the sea foam was a sloop yacht, thirty feet in length, and as handsome as a picture in an illustrated paper, than which nothing could be finer. it was a fact that she had cost twelve hundred dollars; but even this sum was cheaper than she could have been built and fitted up in boston or bristol. she was provided with everything required by a first class yacht of her size, both for the comfort and safety of the voyager, as well as for fast sailing. though mr. ramsay, her builder, was a ship carpenter, he was a very intelligent and well-read man. he had made yachts a specialty, and devoted a great deal of study to the subject. he had examined the fastest craft in new york and newport, and had their lines in his head. and he was a very ingenious man, so that he had the tact to make the most of small spaces,[47] and to economize every spare inch in lockers, closets, and stow-holes for the numerous articles required in a pleasure craft. he had learned his trade as a ship carpenter and joiner in scotland, where the mechanic's education is much more thorough than in our own country, and he was an excellent workman.
the cabin of the sea foam was about twelve feet long, with transoms on each side, which were used both as berths and sofas. they were supplied with cushions covered with brussels carpet, with a pillow of the same material at each end. through the middle, fore and aft, was the centre-board casing, on each side of which was a table on hinges, so that it could be dropped down when not in use. the only possible objection to this cabin, in the mind of a shoreman, would have been its lack of height. it was necessarily "low studded," being only five feet from floor to ceiling, which was rather trying to the perpendicularity of a six-footer. but it was a very comfortable cabin for all that, though tall men were compelled to be humble within its low limits.
it was entered from the standing-room by a single step covered with plate brass, in which the[48] name of the yacht was wrought with bright copper nails. on each side of the companion-way was a closet, one of which was for dishes, and the other for miscellaneous stores. the trunk, which readers away from boatable waters may need to be informed is an elevation about a foot above the main deck, to afford head-room in the middle of the cabin, had three deck lights, or ports, on each side. at one end of the casing of the centre-board was a place for the water-jar, and a rack for tumblers. in the middle were hooks in the trunk-beams for the caster and the lantern. the brass-covered step at the entrance was movable, and when it was drawn out it left an opening into the run under the standing-room, where a considerable space was available for use. in the centre of it was the ice-chest, a box two feet square, lined with zinc, which was rigged on little grooved wheels running on iron rods, like a railroad car, so that the chest could be drawn forward where the contents could be reached. on each side of this box was a water-tank, holding thirty gallons, which could be filled from the standing-room. the water was drawn by a faucet lower than the bottom of the tank in a recess at[49] one side of the companion-way. the tanks were connected by a pipe, so that the water was drawn from both. at the side of the step was a gauge to indicate the supply of fresh water on board.
forward of the cabin, in the bow of the yacht, was the cook-room, with a scuttle opening into it from the forecastle. the stove, a miniature affair, with an oven large enough to roast an eight-pound rib of beef, and two holes on the top, was in the fore peak. it was placed in a shallow pan filled with sand, and the wood-work was covered with sheet tin, to guard against fire. behind the stove was a fuel-bin. on each side of the cook room was a shelf eighteen inches wide at the bulk-head and tapering forward to nothing. under it were several lockers for the galley utensils and small stores. the room was only four feet high, and a tall cook in the sea foam would have found it necessary to discount himself. on the foremast was a seat on a hinge, which could be dropped down, on which the "doctor" could sit and do his work, roasting himself at the same time he roasted his beef or fried his fish. everything in the cook-room and the cabin, as well as on deck, was neat and nice. the cabin was cov[50]ered with a handsome oil-cloth carpet, and the wood was white with zinc paint, varnished, with gilt moulding to ornament it. edward patterdale, who was to be the nominal owner and the real skipper of this beautiful craft, intended to have several framed pictures on the spaces between the deck lights, a clock in the forward end over the cook-room door, and brass brackets for the spy-glass in the companion-way.
on deck the sea foam was as well appointed as she was below. her bowsprit had a gentle downward curve, her mast was a beautiful spar, and her topmast was elegantly tapered and set up in good shape. unlike most of the regular highflyer yachts, her jib and mainsail were not unreasonably large. mr. ramsay did not intend that it should be necessary to reef when it blew a twelve-knot breeze, and, like the skylark, she was expected to carry all sail in anything short of a full gale. but she was provided with an abundance of "kites," including an immense gaff-topsail, which extended on poles far above the topmast head, and far beyond the peak, a balloon-jib, a jib-topsail, and a three-cornered studding-sail. the balloon-jib, or the jib-topsail,[51] was bent on with snap-hooks when it was needed, for only one was used at the same time. these extra sails were to be required only in races, and they were kept on shore. one stout hand could manage her very well, though two made it easier work, and six were allowed in a race.
donald seated himself in the standing-room, with the tiller in his right hand. as soon as he had run out a little way, his attention was excited by discovering three other sloop yachts coming down the bay. in one of them he recognized the skylark, and in another the christabel, while the third was a stranger to him, though he had heard of the arrival that day of a new yacht from newport, and concluded this was she. he let off his sheet, and ran up to meet the little fleet.
