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 Its S€iection,Cam 
 
 and Use 
 
 HAROLD-WHITINGSMUSON 
 
Class _^ilI3l5 
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 COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 
 
THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ITS SELECTION, CARE AND USE 
 BY 
 
 HAROLD WHITING SLAUSON 
 
 (LAWRENCE LA RUE) 
 
 HANDBCJDKS 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 MCMXI 
 
4 
 
 Copyright, 1910, By 
 OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 Entered at Stationer's Hall, London, England. 
 All rights reserved 
 
 CopyRiGHT, 1911, By 
 OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 Entered at Stationer's Hall, London, England. 
 All rights reserred 
 
 ©C(.A303055 
 
 %jr\ 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. Kinds and Uses op Motor Boats . . 7 
 
 II. When the Motor Balks .... 80 
 
 III. Speeding up the Motor Boat . . 47 
 
 IV. Getting more Power from a new 
 
 Motor 62 
 
 V. How TO install a Marine Power 
 
 Plant ......... 81 
 
 VI. Accessories 110 
 
 VII. Covers, Canopies, and Tops . . . 135 
 
 VIII. Camping and Cruising 151 
 
 IX. The Boathouse ....... 172 
 
 Glossary 197 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 KINDS AND USES OF MOTOR BOATS 
 
 THE cheapest and simplest form of motor 
 boat is the converted skiff. A substantial 
 rowboat of the St. Lawrence model may 
 be bought for from twenty to forty dollars, and 
 for the expenditure of another forty or fifty a 
 one or two horsepower motor may be obtained 
 and installed — thus making a craft which should 
 be able to carry three or four persons at a pace 
 much faster than that of rowing and with much 
 less exertion — unless the motor should prove to 
 be balky. The best results will probably be ob- 
 tained by something near a two horsepower 
 motor in a boat of this type, as any power in ex- 
 cess of that would set up such a vibration in the 
 hull that a ride in such a craft would be far from 
 pleasurable. 
 
 Akin to the motor skiff, and yet of lighter 
 weight and consequently of greater speed for the 
 same power, is the ordinary canoe, strengthened 
 and braced for the installation of the engine. 
 The limit of speed in a motor boat of this kind 
 
 7 
 
8 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 will be about fourteen miles per hour, no matter 
 how much power may be installed, but comforta- 
 ble riding cannot be obtained with more than 
 one horsepower, and a consequent speed reduc- 
 tion to about eight miles per hour. Motor canoes 
 are made by some manufacturers with the engine 
 already installed; these are found exceedingly 
 useful in sections where portaging may be neces- 
 sary, for the entire outfit will weigh less than one 
 hundred and fifty pounds. 
 
 A " ready-made " motor boat with the engine 
 installed and ready to run can be bought for 
 less than one hundred dollars. While it is sub- 
 ject to the troubles to which the average motor 
 craft is heir, the entire outfit is a remarkably 
 simple little affair, and when owned and operated 
 by a man who exercises common sense, it should 
 furnish little cause for annoyance. Such a boat 
 will probably be about fourteen feet long with the 
 motor located in the stern and an arrangement 
 for steering within easy reach of the engineer. 
 
 A couple of cross seats forward furnish ac- 
 commodations for two or three passengers, while 
 space is supplied for tools, camping utensils, oil- 
 skins, and the like under the seats. With a few 
 gallons of gasoline in the tank, strong batteries 
 for the motor, and a sufficient knowledge of the 
 waterway to keep away from the rocks and shoals, 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 9 
 
 an entire day may be spent on the water and 
 many miles covered with no probability of a mis- 
 hap or trouble of any kind with the engine. 
 
 Boats of this style are manufactured with the 
 ordinary wooden hull, or with a hull of steel, 
 according to the type purchased. The former 
 are too well known to require comment here, but 
 the latter, too, are becoming exceedingly popular 
 with the man who desires a craft in which he can 
 go almost anywhere and which is practically inde- 
 structible. These hulls, being made of pressed 
 steel, are exceedingly difficult to puncture, and 
 should a solid obstacle be encountered, a dent, 
 which could probably be hammered out easily, 
 will perhaps be the only damage incurred. As 
 an additional safeguard, however, most of these 
 steel hulls are equipped with air-tight steel tanks 
 fore and aft which will serve to keep the boat 
 afloat, even though a hole should be made in it 
 below the water line. 
 
 Whether it would be to a certain man's advan- 
 tage to buy one of these ready-made motor boats, 
 or to purchase an engine and install it in a hull 
 built at some other yard, will depend so much 
 upon circumstances that it is almost impossible 
 to give practical advice on the subject. The com- 
 pleted craft, being ready to run, will require less 
 trouble in its purchase, and if the buyer can find 
 
10 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 just what he wants, it would probably be the bet- 
 ter policy for him to obtain one of these. If he 
 already owns a substantial hull, however, it would 
 naturally be to his advantage to secure a suitable 
 motor and install it in the boat. 
 
 Ordering an entirely new boat to specifications 
 will insure exactly the type of craft the man 
 thinks he wants, but a low-priced boat of the sort 
 we are considering would hardly warrant the ex- 
 tra trouble involved in having the hull built to 
 order and an engine of a different make installed 
 therein. In general it may be said that when 
 the investment represented is not over one hun- 
 dred and fifty dollars the ready-made boat will be 
 preferable to the built-to-order kind — unless the 
 purchaser already owns a suitable hull or engine, 
 or both. 
 
 A man of a mechanical turn of mind who de- 
 sires to devote his spare time during the winter 
 to an interesting and money-saving pursuit can 
 do no better than to build his own boat — provided 
 he has at his command a sufficiently large work- 
 shop and the few tools necessary. There are sev- 
 eral methods by which he can do this, and either, 
 when properly carried out, should supply him 
 with a motor boat at considerably less expendi- 
 ture of money than would be the case had he 
 bought the craft outright. 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 11 
 
 Some manufacturers and designers furnish, for 
 a small sum, a complete set of patterns, or forms, 
 and blue prints, by the use of which a complete 
 hull may be made. The actual cost of such a 
 boat will consist in the few dollars expended for 
 the blue prints and patterns and the cost of the 
 raw material and hardware. Unless the man who 
 is building the hull in this manner has at his dis- 
 posal a small buzz or band saw, he must have 
 some of the lumber cut for him at a sawmill, and 
 this expense must be added to the cost of building 
 the boat. 
 
 The " knock-down " boat could hardly be called 
 a home-made affair, for the pieces are cut in the 
 factory and merely assembled in the amateur 
 builder's shop. Before shipment each piece is 
 cut to fit accurately in its place and minute direc- 
 tions are given for every part. The cost of these 
 parts is probably less than half the net price of 
 the completed boat. The saving in freight from 
 the factor}^ to the water on which the boat is to 
 be operated is another important item to be con- 
 sidered, and probably two thirds of this charge 
 may be saved because of the more compact and 
 convenient form in which the " knock-down " parts 
 are shipped. 
 
 The building of these boats by the amateur is 
 practicable only for hulls of the smaller sizes — 
 
12 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 not exceeding twenty- four or twenty-five feet in 
 length, let us say. Above this size, the parts 
 become too large and bulky for him to handle, 
 and the heavier tools required confine the build- 
 ing of such a hull to a well-equipped shop under 
 the immediate direction of a professional boat 
 builder. 
 
 Although new boats of forty, and even more, 
 feet in length can be obtained with motor installed 
 and the whole craft ready for operation, the ma- 
 jority of motor boats over twenty-five feet long 
 are made to order from specifications furnished 
 or suggested by the prospective owner or his 
 adviser. A man buying a boat of this size has 
 doubtless previously owned or operated a smaller 
 craft, and by the time he has graduated into the 
 large-size auto boat or cruiser class, he will prob- 
 ably know just about what he wants. Conse- 
 quently the present chapter — written, as it is, 
 primarily for the beginner — cannot well include 
 points or suggestions on boats of these propor- 
 tions. Between twenty-five and forty feet, how- 
 ever, many auto boats, cruisers, and " family 
 boats " are in use by the novice. 
 
 Probably the majority of motor boats to-day 
 under forty feet in length can be controlled easily 
 by one man, and the owner, if he so chooses, may 
 assume the role of the " cook, the mate, and the 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 13 
 
 captain bold," and also the crew of his craft. 
 To have under his control at the same time the 
 speed of the motor and the guidance of his craft 
 lends a zest and enchantment to motor boating 
 which cannot be found in the larger yachts where 
 the signals must be sent down from the bridge to 
 the engine room located out of sight in the hold 
 and on which the captain and engineer are hired 
 professionals. Quick to realize this desire on the 
 part of the average owner to operate his craft 
 himself, the builders make a feature of the simple, 
 one-man control, and modern design enables a 
 forty-foot auto boat or cruiser to be handled 
 almost as easily as a sixteen-foot runabout. 
 
 The auto boat is probably the type which ex- 
 cites the greatest amount of admiration from 
 spectators and passengers as it skims lightly 
 over the water at the rate of from fifteen to thirty 
 miles an hour, and the prospective buyer imme- 
 diately picks this out as the only kind of a craft 
 that it will satisfy him to own. He need not be 
 discouraged, however, by such seemingly hopeless 
 ambitions, for it is really remarkable what a 
 speedy, trim, and serviceable little craft may be 
 purchased for fifteen hundred dollars or less. 
 In fact, an auto boat about twenty-five feet long 
 and capable of carrying six or seven passengers 
 at the rate of twelve or fourteen miles an hour 
 
14 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 can be purchased complete for about five hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 Modern hull design and motor boat construc- 
 tion have brought a boat with a speed capacity 
 of twenty or more miles an hour within the reach 
 of the man who has but a thousand dollars to 
 spend for the purpose. Above this speed the 
 price increases out of all proportion to the num- 
 ber of miles per hour gained. For instance, a 
 twenty-five-mile boat may be built and equipped 
 for less than two thousand dollars, but a craft 
 capable of attaining thirty miles an hour would 
 require the expenditure of at least twelve thou- 
 sand dollars. 
 
 While the two-cycle marine motor is exceed- 
 ingly efficient and reliable in the smaller powers, 
 and is at all times less complicated than the four- 
 cycle type, it is seldom found in the auto boat in 
 horsepowers exceeding twenty. In horsepow- 
 ers ranging from one-half to twenty, however, 
 the two-cycle type will be found in every variety 
 of boat, and it is in these smaller sizes that its 
 greatest field of usefulness is found. 
 
 It is not the desire of the writer to be drawn 
 into any discussion of the relative merits of these 
 two leading forms of marine motors, and for the 
 information of the novice it may be said, roughly, 
 that the trend of design seems to favor the two- 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 15 
 
 cycle type for the small powers, while the racers 
 or heavy boats requiring large horsepower em- 
 ploy the four-cycle motor almost exclusively. 
 In other words, a skiff or canoe should be 
 equipped with the simpler two-cycle motor, while 
 a large racer or ocean-going yacht needs the 
 more economical and powerful four-cycle engine 
 — and it is only where the fields overlap that there 
 is any room for discussion between these powers. 
 
 While the graceful and swift-running auto boat 
 may appeal to the sense of luxury in the average 
 man, space and seaworthiness must be sacrificed 
 for the attainment of high speed, and it is evident 
 that this type of boat is not so well adapted to 
 rough weather or extended trips as is the cruiser. 
 Nearly all cruisers have the cockpit inclosed in a 
 low cabin in which are sleeping and eating accom- 
 modations for from two to six persons — depend- 
 ing upon the size of the craft. 
 
 The cabin also contains a toilet room, lockers, 
 and probably a couple of chairs and a writing 
 desk, while deck space aft furnishes daytime ac- 
 commodations for the crew or passengers. The 
 high freeboard of the cabin and the inclosed cock- 
 pit make this an ideal rough-weather type of 
 boat, and it is craft of this class which have suc- 
 cessfully made the trip from New York to Ber- 
 muda. 
 
16 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 A good-sized cruiser, when furnished with ma- 
 hogany woodwork and equipped with an electric 
 lighting plant, running water, and other modern 
 conveniences, may become a veritable " floating 
 palace," but such a craft is beyond the means of 
 the ordinary man who desires to operate his own 
 boat. But cruiser and costliness are not neces- 
 sarily synonymous, for a twenty-five-boat of this 
 type, with sleeping accommodations for three 
 persons and driven by an eight horsepower mo- 
 tor may be purchased complete and ready for 
 operation for eight hundred and fifty dollars, and 
 so far as reliability and solid enjoyment of a 
 cruise are concerned, it is fully the equal of its 
 ten-thousand-dollar sister. 
 
 A type of motor craft exceedingly popular 
 with those who desire to its fullest extent neither 
 the speed of the auto boat nor the touring possi- 
 bilities of the cruiser is the open boat with a can- 
 opy top and side curtains which may be closed 
 down in case of rain or rough weather. This 
 boat is by no means slow, however, for a thirty- 
 foot hull of good model equipped with a fifteen 
 or twenty horsepower motor can attain a speed 
 of thirteen or fourteen miles an hour. On the 
 other hand, while not possessing the advantages 
 for living on board found in the cruiser, trips 
 lasting several days may be taken in this type of 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS IT 
 
 open boat and a party of three or four may sleep 
 in its roomy cockpit without great discomfort. 
 
 In such a boat the motor should be located 
 amidships, and seats with lockers under them 
 should extend around the rear half or two-thirds 
 of the cockpit. This will leave space in the for- 
 ward part for several comfortable chairs, while 
 the lockers under the seats furnish room for 
 nearly all necessary camping and boat supplies. 
 If the hull is built with a V-^transom stern a large 
 space under the stern deck is left for stowing 
 many of the more bulky articles which cannot be 
 placed in the lockers. An extra steering wheel 
 located near the motor enables the boat to be 
 managed easily by one man. 
 
