mainsail closely, which has still too much power for your purpose. In squally weather it is sometimes requisite to take in the mainsail altogether, when your boat is still under command if rigged with a mizen, whereas without it you would drive considerably from your course, or perhaps be compelled to anchor. I therefore think that the small amount of additional spars and gear involved in its use, is more than compensated by the accompanying advantages.

These observations on mizens are equally applicable to both the sprit and other rigs. (See the cuts.)

Guernsey Spritsail-Boat (fig. 80).-This is a very useful rig up to a certain size, beyond which the sprits become heavy and troublesome. The dimension of a useful boat of this class are 12 ft. keel, 6 ft. 5 in. beam, 17 ft. 3 in. over all, draught of water 2 ft. 10 in. The foremast being stepped well forward, one triangular sail alone is required. She is represented under full sail, but is easily handled also when the canvas is reduced as follows: first, without the mizen, in this case a 'Mudian cut or shoulder of mutton sail; secondly, with a smaller jib and onereefed mainsail; thirdly, with the same jib, two-reefed mainsail, and one-reefed foresail; fourthly, with three-reefed mainsail and two-reefed foresail; fifthly, with two-reefed foresail, no mainsail, and the mizen and small jib (very handy for Mackerelfishing or railing in a fresh breeze, when, if considered desirable

the mainmast may be struck); sixthly, under a reefed mainsail and moderate-sized jib; seventhly, under a whole or reefed foresail only; eighthly, under the two spritsails, the mainsail to be reduced by one reef, so as not to have too much aftercanvas; the small jib, however, is a great recommendation in steadying the boat and preventing her flying up into the wind, which they always are liable to do without some little head-sail when the mainsail is set. The sprits are set up with a tackle These boats draw a good deal of

consisting of two blocks. water aft and not much forward, are stiff under canvas with a moderate amount of ballast, go better to windward than any of their size I have met with on the English coast, tack as quickly as a 'Mudian, and are very strongly built. As they have often to make very short tacks among the rocks, and also to work the eddy tides in the lee of the rocks, to make their passages to and from their fishing grounds, it is absolutely necessary they should answer the helm quickly, and they certainly do 'stay like a top,' owing to their beam, deep draught aft combined with light draught forward, and considerable rudder power, hung as the rudder is on a raking stern-post. In the older boats, this rake was often carried to a ridiculous extent, but in those more lately built, although the rake is still considerable, it is much diminished, and with no perceptible disadvantage, for the beam, joined to the difference of fore and aft draught, renders them quick enough in stays for all practical purposes, and the additional length of keel makes them run more steadily off the wind. They are all carvel-built, but chiefly framed with elm, and not often with oak, which is far from abundant in the island. Copper fastenings are in most cases used to the top streak, which, however, must be nailed with iron, as copper is not found to hold well in the gunwale. Some few are copper fastened only as far as the water line, and of late years galvanised iron nails have been introduced, but as a rule copper is preferred for fastenings. It has been previously mentioned that the sprits are hoisted by the aid of two blocks: the upper block should be a double one, with a tail, usually formed, in the boat here represented, by a piece of double rope, which being spliced together at the ends forms two eyes; one of these goes over

the mast-head, and rests on a shoulder cut for it, the other receives the double block. In nautical language this particular tackle (vulgo tayckle) is termed a tail-jigger, on account of the rope or tail by which the double block is attached to the masthead. The lower block has either a hook, or is connected by a strap with a ring or traveller, having a loop of rope termed a 'snotter' or 'snorter,' which receives the end or heel of the sprit after the point has been introduced into the eye formed in the bolt-rope at the peak of the sail. By aid of these tackles the spritsails may be flattened out more than almost any other kind of sail, and the sprits are secured in their places by belaying the tackle fall to a pin in each thwart. Great care must be taken that the snotters are of good sound rope, for if carried away, the sudden descent of the sprit might knock a hole through the boat's bottom. With ordinary care, however, there is no cause for apprehension, and a new snotter occasionally will obviate all risks. In large boats the downward pressure of the sprit is very great. This, and the superior handiness of the gaff, has caused the latter to be adopted as the boats increase in size.

I had once a good-sized boat rigged with a large sprit-sail as the mainsail, like the illustration p. 254; but not in those my early days of aquatics being up to the mystery of a 'tailjigger,' my sprit was always slipping down, no matter how much I wetted the mast to keep it in its place. The fact is, any spritsail larger than a moderate-sized mizen should be fitted as a matter of course with a tackle, having one, two, or a double and single block, according to its size.

Lugsail Boat (fig. 81). This is also a very handy rig, and extensively used on the coast. It is the working lugsail previously referred to, and does not require to be lowered in going about.

A boat of thirteen feet six inches in length over all is quite large enough for one man to handle in average weather when there is no harbour, and in calms can be pulled at a tolerable rate; it affords room for two or three people to fish at the same time without incommoding each other, and with anything like careful management will go through a heavy sea.

S

It is frequently a matter of importance to place your boat exactly in a certain spot, which is extremely difficult to effect in a large boat, and often impossible in a tideway: therefore the great advantages which a boat of moderate size has over a large are, I think, sufficiently evident.

A boat for general fishing where a harbour exists may be fifteen feet in length, but if it exceeds this, it will be found too heavy to work in calm weather single-handed.

FIG. 81.-Lugsail Boat with Jib and Mizen.

Most of the fishing described in this work can be obtained from a quarter of a mile to two miles' distance from the shore : but as Whiting-fishing is often carried on at greater distances, say from six to twelve miles, those who wish to follow it will require a craft of not less than from sixteen to twenty feet keel, twenty to twenty-five in length over all, and from three to five tons, rigged as a dandy or yawl, and if decked to the mast with a narrow water-way round her, so much the better. Many of these boats are yachts in miniature, being built and fitted with great taste.

The Yawl or Dandy (fig. 82).-The yawl is frequently preferred to the cutter for fishing purposes (trawling or dredging

excepted) both by amateurs and professional fishermen, as the mainsail is generally used without a boom, or if a boom is used it is not a fixture, as in the cutter, but fitted to ship and unship when required.

This rig has of late years found increasing favour with yachting men, even for vessels of large size, as the diminished weight of the mainsail renders them more manageable. In large vessels the mainsail is permanently bent on to the boom, as in cutters.

Yachts of this rig for fishing purposes often run up to the size of fifteen tons builders' measurement, in which case they are not decked over entirely, but have a large open well, in the edges or coamings of which a wink or winch is fixed wherewith to get up the anchor, for which a hawser-laid rope is used, as being more manageable than a chain for great depths. These vessels should not have a water-way or side-deck more than twenty inches wide, or it will be inconvenient to stand in the well to haul the lines. If they exceed twenty inches wide, they should not be less than three feet, as you can then fish from the deck; and that you may conveniently do so, an additional rail should be fixed by iron stanchions through the top-rail and