"sloop, ahoy!" shouted robert montague, from the skylark, as donald came within hailing distance.
"on board the skylark!" replied the skipper of the sea foam.
"is that you, don john?"
"ay, ay."
"what sloop is that?" demanded robert.
"the sea foam."[52]
"where bound?"
"over to turtle head."
"we are bound there; come with us."
"ay ay."
"hold on a minute, don john," shouted some one from the christabel.
each of the yachts had a tender towing astern, and that from the christabel, with five boys in it, immediately put off, and pulled to the sea foam.
"will you take us on board, don john?" asked gus barker, as the tender came alongside.
"certainly; i'm glad to have your company," replied donald, who had thrown the yacht up into the wind.
three of the party in the tender jumped upon the deck of the sea foam, and the boat returned to the christabel. each of the yachts appeared to have half a dozen or more on board of her, so that there was quite a party on the way to turtle head. the sloops filled away again, the skylark and the new arrival having taken the lead, while the other two were delayed.
"what sloop is that with the skylark?" asked donald.
"that's the phantom. she got here from new[53]port this forenoon. joe guilford's father bought her for him. she is the twin sister of the skylark, and they seem to make an even thing of it in sailing," replied gus barker.
"you have quite a fleet now," added donald.
"yes; and we are going to form a yacht club. we intend to have a meeting over at turtle head. will you join, don john?"
"i haven't any boat."
"nor i, either. all the members can't be skippers," laughed gus. "i am to be mate of the sea foam, and that's the reason i wanted to come on board of her."
"and i am to be one of her crew," added dick adams.
"and i the steward," laughed ben johnson. "i am going down into the cook-room to see how things look there."
"you will join—won't you, don?"
"well, i don't know. i can't afford to run with you fellows with rich fathers."
"o, get out! that don't make any difference," puffed gus. "the owner of the yacht has to foot the bills. besides, we want you, don john, for you know more about a boat than all the rest of the fellows put together."[54]
"well, i shall be very glad to do anything i can to help the thing along; but there are plenty of fellows that can sail a boat better than i can."
"but you know all about a boat, and they want you for measurer. we have the printed constitution of a yacht club, which bob montague got in boston, and according to that the measurer is entitled to ten cents a foot for measuring a yacht; so you may make something out of your office."
"i don't want to make any money out of it," protested donald.
"you can make enough to pay your dues, for we have to raise some money for prizes in the regattas; and we talk of having a club house over on turtle head," rattled gus, whose tongue seemed to be hung on a pivot in his enthusiasm over the club. "every fellow must be voted in, and pay five dollars a year for membership. we shall have some big times.—we are gaining on the skylark, as true as you live!"
"i think we are; but i guess bob isn't driving her," added donald.
"she carries the same sail as the sea foam. i would give anything to beat her. make her do her best, don john."[55]
"i will," laughed the skipper, who had kept one eye on the skylark all the time.
he trimmed the sails a little, and began to be somewhat excited over the prospect of a race. the christabel was three feet longer than the other yachts, and it was soon evident that in a light wind she was more than a match for them, for she ran ahead of the sea foam. her jib and mainsail were much larger in proportion to her size than those of the other sloops, but she was not an able boat, not a heavy-weather craft, like them. the sea foam continued to gain on the skylark, till she was abreast of her, while the phantom kept about even with her. but then robert montague was busy all the time talking with his companions about the yacht club, and did not pay particular attention to the sailing of his boat. the sea foam began to walk ahead of him, and then, for the first time, it dawned upon him that the reputation of the skylark was at stake. he had his crew of five with him, and he placed them in position to improve the sailing of his craft. he ordered one of his hands to give a small pull on the jib-sheet, another to let off the main sheet a little, and a third to haul up the[56] centre-board a little more, as she was going free.
the effect of this attention on the part of the skipper of the skylark was to lessen the distance between her and the sea foam; they were abeam of each other, with the phantom in the same line. the christabel was about a cable's length ahead of them.
"she's game yet," said gus barker, his disappointment evident in the tones of his voice, as the skylark came up to the sea foam.
"this is a new boat, and i haven't got the hang of her yet," donald explained. "haul up that fin a little, dick."
"what fin?"
"the centre-board."
"ay, ay," replied dick, as he obeyed the order.
"steady! that's enough," continued donald, who now narrowly watched the sailing of the sea foam, to assure himself that she did not make too much leeway.
"that was what she wanted!" exclaimed gus, when the yacht began to gain again, and in a few minutes was half a length ahead.
the start. page 51. the start. page 51.
