
It has been established over and over again in law courts, that the clothes are a livery and belong to the owner, but it is the custom to allow the men to take them away when the yacht is paid off. If a seaman is discharged for misconduct his clothes are retained. If he takes them away he can be sued for the value of them in the County Court.
It would of course be impossible to estimate what the exact expenses of yachting would be apart from those enumerated, as so much depends upon the owner himself and how he likes the yacht " kept up." Also a great deal depends upon the sailing master, as no doubt the custom of ship chandlers to pay commissions greatly influences unscrupulous masters in " making bills." Roughly the expenses, exclusive of those incidental to the crew as already enumerated, can be set down at 6/. per ton, assuming the yacht to be five months in commission from the day she commenced to fit out to the day she laid up. These expenses would be (applied to a yacht of 60 tons) made up as follows :