 When to the variety of styles and sizes of 
 hulls which are or can be built are added the dif- 
 ferent types, powers, and makes of motors on the 
 market, and when it is realized that almost any 
 combination of use of the one with the other may 
 be obtained, it will be seen that the choice of the 
 motor boat purchaser as regards the details of 
 his completed craft is by no means limited. Un- 
 like the automobile, the engine in the motor boat 
 may be replaced with a different one as often as 
 desired, and the old motors reinstalled in other 
 hulls. Continual changing of the power plant 
 in a motor boat is not advisable, however, as the 
 
18 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 engine bed must necessarily be rebuilt for each 
 different motor installed, and it is far better to 
 select the engine best suited for the hull at first, 
 and then use it until it is worn out. 
 
 The ease with which an engine may be installed 
 in almost any kind of a hull has led to the prac- 
 tice in some places of converting almost anything 
 that floats into a motor boat, and it is no uncom- 
 mon sight to see catboat hulls, scows, and even 
 flat-bottom punts chugging along under their 
 own power. 
 
 It is probable that the owner of even the most 
 expensive racer or cruiser will need a small 
 '' knockabout " for short trips in pleasant 
 weather, and the inexperienced motor boat en- 
 thusiast cannot do better than to start his train- 
 ing with one of these inexpensive craft — for it 
 will always be useful to him. From this he can 
 graduate to a better and more commodious type 
 of boat, if he desires, and at the end of a season 
 or so of running his first purchase he will be in a 
 position to know just exactly what he wants for 
 its successor. But whatever size or class of boat 
 he buys subsequently, it is almost certain that he 
 will never find more solid enjoyment and unadal- 
 terated fun than he had the first season or two 
 in his hundred-dollar " knockabout." 
 
 The most valuable boat of any of which I have 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 19 
 
 heard belonged to a man who had a small farm 
 on an island at one of the popular summer re- 
 sorts in the eastern part of this country. This 
 boat was not valuable so far as the price it would 
 bring in the market, or the initial cost of it was 
 concerned, for mj friend did not pay over five 
 hundred dollars for his twenty-five-footer, com- 
 plete ; its value lay in the service it rendered him 
 and in the fact that it was indispensable to him 
 both for business and pleasure. It was the 
 " family sea-horse," ready to take him and his 
 wife and children to market or to church at the 
 near-by town, or to chug steadily up the river 
 on a picnic or hunting trip. 
 
 From early spring till late fall the little boat 
 was in use — and generally from morning till 
 night. On the first day on which the river was 
 opened for navigation in the spring, the craft 
 would be launched and on its way to the nearest 
 town, three miles distant, for the lumber and tim- 
 ber necessary to repair the portions of the boat- 
 house and piers that had been damaged by the 
 breaking up of the ice and the high waters of the 
 spring freshets ; then the next day down the river 
 with a heavy scow in tow for a load of stones for 
 the piers and sea wall; back before dark, and 
 then over to town again for supplies or the mail, 
 or to take the family to a dance or a ** sociable " 
 
20 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 — and the little craft would follow out a program 
 similar to this for several weeks. 
 
 As the " season " opened and the boarders be- 
 gan to arrive, the boat served both as ferry and 
 freighter, going over to the town to meet the 
 trains and returning loaded with passengers; 
 then back to town again for the trunks and bag- 
 gage of the new arrivals. 
 
 Early in the morning this " Jack-of-all-trades 
 boat " was at work, for my friend had a small 
 garden and kept some of the neighboring cot- 
 tagers supplied with fresh vegetables. Only for 
 an hour, however, would it assume the role of 
 market boat, for at the end of that time the fish- 
 ermen would be waiting to be towed in their skiffs 
 to the inlet where the bass were supposed to 
 abound. 
 
 Did the boat loaf, during the day, while wait- 
 ing to return for the fishermen or to meet the af- 
 ternoon train? Only long enough for a few gal- 
 lons of gasoline, for if the day was pleasant some 
 of the ladies and children would be ready for their 
 outing on the water — the boat was remarkable 
 for its steadiness and the safety with which it 
 could be loaded literally to the gunwales with 
 human freight. 
 
 After the summer months were over and the 
 boat had more than paid for itself in a single sea- 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 21 
 
 son, it was ready to serve as the pleasure craft 
 for which it was first intended and to give its 
 owner and his family several weeks of the enjoy- 
 ment for which they had worked so hard. From 
 passenger ferry, freighter, tug, mail packet, and 
 vegetable boat, it became private yacht, fishing 
 smack, hunting boat, cruiser, and on occasions 
 even racer. 
 
 Or the little craft could tow the ungainly but 
 comfortable house boat to another part of the 
 river, and with the family living on board, a 
 change of scenery and surroundings could be ob- 
 tained which would serve as a vacation to these 
 people whose whole summer had been spent in 
 giving a vacation to others. This outing would 
 be at a cost less than that of a railroad ticket to 
 the nearest county fair. 
 
 And as a racer ? Yes, indeed ; there were 
 other twenty-five-footers in the neighborhood 
 equipped with approximately the same power, 
 and a contest between these, or with others pro- 
 vided with suitable handicaps, furnished a race 
 which, while of course not breaking any records 
 in the matter of speed, was at least a close and 
 exciting contest, and one more interesting to the 
 little colony of natives than would be a race for 
 an international cup between boats whose owners 
 they were not able to call by their first names. 
 
22 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Now do you believe that this five-hundred-dol- 
 lar boat was a more valuable little craft than one 
 of ten times its cost? Of course the motor of this 
 boat, during its few inactive moments, was not 
 hitched to the churn and used to make butter, nor 
 was it belted to the pump in order to keep the 
 water-supply tank filled — these are only fairy 
 tales of some visionary or press agent, and 
 while possible of realization, are not practical — 
 but as a boat it served in nearly every capacity 
 imaginable and both worked and played for its 
 master as well as though he had possessed a fleet 
 of a dozen different craft. 
 
 Of course, not everyone who owns a cottage on 
 some body of water suitable for motor boating 
 can expect to get the range of use from a power 
 craft that my friend did — nor would he desire to 
 — but to a less extent a twenty-five-foot boat may 
 be made the most valuable and important feature 
 of a summer vacation. This will apply particu- 
 larly to a section such as the Thousand Islands, 
 on the St. Lawrence River, where one or more 
 summer homes will be on an island completely iso-- 
 lated from the nearest post-office and source of 
 supplies, and a boat of some kind is an absolute 
 necessity. 
 
 Here it is as a means of communication with 
 the outside world, of intercourse with the neigh- 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 23 
 
 bors, and as a conveyance for all food that the 
 motor boat stands foremost, and a cottager 
 would no sooner think of being without a power 
 craft of some kind than he would of going with- 
 out shoes in winter. In the consideration of 
 most of the vacationists here, the motor boat 
 comes first, and the cottage, bungalow, or tent 
 is of secondary importance. 
 
 If a man's business lies near enough to his sum- 
 mer home, or if he can get away from work for a 
 week or so in the spring, he will find a stanch, 
 twenty-five-foot boat, equipped with a gasoline 
 motor of from six to ten horse-power, a money 
 saver and of the greatest help imaginable in pre- 
 paring his place for the summer. The high wa- 
 ter and ice show no favors, and it is probable that 
 the boathouse and piers of the cottager will need 
 as many repairs as do those of the native — if not 
 more, due to the lack of care throughout the win- 
 ter in the case of the former. 
 
 In this connection, one of the best investments 
 that can be made is the purchase of a flat-bot- 
 tomed, square-ended scow on which almost any 
 kind of freight can be carried. This can be 
 towed by the little motor boat at a speed of four 
 or five miles an hour, even when loaded with sev- 
 eral tons of cargo, and will enable the craft to 
 transport bulky articles larger than the hull it- 
 
^4 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 self, which would swamp it if loaded into the cock- 
 pit. This scow will probably be in almost con- 
 stant use during the first part of the season, 
 bringing lumber and stone for the repairs, house- 
 hold articles for the cottage, and coal and wood 
 for the kitchen range and fireplace. 
 
 During the season, the trunks and baggage of 
 the arriving and departing guests can be carried 
 on the steady, flat-bottomed craft much more 
 safely than would be the case were they trusted 
 to the diminutive " hold "of the little motor boat, 
 and in hundreds of ways the scow will save several 
 times the thirty or forty dollars of its cost. If 
 the motor boat is well finished inside, the saving 
 in scratches and digs in the woodwork alone will 
 more than repay the trouble in towing the scow 
 for the purpose of returning with but one or two 
 trunks. 
 
 Although not equipped with a steam scoop or 
 like appliance, the little motor boat can make 
 itself useful in the capacity of dredge, clearing 
 away the submerged stumps or logs that will 
 probably have drifted into shore or near the 
 boathouse slip during the year. It should be 
 made certain that all of these are removed at the 
 beginning of each season, for a sunken log will 
 damage a propeller or hull almost as easily as 
 will a sharp rock. 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS U 
 
 It is really remarkable what a heavy load can 
 be towed by a comparatively small boat. One 
 of the most astonishing sights to the uninitiated 
 is to see a small two-horsepower tender try to 
 tow a yacht a hundred or more feet long. And 
 it not only tries, but it does it — slow, to be sure, 
 but steady, and with no more apparent effort on 
 the part of the motor than if it was doing only its 
 own work, and not that of three or four hundred 
 horsepower as well. 
 
 One of the greatest pleasures to be obtained 
 from a small motor boat is in preparing it for 
 and entering it in a race with other craft of its 
 class — a race in which the smooth and reliable 
 operation of the motor and the efficient handling 
 and jockeying by the navigator count for more 
 than does the possession of excessively high 
 power. The ideal race consists of a speed con- 
 test between boats of exactly the same design of 
 hull and driven by the same kind and size of mo- 
 tor. This enables each contestant to start on 
 even terms with all the others, and even though 
 the maximum speed should not be more than ten 
 or twelve miles an hour, a close and exciting finish 
 may be expected and the winner will have deserved 
 his success on his own merits. 
 
 It is hardly probable that at one summer re^ 
 sort there would be a sufficient number of boats 
 
26 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 of the same design to enable a race of this kind 
 to take place, unless several were built for the 
 purpose of holding such contests. In the latter 
 case, however, they would have been built for the 
 purpose of racing and would be racing boats, 
 and as such they could not be included with the 
 combination work and pleasure boats with which 
 we are dealing. 
 
 A scarcity of boats of the same design need not 
 prevent interesting races from taking place, pro- 
 viding a system of handicapping the faster craft 
 has been devised. A handicap on a boat is, at 
 its best, a very arbitrary arrangement, and the 
 dissatisfaction expressed with the old-fashioned 
 " ratings " finally became so pronounced that 
 they have been done away with to a large extent 
 in national and international races. 
 
 In the small amateur races, however, in which 
 the contestants enter their boats for the fun they 
 can get out of the event, some plan must be 
 adopted whereby all entrants will be placed on 
 an even footing. Measurements, cylinder vol- 
 umes, midship sections, and the like cause so 
 much dissatisfaction as a basis for handicaps that 
 it is probable that the only fair method is the 
 " time trial " system. By this method each en- 
 trant makes a round of the course under, sup- 
 posedly, racing conditions, and the time that his 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS 27 
 
 boat makes is used as a basis upon which his 
 handicap is figured. 
 
 Although there is nothing to indicate that the 
 owner has been making his motor do its best work 
 on this time trial, the figures are accepted as 
 handed in, without question or examination. To 
 provide against any deception, intentional or ac- 
 cidental, any boat completing the course in the 
 race in a time which is more than three per cent, 
 under that used as a basis for its handicap, will 
 be disqualified. 
 
 The summer program of the average cottager 
 seems nowadays to include a trip or cruise of 
 some kind for a few days to another part of the 
 body of water on which he is spending his vaca- 
 tion. This is a feature of a vacation which has 
 been made possible only by the development of 
 the motor boat and its low cost that places it 
 within the reach of everyone. Of course if it is 
 desired to live aboard the boat for any length of 
 time, a cruiser equipped with berths, a galley or 
 kitchen, and some of the other " comforts of 
 home " is necessary, but for short trips of not 
 over a week or so in duration, our little friend, 
 the twenty-five-foot open boat, may be made to 
 serve the purpose admirably — and here we see it 
 in still another role. 
 
 It is not, however, until the vacationist adds 
 
28 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 houseboating to his list of summer recreations 
 that the full value of an all-round motor boat will 
 be realized. It is then that the advantage of a 
 strong motor installed in a substantial hull will 
 be seen, for a ten or twelve horsepower engine 
 in a twentj-five-foot boat can tow a five- or six- 
 room house boat considerably faster than a man 
 can walk, and yet, when released from its burden 
 after the destination is reached, the little craft 
 is not so large but that it can serve as messenger, 
 " runabout," and sight-seeing boat and act as 
 connecting link between the house boat and a base 
 of supplies. Its draft will be small enough to 
 allow it to navigate shallow streams and explore 
 bays and inlets, and yet the hull will be of suffi- 
 cient size to enable it to outride safely all but 
 the severest storms. 
 
 It seems that the average " pleasure-work- 
 boat " of the kind that did such good and profit- 
 able service for my friend who ran the summer 
 boarding house is the type best suited to the av- 
 erage man, and whether he is able to afford but 
 one or a dozen motor boats, such a craft is well- 
 nigh indispensable to the vacationist who spends 
 his summers on a lake or river. It will work for 
 him and play for him; it will help make repairs 
 to his place ; it will carry wood and coal and the 
 baggage of his guests ; it will act as tug and racer 
 
USES OF MOTOR BOATS W 
 
 — and may win a cup for him as a result of a 
 well-deserved triumph; it will take him and his 
 friends to far-distant fishing grounds ; it will sup- 
 ply him with mail and provisions; it will furnish 
 him with a change of air, scenery, and surround- 
 ings on a day's or a week's cruise; and, in fact, 
 it will increase the possibilities and pleasures of 
 a vacation several times over. 
 