"but not quite so much of it," replied donald,[57] when he saw that his craft was sliding off a very little. "give her just three inches more fin, dick."
the centre-board was dropped this distance, and the tendency to make leeway thus corrected.
"she is gaining still!" cried gus, delighted.
"not much; it is a pretty even thing," added donald.
"no matter; we beat her, and i don't care if it's only half an inch in a mile."
"but the christabel is leading us all. she is sure of all the first prizes."
"not a bit of it. she has to reef when there's a capful of wind. in a calm she will beat us, but when it blows we shall wax her all to pieces."
"hallo!" shouted mr. laud cavendish, whose small sail-boat was overhauled about half way over to turtle head. "is that you, don john?"
"i believe so," replied donald.
"where you going?"
"over to turtle head. want us to give you a tow?"
"no; you needn't brag about your old tub. she don't belong to you; and i'm going to have a boat that will beat that one all to splinters," replied laud.[58]
"all right; fetch her along."
"i say, don john, i'm going to stop over sunday on turtle head. won't you stay with me?"
"no, i thank you. i must go home to-night," answered donald.
mr. laud cavendish knew very well that donald would not spend sunday in boating and fishing; and he did not ask because he wanted him. besides, for more reasons than one, he did not desire his company. the sea foam ran out of talking distance of the sail-boat in a moment. robert montague was doing his best to keep up the reputation of the skylark; but when the fleet came up to turtle head, she was more than a length behind. the jib was hauled down, the yachts came up into the wind, and the anchors were let go.
"beat you," shouted gus barker.
"not much," replied robert. "we will try that over again some time."
"we are willing," added donald.
the mainsails were lowered, and the young yachtmen embarked in the tenders for the shore. turtle head is a rocky point at the northern[59] extremity of long island, in penobscot bay. there were a few trees near the shore, and under these the party purposed to hold their meeting. though the weather was intensely hot on shore, it was comfortably cool at the head, where the wind came over five or six miles of salt water cool from the ocean. the boys leaped ashore, and hauled up their boats where the rising tide could not float them off. there were over twenty of them, all members of the high school.
"the sea foam sails well," said robert montague, as he walked over to the little grove with donald.
"very well, indeed. this is the first time she has been out, and i find she works first rate," replied donald.
"i want to try it with her some day, when everything is right."
"wasn't everything right to-day?" asked donald, smiling, for he was well aware that every boatman has a good excuse for the shortcomings of his craft.
"no; my tender is twice as heavy as yours," added robert. "i must get your father to build me one like that of the sea foam."[60]
"we will try it without any tenders, which we don't want in a race."
"of course i don't know but the sea foam can beat me; but i haven't seen the boat of her inches before that could show her stern to the skylark," said robert; and it was plain that he was a little nettled at the slight advantage which the new yacht had gained.
"i should like to sail her when you try it, for i have great hopes of the sea foam. if my father has built a boat that will beat the skylark in all weathers, he has done a big thing, and it will make business good for him."
"for his sake i might be almost willing to be whipped," replied robert, good-naturedly, as they halted in the grove.
charley armstrong was the oldest member of the party, and he was to call the meeting to order, which he did with a brief speech, explaining the object of the gathering, though everybody present knew it perfectly well. charles was then chosen chairman, and dick adams secretary. it was voted to form a club, and the secretary was called upon to read the constitution of the "dorchester yacht club." the name was changed to[61] belfast, and the document was adopted as the constitution of the belfast yacht club. the second article declared that the officers should consist of a "commodore, vice-commodore, captain of the fleet, secretary, treasurer, measurer, a board of trustees, and a regatta committee;" and the next business was to elect them, which had to be done by written or printed ballots. as the first three officers were required to be owners in whole, or in part, of yachts enrolled in the club, there was found to be an alarming scarcity of yachts. the skylark, sea foam, phantom, and christabel were on hand. edward patterdale and samuel rodman had signified their intention to join, though they were unable to be present at the first meeting. the maud, as samuel rodman's new yacht was to be called, was to be built at once: she was duly enrolled, thus making a total of five, from whom the first three officers must be chosen.
the secretary had come supplied with stationery, and a slip was handed to each member, after the constitution had been signed. a ballot was taken for commodore; robert b. montague had twenty votes, and charles armstrong one.[62] robert accepted the office in a "neat little speech," and took the chair, which was a sharp rock. edward patterdale was elected vice-commodore, and joseph guilford captain of the fleet. donald was chosen measurer, and the other offices filled to the satisfaction of those elected, if not of the others. it was then agreed to have a review and excursion on the following saturday, to which the ladies were to be invited.
the important business of the day was happily finished, and the fleet sailed for belfast. having secured the sea foam at her mooring, donald hastened home. as he approached the cottage, he saw a doctor's sulky at the door, and the neighbors going in and out. his heart rose into his throat, for there was not one living beneath that humble roof whom he did not love better than himself.
