File:Fore and aft craft and their story; an account of the fore and aft rig from the earliest times to the present day (1922) (14783822222).jpg

Identifier: foreaftcraftthei00chat2 (find matches)
Title: Fore and aft craft and their story; an account of the fore and aft rig from the earliest times to the present day
Year: 1922 (1920s)
Authors: Chatterton, E. Keble (Edward Keble), 1878-1944
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Seeley, Service
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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. Omitting from ourpurview those which are battle-pieces and strictlyconcerned with the Royal Navy we see that late oninto the eighteenth century the first Mary typeappeared to be the standard for the yachts of thiscountry. After that, whilst preserving those high-steeved Dowsprits and the general bagginess as to thesails, there is added a boom to the gaff-mainsail, thesail being loose-footed. The great loftiness of the stern also begins todisappear, until by the end of the century there ismany a pleasure-yacht with her poop no higher thanher bows. There is an effort being made to get awayfrom the transom stern and to approximate to thecounter stern that was to follow. Those who arefamihar with the sterns of many of the Sussex beachcraft such as are seen at Brighton and Hastings, willfind a great similarity between these existing sternsand those which obtained at the end of the eighteenthcentury. The evolution of the counter has been justthis: The transom stern was taken from the con-
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THE FORE-AND-AFT RIG 169 temporary Dutch warships. Then the poop-deck was,later on, made to project well over the stern. Thestern-post was now at practically right angles with thekeel. But the transition thence was only a slight one,for the stern-post was given a much greater rake, theafter-end of the ship was made to project furtherastern, the transom vanished, and thus there cameabout the modern counter. But in the late eighteenth-century craft of whichwe are speaking there was a stout rail which ran roundthe stern, as if the loss of the high poop were reallyfelt and some protection were needed. The modernlife-lines which run round many of our yachts are butthe survival of these strong rails. There were sloops,cutters, yawls, and luggers afloat and dodging aboutthe water with lords and ladies to witness a navalreview. The bluff bows, the beamy proportions, thetimber colour for painting the hulls—these traditionsof the Dutch were still held on to rigidly. The sailsare usually white

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