 And what does it ask in return? Nothing, if 
 it is a well-behaved boat, except that it be fed 
 with gasoline and oil and used with common sense. 
 And then, if allowed to hibernate in peace 
 throughout the winter, protected from the Ice 
 and damp, stagnant air, it will be ready for an- 
 other strenuous season after only a few days' 
 grooming in the spring. 
 
CHAPTER n 
 
 WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 
 
 TO quote an oft repeated phrase from the 
 closing words of a lecture given by a well 
 known college professor, " When your mo- 
 tor refuses to run you may be reasonably sure 
 that the trouble is due to one of three causes: 
 first, a stoppage in or poor adjustment of the 
 carburetor ; second, the failure of the ignition sys- 
 tem; and last but not least, 'pure cussedness.' " 
 Anyone who has cranked and cranked a balky 
 motor until his back is nearly broken will heartily 
 concur and will give the devil more than his due 
 by bestowing full credit for all troubles of this 
 nature upon the last-named reason. 
 
 But the modern marine motor is not the cranky 
 little piece of mechanism that many of its de- 
 famers would have us believe, and although up to 
 a few years ago it had not attained the perfec- 
 tion of design and performance reached by its 
 more expensive cousin in the automobile, the gas- 
 oline engine found on the water to-day is a well 
 constructed and satisfactory machine that does 
 30 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 31 
 
 its work and stops only when there is a good rea- 
 son for it. Of course there are many old and 
 ramshackle motors of a decade ago installed in 
 various hulls of an equally nondescript type, and 
 the combination of the two may form the craft 
 which has done much to bring the gasoline ma- 
 rine engine into disrepute in the minds of those 
 who know nothing of the matter, but such freaks 
 should not be taken as criteria by which to con- 
 demn all other self-propelled boats without a 
 careful examination. 
 
 Perhaps as much time and thought have not 
 been put upon the design and construction of the 
 marine motor as have been bestowed upon the au- 
 tomobile engine, but if this is the case, it is be- 
 cause conditions upon the water do not call for 
 extreme light weight, the use of the same water 
 over and over again for the cooling system, or a 
 machine that will withstand the shaking jolts and 
 jars that fall to the lot of a motor car power 
 plant. A motor which will give satisfactory serv- 
 ice for years when installed in a boat might 
 hardly serve to drive an automobile a mile over a 
 level road. 
 
 On the other hand, however, automobile en- 
 gines are in use in many motor boats and give 
 very satisfactory service after slight changes 
 have been made in the cooling system and atten- 
 
n THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 tion given to a few other minor details which 
 would not interest the lay reader. 
 
 It will be understood from this, then, that any- 
 one who is an experienced motor car driver should 
 have no difficulty in operating a marine engine — 
 unless its very simplicity and absence of compli- 
 cated parts should confuse him — and the same 
 trouble may be looked for in one as in the other. 
 For every trouble there's a reason and a remedy, 
 and even the " pure cussedness " may be cured 
 when one understands his motor. Some motors 
 seem almost human, and two of the same make 
 and model may require to be handled so diifer- 
 ently that it is difficult to realize that they are 
 the products of the same factory. 
 
 Much of the marine-motor contrariness may be 
 laid at the door, or needle valve, rather, of the 
 carburetor. This, as nearly everyone knows, is 
 the chamber and series of valves where the gaso- 
 line is vaporized and mixed with the air in the 
 proper proportion to be exploded in the engine 
 cylinder. The amount of air used in this mix- 
 ture is about twelve times greater than the gaso- 
 line vapor, and a small variation in this propor- 
 tion will give the " too weak " or " too rich " 
 mixture, with consequent poor running of the mo- 
 tor. 
 
 The needle valve admits the gasoline in the 
 
 1 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 38 
 
 form of a fine spray into the chamber in which 
 it is mixed with the air and a slight turn in either 
 direction will greatly vary the proportion of the 
 resulting mixture. Some carburetors are auto- 
 matic, and when once the needle valve is set, de- 
 liver the proper mixture to the cylinder for all 
 speeds of the engine. 
 
 But there is no carburetor made that can con- 
 trol atmospheric changes; and heat, cold, or 
 dampness in the air will have such an effect on 
 the resulting mixture that while the engine may 
 have been running perfectly on a certain day with 
 the needle valve set at a particular notch, the 
 conditions of the next day may require a quarter 
 of a turn change in the needle valve position be- 
 fore the proper mixture is obtained. It is for 
 such troubles as these that the motor itself is 
 blamed. 
 
 All this would seem to imply that the third rea- 
 son given by the college professor for trouble in 
 the gasoline engine was the same as his first rea- 
 son. But trouble may be caused by a well defined 
 defect or poor adjustment of the carburetor. 
 When this is the case it should not be confounded 
 with the elusive changes in atmospheric conditions 
 and other indefinable reasons which are classed as 
 " pure cussedness." 
 
 If a motor stops iinexpectedly? muph time will 
 
34 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 be saved by knowing just where to look for the 
 trouble, and the experienced engineer will bring 
 several of his senses into use in locating this. 
 The manner in which a motor stops is often in- 
 dicative of the nature of the trouble. For in- 
 stance, if your motor is spinning merrily along 
 and then stops abruptly without warning, it is 
 pretty certain that one of the electrical connec- 
 tions on batteries, switch, coil, engine, or timer 
 has become loosened or broken and it will pay you 
 to examine thoroughly each one of these terminals 
 before devoting your attention to other parts of 
 the mechanism. 
 
 A failing gasoline supply, on the other hand, 
 wiU be indicated by a gradual reduction of power 
 in the motor, the impulses growling weaker and 
 weaker until the engine stops. Pitted platinum 
 contact points of the vibrator which cause the 
 coil to " stick " and batteries which have nearly 
 run out will be evidenced by the same symptom — 
 a peculiar hitch or catch of the motor which can 
 be felt in the whole boat, after which the engine 
 may run smoothly for several minutes. These 
 hitches will increase in frequency until the motor 
 stops, unless the cause is properly attended to at 
 once. 
 
 Coil or battery trouble is one of the most elu- 
 sive with which the motor boatiaiaa has to con- 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 35 
 
 tend, for after removing the plug and turning 
 over the wheel until connection is made, he is 
 liable to be deceived by the generous spark ex- 
 hibited and by the satisfactory buzz of the vi- 
 brator. This is due to the fact that failing bat- 
 teries or a sticking coil will not exhibit their 
 weaknesses except at intervals and conditions are 
 much better for the production of a spark in the 
 open air than in the high pressure of the engine 
 cylinder. For this reason it is always a good 
 idea to include a small battery tester as a part 
 of the regular equipment of the boat and keep 
 yourself well informed as to the condition of the 
 source of your ignition current. 
 
 If the batteries are found to be in good condi- 
 tion — that is, delivering six or eight amperes of 
 current or better — and the spark plug delivers 
 a good, fat, violet-colored flame, it is evident that 
 the ignition trouble must lie in the coil. In this 
 case a bit of fine emery paper should be run over 
 the platinum points of the vibrator and set screw 
 and the motor turned until contact is made 
 through the timer. 
 
 The buzz of the coil should be well defined and 
 should not change pitch during the connection. 
 If the pitch does change, however, it is evident 
 that the adjustment of the vibrator is wrong and 
 the set screw should be turned in one direction or 
 
86 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the other until the sound that you have been ac- 
 customed to hear is given off. 
 
 A single miss of the motor should not always 
 be taken as an indication that the batteries are 
 weak or that the coil requires attention, for the 
 trouble might be caused by a fouled spark plug 
 due to an excessive amount of lubricating oil on 
 the cylinder walls. If missing from this source 
 continues, the spark plug should be removed and 
 the electrodes, or points between which the spark 
 jumps, cleansed with fine emery cloth and the car- 
 bon deposit softened by the application of a small 
 quantity of kerosene. 
 
 This occasional miss of the motor was once the 
 cause of an amusing experience which befell a 
 party cruising through a canal in a motor boat. 
 The boat was gliding peacefully along between 
 overhanging banks and the occupants were enjoy- 
 ing the scenery, when suddenly, with no percepti- 
 ble change of sound in the motor, it was noticed 
 that the shores on either side seemed to be moving 
 in the other direction. Then it was found that 
 the boat was moving backward as unconcernedly 
 as she had formerly been running forward and 
 only the most active work on the part of the en- 
 gineer prevented her from ramming, stern fore- 
 most, into the nearest bank. 
 
 The cause was as simple as the results 'were 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 37 
 
 amusing. The motor was of the two-cycle tjpe 
 which will run as well in one direction as in the 
 other. When all gasoline motors are running at 
 maximum speed the spark is advanced so that 
 the explosion occurs before the piston reaches 
 the top of the stroke. A small carbon deposit 
 had accumulated on the spark plug and this 
 caused a cessation of the explosions for one or 
 two turns before it was burned off. When the 
 spark resumed work the momentum of the engine 
 had died down sufficiently to allow the next ex- 
 plosion to turn the fly wheel in the opposite di- 
 rection, and it continued to revolve in that man- 
 ner. This had been done so quickly that the 
 occupants of the boat, engrossed with the scenery, 
 had not noticed the slight pause in the engine, 
 and when the motor had once started reversing, 
 no difference could be detected in the sound. 
 
 This same principle is often made use of in en- 
 gines of this type to cause them to reverse, but 
 in this case, the switch is thrown off until the 
 speed of the motor is reduced enough to allow 
 the next impulse, occurring before the piston 
 reaches the top of the stroke, to take the fl}^ 
 wheel over in the opposite direction. The above 
 incident is only one of the many which might be 
 laid to " pure cussedness " by the amateur who 
 is not thoroughly acquainted with all parts of his 
 
S8 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 engine, and ^ret a very definite and specific reason 
 existed. 
 
 It is probable that hearing plays a greater part 
 in first locating the source of trouble in a gaso- 
 line engine than any other of the senses, and the 
 expert can tell by the sound of his motor whether 
 it is receiving too much or too little gasoline, too 
 much or too little lubricating oil, or if the diffi- 
 culty lies in the ignition system. An excessive 
 supply of gasoline in the mixture will cause a 
 series of weak explosions which will slow down 
 the motor and result in irregular running. 
 
 This is because there is not sufficient oxygen in 
 the mixture to support the combustion of the 
 gasoline vapor, and the trouble may be remedied 
 by Increasing the amount of air or decreasing the 
 flow of fuel to the carburetor. Most carbure- 
 tors, however, are so constructed that the gaso- 
 line flow is regulated and a very slight turn of 
 the needle valve to the right as you face it should 
 help to give the proper mixture. Many marine 
 motors require a richer mixture for starting than 
 they do after attaining full speed, and conse- 
 quently the needle valve is used when it is desired 
 to vary the speed of the engine. 
 
 When the mixture is weak, meaning that it con- 
 tains an insufficient supply of gasoline for the 
 accompanying amount of air, a crank case, or 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 39 
 
 base, explosion will generally be the result in a 
 two-cycle, three-port motor. When these ex- 
 plosions are once heard there can be no mistaking 
 them afterwards, for the short, sharp crack, fol- 
 lowed by a puff of smoke from the base of the 
 motor causes the uninitiated to feel decidedly ap- 
 prehensive. 
 
 There is no real danger, however, and these 
 crank-case explosions are to be expected nearly 
 every time the motor is slowed down without open- 
 ing the needle valve a sufficient amount. With 
 motors not equipped with delicate carburetors it 
 is a good idea to open the needle valve about a 
 quarter of a turn before retarding the spark, thus 
 supplying a sufficiently rich mixture for the re- 
 duced speed of the motor. If this is done the 
 needle valve will be set at the right point when it 
 is again desired to start the motor. 
 
 The most economical and efficient running is 
 obtained when the needle valve is set so that the 
 motor receives as little gasoline as possible with- 
 out the attendant base explosions. The reverse 
 clutch should not be thrown in or the propeller 
 blades turned when the base explosions are fre- 
 quent, for the extra load on the motor at a time 
 when the impulses are irregular is liable to 
 " stall '' the engine, and if the reverse is de- 
 pended upon for checking the headway of the 
 
40 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 boat in making a landing, a smashed bow is liable 
 to be the result. 
 
 These differences in the sound of the running 
 of the motor are caused by a change in the nature 
 of the explosions or in the frequency of the im- 
 pulses. Sounds foreign to the explosions, how- 
 ever, may indicate trouble in the motor; above 
 all, the operator should beware of the fatal click 
 which indicates a loosened connecting rod or a 
 stray nut or bolt in the crank case. If the motor 
 is not stopped immediately when these conditions 
 arise, a broken connecting rod or crank is almost 
 certain to be the result. Fortunately, however, 
 such accidents seldom happen, although the en- 
 gineer may receive a good scare through mistak- 
 ing a slight pound or knock in the cylinder head 
 for the click of an obstruction in the crank case 
 or a loose connecting rod. 
 
 A decided pound in the cylinder head soon 
 after starting the motor may be caused by ad- 
 vancing the spark beyond the point at which it 
 is intended to be set, thus igniting the mixture 
 before the piston is sufficiently high on the stroke. 
 A man who has run a certain boat a few times 
 will soon learn the point at which the spark lever 
 should be set for the proper operation of the 
 motor, and it will then become second nature to 
 him never to advance the spark beyond this point. 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 41 
 
 With the spark set in the proper position a 
 knock in the cylinder head can generally mean 
 but one thing — a hot engine caused either by a 
 stoppage in the water cooling system or an insuf- 
 ficient supply of oil to the piston. In nine cases 
 out of ten the latter will be the cause of the trou- 
 ble, and if you will look at your sight feeds you 
 will probably either find that the glasses are full, 
 indicating a stoppage in the feed pipe, or that 
 you forgot to open the cups or possibly fill the 
 oil tanks. 
 
