Yves GARY Affichages : 3446
Catégorie : SAPPHO
The N. Y. Herald thus describes the rival vessels:
All will remember the keel schooner Sappho, 274 tons New York Yacht Club measurement, owned by that thorough yachtman Mr. William Douglas. She is one of the finest, ablest, and fastest of all American or English yachts.
Her dimensions are:
SAPPHO | |
Feet. | |
Length of keel | 113 |
Length on water line | 123'3 |
Length on deck | 125 |
Length over all | 154'8 |
Beam | 27 |
Depth of hold | 11 |
Foremast | 91'2 |
Mainmast | 89'6 |
Maintopmast | 54 |
Foretopmast | 50 |
Main boom | 76 |
Main gaff | 40 |
Fore gaff | 36 |
Head booms (outward) | 30 |
The Sappho draws twelve feet of water aft and seven forward, carries a squaresail, a staysail, two gaff-topsails, and five lower sails and has great buoyancy and stability by form, both of which comes from a good model and sixty-five tons of ballast, stowed with fine judgment.
In her model, as can be seen from her comparative beam and hold, respectively 27 and 11 feet, she carries out the American idea of construction. Her bows are very long and fine and her lines forward are nearly straight. She has very little concavity. One peculiarity forward is her bowsprit, which is built in her, thus securing one-third more strength than by the usual plan, with one-third less weight. A very severe test of this improvement has shown it to be of great value, and as an experiment it is very successful.
Coming aft an examination of her lines reveals the excessive swell in her bilge lately increased by Mr. Douglas by "hipping "-that is, by planking on the original framework and augmenting her width below the water line. These alterations took place between the fore and main mast and certainly give the Sappho more buoyancy under the large cloud of canvas which she spreads in all weathers; but it is doubtful if she has gained in speed, at least this is the impression of her former owners. Perhaps it might be well to say she has little to gain in this particular.
From the fattest part of the bilge the schooner's sides hollow with considerable concavity, and terminate in a rocker keel, 36 inches deep. She has a very fine and light stern, peculiar to herself, and is quite hollow aft. Her stern is all dead wood and drags no water, leaving a narrow wake. She stands up well, is remarkably quick in stays, is well sparred, and nearly as strong as crystallized rock: built of oak, locust, and hackmatack; finished on the interior with a hard wood cabin, and in every respect a graceful and elegant craft. She has few superiors or equals.
The amount of sail she spreads is incredible, and in light airs there is not a square inch of area within the limits of the stays through which the sky is visible.