WELL AND DECK FLAPS.
Mr. Tredwen says that whilst deck flaps are of much use to ensure safety by allowing the canoe sailer to sit well to windward, yet a contrivance is necessary to keep seas out of the well in rough water. The contrivance consists of four weather-boards hinged to the deck, represented by A in different aspects by the three diagrams annexed. Fig. 133 is a bird's-eye view of the deck ; Fig. 134 shows the canoe in section, the port flap closed, the starboard open ; the port weather-board A 1 lying flat on deck, the starboard (A) standing up ; Fig. 185 is a view of the starboard side, the fore weather-board raised, the after one folded down on deck. These weather-boards when standing up act as coamings round the flap deck openings, and project above the hatch cover and locker cover about half an inch.
In rough water the skipper wears a macintosh coat, the body or skirt of which is 2ft. long from under the arm, and 8ft. in circumference at the bottom. In the seam around the bottom is an indiarubber cord, which gathers it together and makes it fit tightly round the four weather-boards and across the hatch and locker covers. A small beading across each of these prevents any leakage under the macintosh, so that no water can find its way into the well. Each deck flap is provided with an indiarubber spring, marked B in Figs. 133 and 134 ; this is made of square indiarubber cord (obtainable at any waterproofer's), its ends fastened to the woodwork of the bilge, and the flap by screw plates. The springs keep the flaps closed tight, and also keep them open when folded back to the full extent, but close the flaps when they are raised a little further than is shown in Fig. 134.
The flaps can - be opened or closed under the canoeist's macintosh without any difficulty.* All the hinges to these fittings should have brass pins, otherwise they soon get broken or jammed, especially in salt-water cruising. The flaps should be strengthened by a framework of hard wood, as they often get hard knocks ; and they should be hinged so as to lie }in. above the deck when open, otherwise they are liable to be wrenched off over the cords leading from the wizen or the after centre-board.
In the event of a capsize, with the macintosh coat fitted round the weather-boards, it would at once come loose, their hold not being sufficient to resist a strong upward pull.
A canoe is so small, and the height of freeboard so little, that it is impossible to keep the seas off the deck, if sailing in rough water. It is therefore much better for the sake of comfort, safety, and speed, to recognise this fact, and fit the canoe to sail through, as well as over, the cumbers ; and this is successfully accomplished by the macintosh fitting around the weather-boards. There are many occasions when it would be quite impossible to lay a course across a tideway with a beam wind and lumpy sea without this arrangement, for the waves will break clean across the canoe, which will lurch, occasionally coaming under, and would be swamped in a very short time if the well were not completely battened down.
The hatch cover underneath is fitted round the sides with ledges which fit outside the well-coamings snug down to the deck, and so prevent any water getting into the fore part of the well.