 Continued running with an insufficient supply 
 of oil will soon cause the piston to expand with 
 the heat so that it will seize the cylinder walls 
 with a grip that cannot be loosened until the 
 metal has cooled. When the cylinder overheats 
 a small quantity of kerosene should be poured 
 into it through the spark plug opening and the 
 fly-wheel moved back and forth as the cylinder 
 and piston gradually cool until there is a perfect 
 freedom of motion between the two. 
 
 A liberal amount of lubricating oil should then 
 be added and the motor revolved by hand power 
 until the cylinder walls are thoroughly lubri- 
 cated. Do not expect, however, that your motor 
 will run as well after an accident of this kind, for 
 the immense amount of friction set up between 
 the piston rings and the cylinder walls will score 
 
42 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 .or grind one or the other until a slight leakage 
 of compression may be the result. 
 
 The sense of smell will often enable the man 
 who is well acquainted with his motor to detect 
 an insufficient supply of oil in the cylinder or 
 stoppage in the cooling system. When the en- 
 gine becomes overheated from either of these 
 causes a peculiar choking, pungent odor will be 
 given oif which should be taken as an indication 
 that the lubricating or cooling systems require 
 immediate attention. 
 
 Too much lubricating oil is far better than too 
 little, and yet the former may be the cause of 
 very annoying trouble in starting the motor. 
 The excess of oil is bound to become burned in 
 the cylinder and the smoke thus formed may 
 choke the explosion to a certain extent, or may 
 form a carbon deposit on the spark plug, as al- 
 ready described, which will prevent ignition for 
 a few revolutions. 
 
 Trouble caused by too much oil can seldom be 
 mistaken, for it is always indicated by clouds of 
 blue smoke which pour from every opening in the 
 motor with each explosion. With the simple 
 form of marine-motor now equipped with a me- 
 chanical oiler, the relief cocks should be opened 
 occasionally to make certain that there is at least 
 a faint trace of blue smoke given oif with each ex- 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 43 
 
 plosion; the operator may then rest assured that I 
 
 the piston is receiving a sufficient amount of oil. 
 
 All things considered, it is probable that the 
 ignition system is responsible for a greater share 
 of trouble in the marine-motor than any other 
 part of the machine, and too much attention can- 
 not be given to it. The greatest enemy to the 
 high-tension ignition system, or jump spark, is 
 water, and the open boat equipped with this type 
 must be well protected from rain or spray if it 
 is to be run in all kinds of weather. 
 
 Dampness will weaken a set of batteries almost 
 as quickly as a closed circuit, and the box in 
 which these are contained should be made either i 
 
 water-proof or placed in a part of the boat where I 
 
 the water cannot possibly reach it. The coil, too, i 
 
 should be kept dry, and if convenient, it should 
 be placed in the same box in which the batteries 
 are kept. But even after protecting these parts 
 of the ignition system from the wet, the motor _ j 
 
 cannot be relied upon to run continuously unless 
 the spark plug and all bare terminals of the high- 
 tension wires are covered, for the slightest damp- 
 ness will short circuit the plug and cause the 
 spark to jump from the wire to some part of the 
 motor, instead of across the gap at the end of 
 the plug in the cylinder, as should be the case. 
 
 If your boat is caught in a storm with insuffi- 
 
U THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 cient protection for the motor, the spark plug 
 may be kept dry by placing an oilskin hat over 
 the top of the cylinder, and if the high-tension 
 wires are covered with heavy insulation, you may 
 be able to get home without a miss from the mo- 
 tor. It is a good idea to cover the insulation of 
 the high-tension wires that are exposed with sev- 
 eral coats of shellac to render them thoroughly 
 waterproof, and also to prevent the disintegra- 
 tion of the covering by any gasoline or oil which 
 may come in contact with it. 
 
 If in addition to the above precautions, extra 
 spark plugs, additional batteries, and a spare 
 platinum contact point and vibrator for the coil 
 are carried along, you should be ready for almost 
 any emergency that may arise to put your igni- 
 tion system out of commission. Add to these 
 extra cans of gasoline and lubricating oil — about 
 three times as much as you know you will need — 
 and you will be ready, so far as your motor is con- 
 cerned, to start on a trip of almost any length. 
 Of course, a full outfit of tools should always be 
 in a convenient place in the boat. 
 
 When your motor stops unexpectedly, don't 
 get excited, but start in calmly to trace out the 
 cause of the trouble. Take your time, and even 
 though there may be an impatient crowd on 
 board, don't appear to hurry. If the wind or 
 
WHEN THE MOTOR BALKS 45 
 
 tide is carrying the boat toward the shore, throw 
 out the anchor rather than feel that you have but 
 a limited time in which to discover the trouble 
 and make the repairs. 
 
 Trace the trouble logically by a process of 
 elimination, and if you are unable to tell instantly 
 from the manner in which the motor stopped just 
 what was the cause, ascertain, first, that nobody 
 has kicked off the switch; second, that there is a 
 good healthy buzz or click heard from your coil 
 when the cover is removed and the fly-wheel 
 turned to an electrical contact; third, that there 
 is plenty of gasoline in your tank, and fourth, 
 that gasoline will drip from the carburetor when 
 it is flushed by depressing the float in the cham- 
 ber. 
 
 If you are not able to locate the trouble by 
 this time, remove the spark plug and make certain 
 that there is a fat, violet-colored flame passing 
 between the proper terminals when the contact is 
 made and the large nut of the plug is laid on 
 some part of the engine. This is important be- 
 cause a healthy sound from the coil does not 
 necessarily indicate that a spark is being deliv- 
 ered from the plug. The coil will buzz when the 
 current is delivered to it, irrespective of what 
 becomes of the transformed eliectricity after- 
 wards. 
 
46 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Reason it out this way: If the gasoline reaches 
 the carburetor and is there united with the proper 
 quantity of air, an explosive mixture must reach 
 the top of the cylinder- — unless the rings are too 
 badly worn or the packing at the base has blown 
 out. Once in the cylinder, the mixture must ex- 
 plode if a hot spark is delivered at the proper mo- 
 ment, and when this occurs, the piston will be 
 forced down and the flywheel will turn if the bear- 
 ings or piston have not become heated and stick 
 through lack of oil. 
 
 These may seem like enough " if s " to cover a 
 multitude of sins, but each of the little mono- 
 syllables may be turned into a positive or nega- 
 tive certainty by a few moments of the right kind 
 of work. If, however, you think you find that 
 all the " ifs " are certainties of the right kind, 
 and still your motor doesn't run, you may then 
 lay the trouble to " pure cussedness " — -until a 
 man comes along who knows the least bit more 
 than you and shows you a simple thing that you 
 had overlooked. Then you will agree with the 
 writer that " there's always a reason " — and gen- 
 erally a very simple one, at that. 
 
CHAPTER ni 
 
 SPEEDING UP THE MOTOE BOAT 
 
 THE question of speed in a motor boat is 
 an intricate one, as there are many fac- 
 tors to be considered; and these do not al- 
 ways give the results that are expected. A fleet 
 of boats may be built, all of exactly the same size, 
 constructed from the same patterns and 
 equipped with the same make and size of motor, 
 and yet there may be a consistent difference of 
 from ten to twenty per cent, between the speed 
 of the fastest and slowest. It is such results as 
 these, consistent by virtue of their inconsistency, 
 that puzzle not only the owner, but the designer 
 and builder as well ; and it is safe to say that not 
 a single one of the most expert of the latter can 
 accurately determine what speed a motor boat 
 will make until she is actually launched and tried 
 out under the best of running conditions. 
 
 If the expected results are not then obtained, 
 it may require no small amount of experimenting 
 before the real difficulty is found; when it is be* 
 lieved that an increase in power will produce the 
 
 47 
 
48 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 desired speed, it may be discovered that this will 
 not be nearly so effective as a simple change in 
 the pitch of the wheel. It is small wonder, then, 
 that both expert and amateur will be found mak- 
 ing frequent changes in the details of his boat in 
 search of that elusive extra mile-an-hour that he 
 so much desires. 
 
 The power plant will probably receive more 
 than its share of praise or censure, according to 
 the performance of the boat, and it is to this that 
 the ordinary owner will first direct his attention 
 if any increase in speed is desired. The greater 
 the speed desired, the more powerful must be the 
 motor installed to drive the boat. But it must 
 be remembered that by power is meant the actual 
 ability to do work, and not necessarily the size of 
 the motor or bore and stroke of the cylinders. 
 The old-style motors of ten horsepower were much 
 larger and more clumsy than the present-day 
 engines developing over twice that power, and 
 while, under the same conditions, a greater bore 
 and stroke will give an increased power, it is the 
 actual test of the motor on the blocks that really 
 counts. 
 
 But a more powerful motor is not an Aladdin's 
 lamp that may merely be rubbed with the starting 
 crank to shoot the boat off at a greatly increased 
 speed. There are, in fact, certain limits beyond 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 49 
 
 which a boat may not be driven, no matter how 
 great the power installed, and this applies to the 
 motor canoe and converted cat boat as well as to 
 the especially designed racer. The tendency to 
 " overpower " is one of the great faults of the 
 average amateur and of many builders ; every de- 
 sign has a certain speed beyond which any in- 
 crease in number of cylinders or size of motor is 
 an actual waste of power. 
 
 An incident illustrating the futility of crowd- 
 ing excess power into a hull that is already being 
 driven at the top speed for which it was designed 
 is found in the case of one of the well-known 
 racers of a few years ago. This particular craft 
 was thirty feet long, and when equipped with a 
 forty-eight horsepower motor, could maintain an 
 average of twenty-four miles an hour — a speed 
 considered remarkable in those days. But her 
 owner was not satisfied and decided that if he 
 could get twenty-four miles with forty-eight 
 horsepower, he would have no trouble in making 
 a world-renowned racer if a one hundred and fifty 
 horsepower motor was installed in her. 
 
 He made the change, but instead of being able 
 to travel over the water at the rate of thirty-five 
 miles an hour, as he expected, he found that his 
 craft could make scarcely a mile an hour more 
 than she could with her old motor, and that the 
 
50 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 greater part of the increased power only served 
 to drive her into the water, instead of over it. 
 When the motor was opened to its full power, the 
 hull almost submerged itself in its own wave, and 
 it was found that the fastest running was ob- 
 tained when only about one-third of the available 
 power of the engine was used. 
 
 This, of course, was an extreme case of ig- 
 norance on the part of owner and builder (or re- 
 builder, rather), but results of this nature are 
 liable to be obtained, to a less extent, when ap- 
 plied to smaller boats of low power and slow 
 speed. " Let well enough alone " is a good 
 maxim to tollow, although this does not mean 
 that better results cannot be obtained often by 
 increasing the power of a motor boat. Many 
 hulls are not equipped with an engine sufficiently 
 large to obtain the speed for which the craft was 
 designed. 
 
 Even in this case it will require a greater 
 amount of additional power than the owner will 
 probably deem necessary, for the resistance to 
 the passage of a boat through the water may be 
 said, in general, to increase as the square of the 
 speed, and the power necessary to obtain a 
 greater speed has been found to vary as the cube 
 of that speed. This, perhaps, is a sufficient rea- 
 son «why the power in a certain hull may be dou- 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 51 
 
 bled with an attendant increase in speed of but 
 one or two miles. 
 
 On the other hand, even though the increased 
 power necessary seems out of all proportion to 
 the results obtained, this is not necessarily all 
 lost. Take, for instance, the case of a heavy, 
 thirty-foot pleasure boat, constructed more for 
 service and comfort than for speed. A twelve 
 horsepower motor may drive this craft at eight 
 miles an hour, and yet double this power would 
 scarcely serve to shove the heavy boat through 
 the water a mile an hour faster. But while this 
 added power would not exhibit its presence by a 
 noticeable increase in the speed of the boat, 
 other craft could be taken in tow with no ap- 
 parent reduction in the original eight or nine- 
 mile speed of the tug boat. 
 
 The power plant of a boat can be increased or 
 reduced to suit the desires of the owner, but once 
 the shape and size of the hull have been decided 
 upon, changes of this nature are not easily made. 
 Consequently, the " lines " of the boat become 
 really of foremost importance in a consideration 
 of speed. The best designed hull for any prac- 
 tical purpose is that which is sufficiently large 
 and heavy to carry the load intended for it, is 
 seaworthy, and yet one that will travel over the 
 water and will make as little wave and disturbance 
 
52 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 as possible. A boat which " pulls the whole river 
 behind her " is either overpowered and is being 
 forced through the water at an uneconomical 
 speed, or she is poorly designed and her lines 
 offer a greater resistance than should be the case. 
 
 Although many boats are designed to " draw 
 down " at the stern when under way, this char- 
 acteristic should not be carried too far, as an un- 
 due drag is then formed by the after half of the 
 hull. The once popular canoe model of speed 
 boat gave way to the torpedo stern, and this, in 
 turn, has been replaced by the moderately wide 
 hull with the " V-transom " stern, a design well 
 adapted for almost any purpose, from a small, 
 one-man " runabout " to a racer or a large 
 cruiser. This model rises slightly at the bow at 
 the higher speeds, but the under side of the stem 
 is flattened so that the submerged portion is 
 pushed over the surface of the water, rather than 
 through it. 
 
 This is the principle applied to the hydroplane, 
 except that the under side of this model is shaped 
 in a series of steps slanting from stern to bow so 
 that, as the speed increases, these successive steps, 
 or planes, will rise out of the water and the hull 
 will finally be riding on a single surface that will 
 glide, or slide, with much less attendant resistance 
 than would be the case were the entire hull forced 
 
SPEEDING VP THE MOTOR 5S 
 
 through the water. Other variations may be ap- 
 plied to the design of the hydroplane, but all are 
 developed on the theory that a hull that skims 
 over the water meets with less resistance than 
 does one that must move aside a great amount of 
 water in order to push its way through. 
 
 If a hull does not seem capable of attaining the 
 speed expected of it, the impulse of many a 
 builder seems to be to " cut her in two and add 
 five or six feet to her length." Although this 
 will be a time-consuming operation, it will be ef- 
 fective to a certain extent, for the speed of a boat 
 increases with its waterline length. On the other 
 hand, the greater the beam of a boat, the slower 
 will be its maximum speed. 
 
 The observation of these two rules will result 
 in the conclusion that a hull that is " stubby and 
 square " will never succeed in landing a racing 
 trophy if it is competing with a long, slim craft. 
 But craft of " toothpick " proportions are un- 
 stable and unseaworthy and can be of no possible 
 interest to the man looking for a practical boat 
 that will combine utility and speed in the proper 
 degree. For pleasure craft of from twenty to 
 forty feet in length, a beam of from one-fifth to 
 one-sixth this measurement is a good proportion 
 which will admit of both stability and medium 
 speed. 
 
64 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 An increased speed may sometimes be obtained 
 from a motor boat by making changes other than 
 those in size of engine or design of hull, and these 
 are the refinements that help make the average 
 pleasure boat of to-day from two to five miles 
 faster than its sister of a few years ago. It has 
 already been pointed out that the bow of a boat 
 should not rise from the water more than a cer- 
 tain amount when it is under way, and that the 
 V-shaped transom was designed to keep the 
 proper length of the hull under the water. But 
 the tendency of all hulls when traveling at normal 
 speed or above is for the stern to settle an undue 
 amount, and in the case of old style boats with 
 the fan-tail stern and such craft as the converted 
 cat boat the shape of the after section does not 
 prevent this undesirable dragging and consequent 
 reduction in speed. 
 
 This trouble can be easily remedied, however, 
 by simply attaching a piece of sheet iron to the 
 stern at the waterline so that it will act as a plane 
 when the after portion of the hull tends to drag 
 down. This piece of sheet iron should be cut the 
 same shape as the stern deck so that no portion 
 of it will project too far beyond the hull and be 
 damaged by a wharf or rock, and it should be 
 well supported by struts riveted to the iron at 
 one end and screwed into the planking at the 
 other. 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 55 
 
 The value of such an attachment has been 
 demonstrated many times, but in no instance of 
 my personal knowledge more strikingly than in 
 the case of an old twenty-five foot cat boat 
 equipped with a-twelve horsepower motor. When 
 first installed, this motor seemed to be too power- 
 ful for the craft, the stern dragged down, and 
 eight miles an hour was the highest speed that 
 could be obtained. A sheet iron plane was at- 
 tached in the manner described above, and by 
 forcing the hull to travel on the lines for which 
 it was designed, the speed, with the same power 
 plant, was increased to eleven miles an hour. 
 
 Changing the location of the motor will some- 
 times have the effect of obtaining a slight increase 
 in the speed of a boat, particularly if the stern 
 is found to draw down too much. A speedy boat 
 will never be found with the motor located in the 
 extreme stern, and the majority of racing boats 
 have their power plant placed in a compartment 
 well forward. Consequently, by moving a heavy 
 motor from the stern to the bow, the position at 
 which the boat travels will be changed on account 
 of the shifted weight, and in many instances the 
 speed will be noticeably increased. 
 
 When an owner has made all changes imagin- 
 able in his boat in the endeavor to obtain more 
 speed ; when he has enlarged the power plant ; 
 when he has refined the lines of the hull until it 
 
56 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 seems to run with scarcely a ripple; when he has 
 tuned up his engine; when he has smoothed and 
 scraped the planking and given it its coat of fric- 
 tion-reducing paint, there always remain the possi- 
 ble surprises to be found by putting on a new 
 propeller. This is not a complicated or difficult 
 operation, and yet sometimes it may be the most 
 productive of results of any change imaginable. 
 
 The propeller, of course, does the actual work 
 of driving the boat through the water and any 
 fault in its design or unsuitability for that par- 
 ticular hull or motor will result in an absolute 
 waste of power. It also acts as the regulator of 
 the number of revolutions at which the motor will 
 run when " opened wide," and as there is a cer- 
 tain normal speed at which any engine will oper- 
 ate at the highest efficiency, the size and pitch 
 of the propeller play an important part in ob- 
 taining the best results from the power plant that 
 is being used. 
 
 The propeller blades are really the develop- 
 ment of a screw, and the pitch would correspond 
 to the coarseness of the threads. The pitch of 
 a propeller, however, is measured in inches, and 
 is considered as the distance a point on the blade 
 would travel in a line parallel to the shaft during 
 one complete revolution of the wheel. In other 
 words, the pitch is the distance that the propeller 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 57 
 
 itself would travel during one revolution, in a line 
 extending along its axis, if the movement were 
 made in a medium in which there is no "give," 
 or slip. 
 
 The greater the pitch of a propeller, then, the 
 greater will be the resistance offered to its turn- 
 ing; but, within certain limits, if this increased 
 resistance is overcome, the boat will be shoved a 
 greater distance through the water at each revo- 
 lution. Consequently, " easy " pitch and high 
 revolutions would produce the same results as 
 " heavy " pitch and slower speed of rotation — 
 always within certain limits. The longer and 
 wider the blade of a propeller, the greater will be 
 the resistance to its revolution. The increased 
 blade surface, however, will exert a greater thrust 
 upon the hull with each revolution, and conse- 
 quently a large wheel is " faster," for the same 
 number of turns, than a small one. 
 
 There are four things to be considered, then, 
 in connection with a propeller, as follows: Size, 
 or diameter of the wheel; shape of the blades; 
 pitch ; and number of blades. The first and third 
 of these considerations are regulated by the nor- 
 mal speed at which the motor will operate at its 
 highest efficiency, always remembering that a 
 wheel with too much pitch will work against itself 
 and absorb power from the motor without deliver- 
 
58 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ing a corresponding increase in the speed of the 
 boat. 
 
 The problem of " too much pitch " will be bet- 
 ter understood if it is remembered that " infinite 
 pitch " would be represented by a wheel the blades 
 of which were set at right angles to the plane of 
 revolution, or parallel to the axis. The revolu- 
 tion of such a wheel would absorb power with no 
 resultant motion in either forward or reverse di- 
 rection. 
 
 Three-bladed propellers are used on the major- 
 ity of motor boats, so this is a problem that need 
 not give the owner much concern. 
 
 For motors under three horse-power, how- 
 ever, it is advisable to use a wheel having but two 
 blades, as any greater number would necessitate 
 the construction of so small a propeller that effi- 
 cient results could not be obtained without reduc- 
 ing the pitch to a very small degree. It is in the 
 shape of the blades, then, that the greatest lati- 
 tude of selection will be found, and here is ample 
 opportunity for the trial of all manner of wheels. 
 
 Whether the blade should be long and tapering, 
 thin at the hub and thick at the end, or of uni- 
 form width throughout the greater part of its 
 length, is largely a matter of opinion; a certain 
 shaped propeller that will give excellent results 
 with one boat would be utterly unsuited to a 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 59 
 
 craft of different proportions and character, even 
 though the proper size of wheel should be selected. 
 But, provided a well-designed wheel can be ob- 
 tained, of approximately the proper pitch and of 
 such a diameter that the motor will be held to its 
 normal revolutions, the owner need not worry as 
 to what results could be obtained with a different 
 propeller, for, except in the case of racing boats, 
 it is not probable that any change would make a 
 difference of more than five per cent in the speed 
 of the craft. 
 
 Every propeller should be so placed that its 
 entire periphery will at all times revolve well be- 
 low the surface of the water. This is necessary 
 in order that the propeller may have a solid body 
 of water against which to exert its push. Unless 
 this distance is at least six inches, in wheels of 
 sixteen inches in diameter, and over, a vigorous 
 whirlpool, or eddy, will be formed that will re- 
 duce the efficiency of the blades as they revolve 
 past this point of disturbance. 
 
 Another reason for placing the propeller rather 
 well below the surface of the water will be seen 
 on a rough day when, if the wheel is not properly 
 located, it will be uncovered with every wave and 
 so reduce the resistance on the motor that the lat- 
 ter will be allowed to race at each forward lunge 
 of the boat. This tendency will be overcome if 
 
60 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the wheel is placed several feet forward of the 
 extreme stern of the hull, but as high a speed or 
 efficiency will not be obtained in this position as 
 would be the case were the propeller located as 
 far aft as possible. 
 
 When a boat is tested out for speed, the trial 
 should always be made in a comparatively large 
 body of water, for the full efficiency cannot be 
 obtained in shallow or narrow streams on account 
 of the drag of the following waves on the bottom 
 or shores of the waterway. Even the fastest 
 racer would not be able to travel more than ten 
 or twelve miles an hour through a narrow canal, 
 and at this speed it would " pull the whole river 
 behind it." 
 
 Owing to the greater buoyancy of salt water, 
 the speed of a boat in this medium is generally 
 considered to be greater than that on inland lakes 
 and rivers. This is true to a certain extent, but 
 the difference is usually over-estimated, for it has 
 been found by tests that the respective speeds 
 are as 5.66 is to 6,5 — an almost negligible propor- 
 tion except in exceedingly fast racers. 
 
 The foregoing discussion regarding speed in 
 motor boats is not intended to make any own^r 
 dissatisfied with the present performance of his 
 craft, for that would be to sow the seeds of dis- 
 content. But there are many boats in use that, 
 
SPEEDING UP THE MOTOR 61 
 
 with a little refinement or change in equipment, 
 will travel faster with the same expenditure of 
 power, and if these details are attended to, a more 
 efficient, as well as a more economical craft will 
 be the result. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 * GETTING MORE POWER FROM A NEW MOTOR 
 
 LET the motor boatman not be deceived for 
 a moment into thinking that we are about 
 to divulge some secret formula whereby 
 he may increase the power developed by his en- 
 gine and thereby surprise his friends with two or 
 three miles an hour added to the speed of his 
 craft. Such formulas do not exist, and while 
 some speed maniacs may recommend " dope " in 
 the fuel tank, the addition of any stimulant is 
 almost certain eventually to result in a weakened 
 motor. The power developed by a motor that 
 is in perfect condition cannot be increased, and 
 it is wasted time to labor with an engine that is 
 doing its best. The gasoline motor is not like the 
 steam engine, the power of which can be increased 
 by added steam pressure, and its limitations are 
 sharply defined by its bore, stroke, compression 
 and efficiency of its joints, packing, air passages, 
 and bearings. 
 
 This would seem to indicate that a new motor 
 offers no opportunity for improvement except 
 62 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 63 
 
 during the first few weeks of running required to 
 " wear it in " and increase the efficiency of the 
 moving parts and that no attention will be re- 
 quired by it until the time for the first spring 
 overhauling. This should be true, and every man 
 who has spent time, thought, and money on the 
 selection and purchase of a new motor has the 
 right to expect that all adjustments have been 
 made and all faults remedied at the factory and 
 that his acquisition will develop its maximum 
 power and run at its highest efficiency from the 
 outset. 
 
 No factory is absolutely infallible, however, and 
 even though the motor may have been in perfect 
 condition when it was shipped, the knocks and 
 jars of transportation, loading and unloading 
 may loosen some of the parts or shake them out 
 of adjustment. Added to this, the amateur may 
 make some mistakes at the outset when trying to 
 start his new motor, and even though the results 
 of these mistakes may not be apparent for some 
 time, they may contribute to a decided decrease 
 in the power of the machine. Then, too, a poor 
 quality of cylinder oil may have been used which 
 has become gummed during the long interval be- 
 tween the final factory test of the motor and its 
 trial by its new owner ; and dozens of other trou- 
 bles and accidents may contribute to the poor 
 
64 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 performance of a power plant from which great 
 feats have been expected — and can be obtained 
 when the seat of the disturbance is reached and 
 matters remedied. 
 
 Assuming that the motor runs, let us suppose 
 that it does not develop the power for which it 
 was designed. With good gasoline and a " fat " 
 spark, this loss of power nine times out of ten 
 will be due to faulty compression. Power cannot 
 be obtained without sufficient compression in the 
 cylinder, for it is upon this that the force of the 
 explosion depends and a leak allows this useful 
 energy to escape and be wasted absolutely. The 
 compression, of course, can be felt by the resist- 
 ance offered to turning the flywheel when all valves 
 and cocks in the cylinder are closed. If there is 
 more than a single cylinder, the one offering the 
 least resistance is certain to be that in which 
 the trouble will be found, for under normal con- 
 ditions the compression should be the same in 
 all on the up-stroke of the piston. 
 
 If the motor has but one cylinder, its compres- 
 sion-retaining ability may be determined by turn- 
 ing the flywheel until the point of greatest resist- 
 ance is reached and then holding it there until it 
 can be moved past the " dead center " easily. If 
 the motor possesses good compressison an appre- 
 ciable time will elapse before the resistance is re- 
 
GETTING MORE POWER Q5 
 
 duced sufficiently to enable the flywheel to be 
 turned over, but it must be remembered that even 
 in the best of engines the compression will escape 
 eventually. But if the flywheel may be turned 
 over slowly without meeting any vigorous resist- 
 ance, it may be safely assumed that good compres- 
 sion is a negligible quantity in this case and the 
 leak should be sought. 
 
 The average compression in an ordinary gaso- 
 line engine is about sixty pounds per square inch, 
 which would amount, in a four-inch cylinder, to 
 a total resistance of about 750 pounds. But if 
 the flywheel by which the piston is moved is two 
 feet in diameter and if the crank is two inches long 
 (assuming a four-inch stroke), the actual force 
 necessary to be applied at the rim of the flywheel 
 would be but 125 pounds; and if momentum has 
 been attained by giving the flywheel a swing, this 
 resistance can be overcome comparatively easily 
 and the force of compression will not be found 
 to be as formidable as the figures would have it 
 appear. But by keeping the comparative values 
 of these figures in mind and remembering that 
 even the strongest compression will gradually es- 
 cape past the piston rings if the piston is held 
 near the top of its stroke, even the rankest ama- 
 teur can learn to disinguish between good and 
 poor compression. 
 
ee THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 It is to the piston rings that most of the loss 
 of compression can be laid. These rings are sup- 
 posed to form a tight joint between the cylinder 
 walls and piston, for the latter, having to move 
 freely and being subject to variable expansion 
 (due to the heat, cannot be machined to a perfect 
 fit. The rings, on the other hand, being springy, 
 can adapt themselves to any temperature that 
 will be found within the cylinder walls — ^provided 
 they receive sufficient lubrication. 
 
 The maj ority of motors are tested after manu- 
 facture and are shipped to the purchaser with the 
 piston and rings thoroughly oiled and a certain 
 amount of lubricant in the base. In the case of 
 a new machine, however, the moving parts of 
 which are liable to be " stiff " at first, it is better 
 to be on the safe side and introduce plenty of 
 fresh oil into the crank case and to the piston and 
 rings before the motor is started. 
 
 But in spite of these precautions, one of the 
 rings may have become " stuck " in its groove so 
 that it no longer automatically fits the curvature 
 of the cylinder walls and consequently the com- 
 pression and the exhaust gases of the explosion 
 are allowed to escape past it. There will prob- 
 ably be three or four rings on each piston and 
 the motor may run with the remainder of these in 
 working condition, but the best results cannot be 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 67 
 
 obtained unless all are loose in their grooves. 
 Consequently it is for a stuck ring that the owner 
 is to search first when he finds that one cylinder 
 fails to holds its compression as well as its com- 
 panions. 
 
 The only certain way of locating and remedy- 
 ing the trouble is to " get at " the rings. In 
 the case of a motor having a solid cylinder head, 
 this may be done by removing the entire cylinder 
 casting from the base of the machine, thus leav- 
 ing the piston and rings exposed. If the motor 
 has a removable head the connecting rod may be 
 loosened from the crankshaft by reaching through 
 the hand-holes generally provided in the crank 
 case and unscrewing the nuts that hold the two 
 halves of the bearing in place. After this has 
 been done the piston may be pulled out through 
 the top of the cylinder and the rings will be ready 
 for inspection. 
 
 Each ring should be loose and should not bind 
 in any portion of its groove, whether it be pushed 
 in or out or be turned either way as far as the 
 pin forming the stop at the notches in the end will 
 allow. If it is found that a ring is stuck in its 
 groove it is probably due to a deposit of carbon 
 and gummed oil rather than to any mechanical 
 defect. Great care should be taken in loosening 
 the ring and the gummy substance should be dis- 
 
68 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 solved by the application of kerosene or gasoline 
 at every accessible portion. 
 
 Then a small screwdriver may be placed under 
 one of the free portions between the ring and its 
 groove and gradually v/orked around until the 
 remainder is loosened; but the ring should never 
 be bent out from its end, as this would be almost 
 certain to snap it in two. A broken ring is not 
 only useless, but will do actual harm if the motor 
 is allowed to run under these conditions, and as 
 it is not a particularly easy matter to fit a new 
 one in place, rings should be removed only with 
 the greatest care. 
 
 Even though the sticking is caused only by a 
 small amount of gummed oil that can easily be 
 dissolved, the ring should be removed in order 
 that it and its groove may be scraped out and 
 cleaned thoroughly. The ring should be thor- 
 oughly loosened before any attempt is made to 
 remove it and then it should be worked out gradu- 
 ally in sections, wedging each part out with a stiff 
 wire to prevent its return to the groove. When 
 the ring gets entirely out of its groove it may be 
 slid along the outside of the piston and off at 
 the end, but if more than one ring is removed at 
 a time care should be taken to distinguish them, 
 as each should be returned to its own groove. If 
 the motor is small and the ring is not too stiff, 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 69 
 
 the latter may sometimes be removed by pulling a 
 piece of stovepipe wire between the ring and pis- 
 ton and following this action with the fingers of 
 one hand to push the ring up on the piston as it 
 leaves its groove. 
 
 It may be that the ring has been hurriedly 
 fitted at the factory and put in place without 
 having been properly finished. This will cause 
 it to stick in its groove, even though the oil has 
 not gummed, and consequently it should be tested 
 for a good fit before being returned to its place. 
 After the carbon and gummed oil have been re- 
 moved the ring may be tested for size without 
 returning it to its groove by rolling it around in 
 the groove so that each part will come in con- 
 tact with the portion of the groove in which it 
 ordinarily rests. In order to have these portions 
 " register " the ring should be held upside down 
 and started with one end placed against the pin 
 forming the stop in the groove. 
 
 Whenever there is the slightest binding between 
 the sides of the ring and the groove such portions 
 should be marked in order that the parts that 
 need grinding may be determined. If it is found 
 that the ring is a comparatively tight fit in its 
 groove so that absolute freedom of motion cannot 
 take place, it may easily be ground down with a 
 piece of fine emery paper. This emery paper, or 
 
70 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 cloth, should be laid on a flat surface and the 
 ring placed upon it. Then, by pressing firmly 
 upon the ring with the fingers and giving it a 
 rotary sweep with the hand over the rough sur- 
 face of the emery cloth, the side that is lying 
 down will be ground off slightly. 
 
 If the ring seems to be too thick throughout its 
 entire length the pressure of all of the fingers 
 should be evenly distributed, but otherwise only 
 those portions at which the binding takes place 
 should receive the greatest weight. By alter- 
 nately testing the ring in the groove in the man- 
 ner already mentioned and grinding the thick por- 
 tions as described above, a perfect fitting ring 
 and one that should do its share in holding com- 
 pression for a long time to come may be obtained 
 quite easily. 
 
 If the entire cylinder has been removed to 
 reach the piston a little care will need to be 
 exercised when assembling the parts. After the 
 rings are in place the piston should be moved to 
 the bottom of its stroke and held in a vertical 
 position with the engine bed while the cylinder is 
 slid over it. The lower edge of the cylinder walls 
 will probably be beveled to allow it to slide easily 
 over the rings as they project from their grooves, 
 but the cylinder must be set on very slowly and 
 not forced, for any undue pressure will mar the 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 71 
 
 edges of the rings and result in scored walls and 
 eventual leakage of compression. 
 
 Care should also be taken to keep the rings in 
 their proper position with their notched ends, or 
 joints, surrounding the small pin provided in each 
 groove. If the ends of any ring move around 
 beyond this pin forming a stop the joints of all 
 rings may eventually fall in one straight line, in 
 which case an easy escape for the compression 
 would be furnished. The joints of adjoining 
 rings should always be placed on opposite sides 
 of the piston. 
 
 If the cylinder has a removable head and the 
 piston has been withdrawn in order to repair the 
 rings, its return to its place may be greatly facil- 
 itated by a simple device. The piston will set 
 easily into the cylinder until the first ring is 
 reached, after which it will be evident that each 
 ring must be compressed tightly in order to fit 
 within the cylinder walls. The device in ques- 
 tion consists merely of a piece of annealed stove- 
 pipe wire — which is flexible and yet strong — 
 about a foot longer than the diameter of the pis- 
 ton. Each end of this should be twisted around 
 the middle of a wooden handle, which may be cut 
 from a broomstick. 
 
 By crossing the wire near the handles a loop 
 will be formed which should be placed around the 
 
72 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ring that it is desired to compress after the piston 
 has been set in position. When this is done a 
 steady pull on the handles will furnish a leverage 
 that will easily serve to compress the ring so that 
 the piston will drop into place until stopped by 
 the next ring. By dealing with all rings in the 
 same manner the piston of even a large motor may 
 be set in place in its cylinder in a surprisingly 
 short time and with very little trouble. 
 
 If all of the rings have been examined and It 
 is found that the cause of the loss of compression 
 does not lie with them, it is probable that some of 
 the packing has been loosened or blown out, thus 
 furnishing a vent for the escape of some of the 
 gases. Of course, it is possible that the spark 
 plug is not a good fit or that the relief or priming 
 cock valve has loosened, but the escape of com- 
 pression and exhaust gases from such an outlet 
 would be so apparent when the motor is running 
 that even the tyro would not look farther for 
 the leak and would tighten these parts before 
 examining the rings. 
 
 Escape of compression through the packing of 
 the cylinder can only occur in those motors hav- 
 ing detachable cylinder heads. But such trouble 
 is easily remedied and should not be considered 
 as an offset to the many advantages possessed by 
 this type of motor. When it is found that there 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 73 
 
 Is a leak in the cylinder packing the head should 
 be unbolted and both' surfaces thoroughly cleaned. 
 The old packing that cannot be picked or torn 
 off should be first soaked with kerosene or gasoline 
 and then scraped with a putty knife, or other flat, 
 broad-bladed instrument, until the top of the cyl- 
 inder and the bottom of the cylinder head are 
 perfectly smooth. 
 
 Although the packing of the cylinder head is 
 not directly exposed to the heat of the exhaust 
 gases, the walls and surfaces between which it 
 rests will become rather hot through conduction. 
 But this " gasket " also serves as a packing for 
 the water jacket between the cylinder and its head 
 and consequently the joint must be waterproof 
 as well as able to withstand an appreciable amount 
 of heat. Asbestos and rubber packings are made 
 especially for this purpose and either will give 
 satisfactory service when cut to the proper size 
 and shape and held securely in place by the bolts 
 that pass through the cylinder head. 
 
 One of the most effective packings, however, 
 and one that is the easiest for the amateur to ap- 
 ply, can be made from heavy, tough brown paper 
 or drawing paper. Such a gasket will proA^e to 
 be gas and watertight and will not be affected 
 by the heat of the iron surfaces of the cylinder 
 and its head between which it is placed. 
 
74 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 The best manner in which to apply such a gas- 
 ket is as a sort of shellac-and-paper sandwich of 
 the " double-deck " variety, composed of several 
 layers of each ingredient. In order to cut each 
 piece to exactly the proper shape and size the 
 paper should be laid over the top of the cylinder 
 on the surface on which the gasket is to be placed. 
 By holding the piece firmly in place and tapping 
 the edges and outlines of the iron surface through 
 the paper with the round or " peening " end of a 
 machinist's hammer, the paper will be cut to the 
 proper shape. The edges of all bolt holes and 
 water jacket openings in the surface should also 
 be tapped in this manner, but care should be 
 taken not to strike so heavily that the threads of 
 the bolt holes will be injured. The tapping should 
 be sufficient to break the paper and care should 
 be taken to prevent the gasket from moving before 
 the entire outline is finished. 
 
 Three or four gaskets should be made in this 
 manner and then a coat of shellac should be ap- 
 plied to the surface of the top of the cylinder. 
 On this should be laid a gasket in exactly the same 
 position as that in which it was cut so that all 
 outlines, holes and openings will " register " and 
 then the gasket itself should be shellacked. This 
 should be continued until all gaskets are in place, 
 each being separated from the others and from 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 75 
 
 the Iron surfaces of the cylinder and head by a 
 layer of shellac. 
 
 The gaskets should be laid In place quIcMy be- 
 fore the shellac will have an opportunity to dry. 
 After this " sandwich " has been " built up " and 
 the last gasket has been treated to its coat of 
 shellac, the cylinder head should be bolted In 
 place as tightly as possible. The motor should 
 not be run for a few minutes until after the 
 shellac has had an opportunity to " set." 
 
 The above treatment Is almost certain to cure 
 any case of leakage of compression from the cyl- 
 inder proper and the renewal of this packing may 
 cause an Increase of from ten to twenty-five per 
 cent In the power developed by the motor. But 
 there Is another source of trouble which Is often- 
 times overlooked In the search for the missing 
 horsepower. This Is the crank case compression, 
 or the compression formed in the base by the 
 down-stroke of the piston and used to force the 
 charge upward Into the cylinder. This Is the 
 principle used on what Is known as the " three- 
 port " type of two-cycle motor, and while this 
 compression does not amount to more than from 
 ten to fifteen pounds per square Inch, the escape 
 of even a small part of It Is vital, for It Is the 
 actual explosive mixture In Its most concentrated 
 form that Is lost. 
 
76 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Practically everyone who has had experience 
 with this type of motor is familiar with the 
 *' crank case explosion " that occurs whenever too 
 weak a mixture is admitted to the engine. As a 
 rule, such crank case explosions are more start- 
 ling than harmful, but occasionally the force of 
 the pre-ignited gases will blow out a part of the 
 packing between the crank case and removable 
 base plate with which nearly all motors are pro- 
 vided in order to render the connecting rod bear- 
 ing accessible. If it is found that this gasket has 
 been so damaged a new one may be cut out in the 
 same manner as that described for the cylinder 
 head packing, but it is better to use only one 
 layer of heavy paper rather than several gaskets 
 of a lighter weight. 
 
 As it is frequently necessary to reach the inte- 
 rior of the crank case by removing the base plate, 
 the gaskets for this portion should not be shel- 
 lacked. This gasket, however, is not subjected 
 to high pressures and does not need to be abso- 
 lutely watertight and consequently the application 
 of oil or grease on both sides of the packing will 
 serve the purpose almost as well as will shellac and 
 at the same time will prevent the gasket from 
 sticking to the base plate or crank case when 
 the former is removed. 
 
 As a further precaution against the escape of 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 77 
 
 crank case compression, none of the plugs, oilers, 
 and pipes leading to the base of the motor should 
 be allowed to jar loose. It may sometimes hap- 
 pen that the valve on an oil cup will become stuck 
 and allow the compression to force its way back 
 against the lubricant, but such a condition will 
 generally be indicated by a very apparent splut- 
 tering and bubbling. 
 
 It is not only the fact that a leak in the crank 
 case allows a part of the incoming charge to es- 
 cape that reduces the power of the motor, but 
 the dilution of the remaining mixture, as well, will 
 cause irregular running of the engine. On the 
 up or compression stroke of the motor, a partial 
 vacuum is formed in the crank case. This vac- 
 uum should be filled only by the incoming gas, 
 which has already been properly mixed at the 
 carburetor, but any leak in the crank case will 
 furnish an entrance through which air will find 
 its way and thus dilute the explosive charge. 
 
 With the rings, gaskets, oil cups, and oil-hole 
 plugs in good condition, there is only one route 
 by which air can be taken into the crank case, 
 other than by way of the carburetor. This is 
 through the crank shaft bearings, for if these 
 have become loosened or worn, an easy passage is 
 formed for the escape of the gas and the admis- 
 sion of the outside air. The crank shaft bear- 
 
78 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ings, of course, should not be set too tight, or they 
 will bind and soon become worn, but on the other 
 hand, there should be no perceptible " play " be- 
 tween the crank shaft and its bearing surfaces. 
 
 Under proper conditions, the film of oil that 
 should be kept on the bearings from the lubricator 
 or from the crank case will serve to make an air- 
 tight joint between the shaft and the surfaces 
 on which it turns. But let even one bearing run 
 for only a short time without oil, and the softer 
 bronze or babbit metal will become worn, 
 " chewed," or " burned out " in an astonishingly 
 short space of time ; and even though the normal 
 supply of oil be resumed, a new bearing will al- 
 most certainly be required. This furnishes, to 
 the amateur, one of the most puzzling causes of 
 loss of power in a motor, and while the installa- 
 tion of a new bearing will render the engine as 
 sturdy and vigorous as ever, the inaccessibility 
 of this part of the motor makes the bearing the 
 last place to which the motor boatman will look 
 for power leakage. It is only when he has ex- 
 hausted every other resource and has proved to 
 his own satisfaction that the rings, packing, and 
 other joints are tight that the novice will realize 
 the important part that properly-set crank shaft 
 bearings play in the behavior of his two-cycle, 
 threie-port motor. 
 
GETTING MORE POWER 79 
 
 Many an owner has claimed that he has ob- 
 tained greatly increased power from his motor 
 by a change in carburetors, but, as a rule, this 
 is probably due as much to imagination as to any 
 material advantage gained. When a good motor 
 leaves the factory, it is supposed to be provided 
 with a carburetor of the proper size and type, 
 and, as a rule, the less " monkeying " with this 
 part of the engine, the better. But the carburetor 
 equipment is designed for a certain normal speed 
 of the motor, and it may be that, owing to a 
 slight change in the pitch or size of the propeller, 
 the motor will " turn up " faster than was the 
 case in the factory trials. In this event, the car- 
 buretor with which the motor was originally pro- 
 vided may not have a sufficiently large air open- 
 ing to supply all of the cylinders with enough 
 mixture at this increased speed, and in conse- 
 quence the engine may " starve." 
 
 The remedy, of course, lies in the change to a 
 larger carburetor, but this should not be installed 
 until it is made comparatively certain that the 
 motor really is " starving." A motor suffering 
 from this ailment will run well when throttled, 
 but on the high speeds will miss and backfire and 
 seem to suffer from lack of fuel in somewhat the 
 same manner as has doubtless been noticed when 
 the gasoline supply is about to become ^hausted. 
 
80 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 These few hints on the common causes of the 
 loss of power in a new motor should not make 
 owners dissatisfied with their purchases and won- 
 der if thej are " getting their money's worth," 
 for " leave well enough alone " is a motto that 
 could be applied to good advantage by many a 
 power boatman who sets out to discover the source 
 of a supposed loss of power, only to find that his 
 craft was doing its best in the first place and 
 that his hoped-for improvements turn out to be 
 serious handicaps. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 HOW TO INSTALL A MARINE POWER PLANT 
 
 THERE is a certain fascination about the 
 work we do ourselves that makes the en- 
 joyment of the man who chugs along at 
 seven miles an hour in his little two-horsepower, 
 home-made motor boat equal to, if not greater 
 than, that of the millionaire who sits at the wheel 
 of his twenty-eight-mile-an-hour racer and gives 
 his " dust " to every other craft in sight. The 
 difference in speed between the two boats may be 
 great and the difference in price greater, but the 
 sense of ownership and pride is the same, and the 
 one can speak as boastfully of " my motor boat " 
 as can the other — for is not that craft which is 
 the product of his brain and labor and the skill of 
 his hands more truly his than the one which 
 merely represents a certain cash investment? 
 
 There are many men who, owning a staunch 
 sailboat, skiff, or canoe, desire to replace the old 
 wind and muscle power with something which is 
 
 81 
 
82 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 at least stronger and less easily tired than these 
 fickle human energies. The result will be seen in 
 the number of former " non-power " craft con- 
 verted into good, bad, or indifferent motor boats 
 by the installation of a small gasoline engine. 
 By this it is not meant that the best way to build 
 a motor boat is to buy an old hull and to stick 
 therein a cheap or second-hand motor, for unless 
 one or the other of these is already on hand, it 
 will be far less expensive in the end to purchase 
 a new craft outright. It is only for those who 
 already own a good hull of some kind and desire 
 to change the power that the proper installation 
 of a good motor offers the possibilities of a cheap 
 and efficient power craft. 
 
 Whether the craft resulting from the combina- 
 tion of a certain motor and a certain hull will be 
 a success or not depends almost as much upon 
 the manner of the installation of the one in the 
 other as upon the quality and kind of these parts 
 of the completed motor boat. A well-made hull 
 of good design may be almost ruined by a poor 
 motor, while the highest-priced engine on the 
 market will be of little avail in any boat if proper 
 attention has not been given to the details of 
 the bed, log, stuffing box, arrangement of the 
 shaft and piping, and other features of a marine 
 engine installation. 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 83 
 
 With the sailboat, skiff, or canoe already on 
 hand, the first problem that presents itself is 
 the selection of the proper size and kind of motor 
 to be installed. This problem will not be a seri- 
 ous one if it is remembered that too much power 
 is far worse than too little and that it is better to 
 jog along comfortably at seven miles an hour 
 than it is to have both occupants and hull shaken 
 to pieces in an effort to obtain ten miles with a 
 larger engine. The average sailboat, skiff, or 
 canoe is not designed for high speed or the appli- 
 cation of great power and it is useless to consider 
 the conversion of any one of these hulls into a 
 ** racer "—both because the construction will not 
 admit of the installation of a large engine and 
 because the general lines of such a model are not 
 suited for travel through the water at a rate 
 more than one and one half to two times greater 
 than that for which it was originally intended. 
 
 For ordinary purposes, then, it may be stated 
 that a one-horsepower motor is sufficient for a 
 canoe, twice that power is ample for a skiff, and 
 an engine developing twelve horsepower should 
 be enough for a twenty-five foot sailboat. Of 
 course hulls of these models which are made espe- 
 cially for the installation of power would not be 
 affected by these limits, and occasions may arise 
 in which the use of considerably larger engines 
 
84 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 than those mentioned may be found advisable. 
 The above figures, however, will apply to the case 
 of the average man who owns a good hull which 
 he desires to convert into a power boat. 
 
 For all hulls under thirty or thirty-five feet in 
 length, the two-cycle motor is the best form of 
 power plant, for in these cases low initial cost 
 and simplicity of construction are preferable to 
 economy of operation. While it does not pay to 
 put a poor motor in any hull, it is equally absurd 
 to purchase an expensive four-cycle engine for in- 
 stallation in a boat which, at the best, was de- 
 signed only for eight or ten miles an hour. 
 
 Of course, if the four-cycle motor is already on 
 hand, or a good one can be obtained at a bargain, 
 the situation is changed, for it is chiefly the higher 
 initial cost of this type of engine that excludes it 
 from competition in a case like this with the 
 simpler two-cycle motor. With the field thus re- 
 stricted to a certain type and size, the selection 
 of the proper motor for the converted hull is a 
 matter of reliability and substantial construction 
 — and these are qualities which will be found in 
 the majority of marine engines built to-day. 
 
 The most important part of the installation of 
 a motor in a boat is the bed. If these hulls were 
 not originally intended to be power driven and 
 cannot accommodate a. large motor because of 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 86 
 
 the excessive vibrations, it is evident that what- 
 ever engine is installed should be so arranged and 
 placed that these vibrations will be reduced to a 
 minimum. Even the seams of a stout sailboat 
 may be opened and the planking and rivets loos- 
 ened because of the violent shakes and throbs 
 transmitted throughout its whole length by a 
 large or poorly installed motor. When you add 
 to this difficulty the fact that no pleasure can be 
 found in riding in a craft having such excessive 
 vibrations, it will be seen that upon the proper 
 installation of the motor depends, not only the 
 life or endurance of the hull itself, but the com- 
 fort of the passengers and the degree of useful- 
 ness of the boat as a pleasure vehicle. 
 
 Even the smoothest running and most perfectly 
 balanced motor is bound to vibrate when running 
 under load, and when improperly installed, such 
 a piece of perfect mechanism may be placed on a 
 par with the worst bone shaker that ever deserved 
 a grave in the junk heap. There should not be 
 the slightest looseness between the engine base, its 
 bed, and the hull and keel of the boat, for such a 
 condition will be aggravated by the running of 
 the motor and in a short time the whole power 
 plant will be shaken loose and the shaft may be 
 sprung or weakened. 
 
 In the effort to keep down weight in an in- 
 
86 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 stallation of this kind, the tendency seems to 
 be to select blocks of wood and timbers that are 
 entirely too light, and the result is an engine bed 
 which, while probably of the proper shape, is 
 not sufficiently heavy to absorb the vibrations. 
 It is far better that the bed should be composed 
 of timbers unnecessarily heavy rather than that 
 the motor should be forced to run on too flimsy 
 a foundation; the disadvantage of the extra 
 weight will be more than counter-balanced by the 
 longer life of the hull and the increased comfort 
 of the passengers. Of course this does not mean 
 that " three-by-sixes " should be placed in a canoe, 
 but on the other hand it would be far better to 
 use these heavy timbers in the little craft than to 
 employ crosspieces and stringers scarcely larger 
 than the " lath and scantling " found in some of 
 the converted canoes and skiffs. 
 
 While no definite rule can be given as to the 
 size of the timbers to be used in the engine bed, in 
 general it may be said that pieces less than one 
 and one half Inches thick are insufficient for any 
 power plant, while twelve and fifteen horsepower 
 motors may require stuff three and more inches 
 in thickness. A good deal depends upon the de- 
 sign of the motor; a ten-horsepower, single cyl- 
 inder, heavy-duty engine, for instance, would re- 
 quire a heavier bed than a motor in which the same 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 87 
 
 power was distributed among two or more cylin- 
 ders. 
 
 The size of the stuff to be used also depends 
 much upon the kind of wood, a bed of soft pine 
 requiring heavier timbers than one in which oak 
 is employed for the same motor. Oak is prob- 
 ably the most solid and substantial engine bed, 
 although for small motors installed in light canoes 
 or skiffs teak is sometimes preferred. The latter 
 is more expensive, however, and will seldom be 
 found except in the higher-priced, " ready-made " 
 motor boats. White pine, although used in some 
 of the cheaper grades of boats, is too light and 
 soft for constant service and the bolts and lag 
 screws are liable to work loose much sooner than 
 would be the case were a harder wood employed. 
 For the larger boats, when oak is unavailable or 
 too expensive, rough hemlock timbers will be 
 found to give good service in an engine bed and 
 to form a satisfactory substitute for any better 
 grade of wood. 
 
 Of equal importance with the size and kind of 
 material used is the manner in which the pieces 
 are arranged to form the engine bed. The general 
 form of the bed should be such that the vibra- 
 tions from the engine are distributed over as great 
 a length of the hull as is practicable. A motor 
 which is set on a bed no larger than the engine 
 
88 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 base will concentrate its vibrations on that one 
 small section of the hull on which the foundation 
 is installed; the consequent shaking of the entire 
 boat will be much greater than would be the 
 case were the result of the impulses distributed 
 over a greater area. 
 
 In far too many of the ready-made motor boats 
 of the cheaper grade the engine bed is merely a 
 square, boxlike aifair to the upper edges of which 
 the engine base is bolted and forms the cover, 
 as it were. Such a construction can give no per- 
 manence or solidity to the foundation and is more 
 often the cause of a rattle-box sensation and 
 sound in the craft than is a poorly designed 
 motor. 
 
 At first glance, it might seem absurd even to 
 consider the conversion of an ordinary twenty- 
 five foot catboat into a power craft, for its broad 
 beam and general tublike and bulky appearance 
 naturally indicate that the energy of any motor 
 would be wasted in trying to drive it more than 
 four or five miles an hour. Appearances are de- 
 ceptive, however, for such a hull when slightly 
 altered at the stern and equipped with a prop- 
 erly installed motor of ten or twelve horsepower 
 can comfortably carry a dozen persons at the rate 
 of ten miles an hour, or better. The decks would, 
 of course, have to be cut down in order to give 
 
HOW^ TO INSTALL 89 
 
 a greater capacity to the cockpit, but this merely 
 involves work that almost any carpenter can per- 
 form. 
 
 The main part of the engine bed for a craft of 
 this kind should consist of two oak or hemlock 
 timbers from twelve to eighteen feet long. These 
 should be " three-by-sixes " and should be set on 
 edge along the bottom of the boat on either side 
 of the keel and at a distance apart about six 
 inches greater than the width of the engine base. 
 Each should be secured to the hull by means of 
 long bolts and nuts passing entirely through the 
 timber and the ribs and planking of the boat. 
 
 On the outside of the hull where the ends of 
 the bolts pass through the planking, washers 
 should be placed and the nuts screwed on tightly, 
 both being countersunk so that the hole may be 
 plugged afterwards and the entire surface made 
 smooth. These bolts should pass through at least 
 every other rib over which the timbers are set, 
 for it is upon these that the solidity of the engine 
 bed depends. 
 
 The crosspieces upon which the engine itself 
 is placed do not come in contact with the hull but 
 are secured directly to the long timbers. These 
 crosspieces, two, three, or four in number, depend- 
 ing upon the length of the engine base, should 
 be about the same width and thickness as the 
 
90 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 long timbers and of such a length that, when 
 standing on edge, the ends fit snugly down be- 
 tween the large pieces. They should be secured 
 in this position by long " lag screws " passing 
 through the large timbers and into the ends of 
 the crosspieces. The various crosspieces may be 
 trimmed down to allow for the required slant of 
 the motor in order that it may " line up " with 
 the propeller shaft. 
 
 By means of this construction the weight and 
 vibrations of the motor are distributed over a 
 length of hull equal to the length of the large 
 timbers, and if the motor is securely fastened to 
 the different crosspieces by means of heavy lag 
 screws, neither power plant nor bed can be shaken 
 loose easily. This same principle should be ap- 
 plied to the construction of beds for smaller 
 motors in skiffs and canoes, but it is manifestly 
 impossible to distribute the vibrations over so 
 great a proportion of the length of the hull as is 
 the case with the installation in the catboat. 
 
 In the larger boat most of the engine bed is 
 placed under the floor, and the long timbers are 
 consequently not in the way. In canoes, skiffs, 
 and other boats not large enough for a flooring, 
 however, the long pieces would interfere seriously 
 with the carrying capacity of the craft, and con- 
 sequently these timbers cannot be over four or 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 91 
 
 five feet long. Even this length may seem to oc- 
 cupy an undue amount of space, but this sacrifice 
 is preferable to the excessive vibrations and dis- 
 comfort that would be sure to accompany the use 
 of a shorter bed. By means of a little ingenuity, 
 this seemingly waste space between the ends of 
 the long timbers may be utilized as a seat and 
 locker for tools and engine supplies. 
 
 The location of the motor is a matter which 
 rests entirely with the owner, depending upon the 
 purposes for which he intends to use the boat. 
 The majority of low-priced, ready-made boats 
 have the engine installed in the extreme stern, but 
 in the case of the converted canoe, skiff, and sail- 
 boat the motor may be located in almost any por- 
 tion of the cockpit desired. It will generally be 
 found desirable to locate the motor in the extreme 
 stern of the canoe, for the carrying capacity of 
 such a craft is none too large at the best. 
 
 In the skiff, on the other hand, the best design 
 seems to be to place the engine just aft of the 
 forward, or oarsman's seat, and to operate the 
 boat from this position. This leaves the middle 
 seat and the comfortable stern seat available for 
 three or four passengers and is a design popular 
 v/ith guides and fishermen who have converted 
 their old rowboats into motor skiffs. 
 
 Another advantage of this location is found in 
 
92 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the fact that the average skiff is not designed for 
 a speed much in excess of the four or five miles 
 an hour attained in rowing, and when the motor 
 is installed and a speed of double this amount is 
 reached, the boat tends to " draw down " at the 
 stern. The skiff will not run as well in this posi- 
 tion, and it is consequently advisable to shift the 
 weight so that the bow will be brought to its nor- 
 mal level — a condition which is more easily 
 obtained by placing the motor and operator well 
 forward. 
 
 The tendency for the stern of a boat to draw 
 down when the craft is under higher speed than 
 that for which it was designed will be exemplified 
 particularly well in the case of the converted cat, 
 and even the weight of the motor and operator 
 if placed forward will hardly serve to overcome 
 this. Rather than transform the stern of the 
 hull from the fantail shape to the torpedo or V- 
 transom type, a wide sheet-iron plate, as described 
 in a previous chapter, can be built out around the 
 stern at the water line ; if this is sufficiently large 
 and properly braced it will aid greatly in keeping 
 the boat in its normal position while under way. 
 
 The farther forward the motor is placed, the 
 longer will be the propeller shaft required, for 
 the wheel should revolve near the stern extremity 
 of the hull, no matter in what part of the cockpit 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 93 
 
 the motor is located. While this will increase the 
 expense of installation by the cost of the extra 
 length of shaft required, the additional outlay 
 should be partly compensated for by the higher 
 efHciency of the craft. 
 
 Not only must the engine bed be solid, of the 
 proper size and design, and rigidly secured to the 
 hull, but the motor must be placed upon it in ex- 
 actly the right position, for otherwise its crank 
 shaft and the propeller shaft will not " line up." 
 If these two shafts are not in perfect alignment, 
 the propeller shaft will be sprung and there will 
 be undue pressure created on the bearings in 
 which it revolves. The result will be not only a 
 great loss of available power, but " frozen " and 
 ruined bearings as well. Where a universal joint 
 is used as a coupling, the motor may be set per- 
 fectly level and the propeller shaft may leave the 
 boat at almost any angle desired, but this is an 
 installation found only on the more expensive 
 type of boats using four-cycle engines and is 
 hardly to be considered in connection with a con- 
 verted power craft. 
 
 In order to line up the motor properly with 
 the propeller shaft, the crosspieces of the bed 
 should be so trimmed down that the base of the 
 engine, or crank shaft, is inclined at approxi- 
 mately the correct angle. Then, after the pro- 
 
94 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 peller shaft is installed and occupies its perma- 
 nent position, the motor may be tilted in either 
 direction or raised or lowered until the couplings 
 of the two shafts form a perfect joint. Thin 
 pieces of tin or sheet-iron placed under the 
 proper lug or portion of the base of the motor, 
 between it and the crosspiece upon which it rests, 
 will serve to change the position of the engine 
 slightly; by various combinations of these in dif- 
 ferent parts of the bed, the correct angle can be 
 maintained. 
 
 When the base is secured firmly in place by 
 means of the lag screws, these thin pieces of iron 
 or tin will be found to form a rigid support. It 
 is not advisable, however, to trim down the cross- 
 piece to such an extent that more than three or 
 four thicknesses of these " shims " will be needed, 
 for the motor should rest as closely to its wooden 
 supports as possible. 
 
 It is evident that great care must be taken at 
 the point in the keel through which the propeller 
 shaft passes in order to render it watertight and 
 at the same time provide a bearing that will not 
 restrict the free revolution of the shaft. This 
 double service is accomplished by the " shaft log," 
 which is a long block of wood through which the 
 shaft passes. One end of this log is trimmed to 
 the same angle as that made by the shaft and is 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 96 
 
 attached to the keel by means of heavy lag screws 
 or bolts. The joint thus made Is rendered water- 
 tight by the copious use of white lead and paint. 
 
 The shaft passes through a stuffing box at- 
 tached to the square end of the log, and at this 
 point also plenty of white lead should be used. 
 A stuffing box is similar to a short section of 
 brass pipe, threaded on one end to accommodate 
 a cap of the same material. Inside this cap is a 
 shoulder which fits closely around the shaft. If 
 a suitable form of packing is wound around the 
 shaft at the end of the brass-pipe section and the 
 cap screwed down closely over it, a watertight 
 joint and bearing will be formed in which the shaft 
 can revolve with no more resistance to overcome 
 than that furnished by the friction of the pack- 
 ing. 
 
 In some boats the log is attached inside the 
 hull to the upper surface of the keel, while in 
 others it is fastened in the water on the under 
 side. In the former case the stuffing box is much 
 more accessible and the packing can be renewed 
 more easily than would be the case were the '' out- 
 board " type used and is evidently the better de- 
 sign for a converted motor boat. 
 
 The outer end of the shaft near the propeller 
 should be carried in a bearing supported in a 
 " hanger " which is screwed to the keel of the 
 
96 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 boat. This does not apply, however, to the fan- 
 tail type of stern, in which the propeller is at- 
 tached to the shaft very near the point at which 
 it leaves the hull. The bearing in the hanger is, 
 of course, water lubricated, and almost any good 
 brass or bronze bearing material may be used as 
 desired. 
 
 It may happen, however, that some foreign sub- 
 stance, such as a small piece of gravel, may find 
 its way in between the bearing and the shaft and 
 " chew " the latter to pieces and " freeze " the 
 two together. To replace this destroyed bearing 
 will rquire more time and trouble if it is of brass 
 or bronze than would be the case were it composed 
 of babbit metal; in consequence it is sometimes 
 advisable to use the latter material for the hanger 
 bearing. 
 
 It is a good idea to mount tliis bearing on a 
 pivot in the hanger so that it may turn through a 
 small arc in the vertical plane. This will allow 
 the shaft to adjust itself more easily to the posi- 
 tion of the stuiiing box and will provide for any 
 slight settling or warping of the keel of the boat, 
 which would have a tendency to throw the two 
 bearings out of line and thus induce an additional 
 strain on the shaft. The shaft should be placed 
 in its proper position in the stuffing box and 
 hanger bearing before the motor is lined up with 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 97 
 
 it, as it is more easy to adjust the latter than the 
 former. 
 
 It can be assumed that every sailboat, skiff, or 
 canoe converted into a power craft is to be used 
 as a " knockabout " and general utility and pleas- 
 ure boat, that it will explore bays, rivers, and 
 streams that an expensive racer would not dare 
 to navigate, and that, in general, although by no 
 means a fool, it will rush in where a better boat 
 will fear to tread — through danger of treading 
 on the bottom with its delicate hull and propeller. 
 To obtain the fullest service from one of these 
 converted boats, then, it is necessary to protect 
 the propeller and rudder with a heavy skag, or 
 bar of iron attached to the keel and the hanger 
 or rudder post. 
 
 The size of the gasoline tank necessary depends 
 upon the power and kind of motor whose fuel it 
 is to carry, and upon the purposes to which it is 
 intended to put the boat. As a rule, a fifty- 
 gallon tank is none too large for a heavy twenty- 
 five- or thirty-foot converted sailboat driven by a 
 twelve- or fifteen-horsepower, two-cycle motor, 
 while a supply of five gallons of fuel is sufficient 
 for the purposes to which a converted skiff or 
 canoe would be put. 
 
 In nearly every case the best location for this 
 tank is in the bow, for the tendency of this pol*- 
 
98 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 tion of the hull to rise out of water when under 
 way provides a good " head," or pressure, to the 
 flow of the fuel. The tank should be of galvan- 
 ized iron or copper and should be thoroughly 
 tested before installation to make certain that 
 there are no small leaks at the soldered joints. 
 It must be remembered that gasoline can find its 
 way through an opening so minute as to be prac- 
 tically watertight. 
 
 In the converted skiff or canoe, the muffler 
 should be located alongside the motor and the 
 exhaust piped directly to it and thence to the open 
 air through a hole cut in the side of the boat near 
 the gunwale. If this outlet is placed too near 
 the water line, the muffler and exhaust pipe are 
 liable to be filled with water which will eventually 
 find its way into the engine cylinder and cause 
 difficulty in starting — if not actual harm to the 
 motor. 
 
 When the motor is located in the forward part 
 of the hull, as will probably be the case with the 
 converted skiff, the exhaust gases may be blown 
 back upon the other occupants of the boat when 
 the wind is quartering on the muffler side. This, at 
 times, may be disagreeable, but there is no remedy 
 for it unless the exhaust should be piped to the 
 stern. This may be done in the converted canoe 
 when the motor is located in the extreme stern, 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 99 
 
 but the extra space utilized by the exhaust pipe 
 running throughout the greater part of the 
 length of the cockpit generally renders such a 
 design impracticable for the converted skrff. This 
 difficulty is easily overcome when a motor is in- 
 stalled in a catboat or other medium-sized sail- 
 boat, for here the exhaust pipe may be run under 
 the floor to the stern of the hull and no valuable 
 space will be occupied. 
 
 The batteries and coil of the ignition system 
 should be protected from rain and spray at all 
 times, for these combine to form the " heart " of 
 the motor, which is easily affected by the slightest 
 moisture. When a boat is equipped with lockers, 
 a place convenient and accessible and at the same 
 time dry may be found easily. 
 
 In the case of a converted skiff or canoe, how- 
 ever, in which no locker space will be provided, a 
 box containing the batteries and coil may be 
 fastened under one of the cross seats. The open 
 end of this box may be protected by means of a 
 waterproof canvas or rubber flap attached to the 
 edge of the seat and buttoned to the under side 
 of the box. This will keep the contents of the 
 box dry and at the same time will render them 
 easily accessible. 
 
 So much for making a bona-fide motor boat. 
 Now for the motor as an aid to sails. With a 
 
100 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 little gasoline engine, commonly known as a 
 " kicker," installed in the sail boat, the craft may 
 forge its way against tide or current that would 
 give untold trouble were wind alone relied upon, 
 harbors can be made without the necessity of wait- 
 ing for a favoring breeze or a " tow," storms can 
 be weathered safely in an open sea, and canals 
 can be navigated at a speed that would cause the 
 old tow-path mules to prick up their ears with as- 
 tonishment and kick up their legs with the desire 
 to avenge a wounded pride. If the cruise is to 
 be long and the time short, so that a regular 
 schedule must be maintained, the auxiliary power 
 may be used to supplement the wind — if the craft 
 is riding on an even keel — and in days of absolute 
 calm, a consistent and regular, if slow, speed may 
 be maintained. 
 
 When installing a " kicker " it must not be for- 
 gotten, first of all, that the craft is essentially a 
 sail boat, and consequently none of its sailing 
 qualities should be sacrificed to the auxiliary 
 power. To be sure, a well designed racing yacht 
 of fine lines could not be provided with even small 
 power without some reduction in her original sail- 
 ing speed, but the average cruiser, sloop, or 
 " cat " will suifer very little from the proper In- 
 stallation of the correct type and size of motor. 
 
 As the Installation of power in a sail boat is only^ 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 101 
 
 for auxiliary purposes, the question of speed 
 should receive but secondary consideration. A 
 sail boat model can never be converted into a 
 speedy power craft hull, and if the anxious owner 
 can once get the idea out of his head that it is 
 " miles per hour " that he desires when he installs 
 a " kicker," his task will be greatly simplified and 
 cheapened. Six miles an hour is plenty of speed 
 for an auxiliary sail boat of average size, and if 
 a speed of eight or nine miles can be obtained 
 without too great a sacrifice of cockpit space, 
 the owner may be considered lucky in possessing 
 a hull that so readily lends itself to power craft 
 purposes. 
 
 In general, it may be said that more than dou- 
 ble the power would be required to drive the craft 
 at eight miles an hour than w^ould be found neces- 
 sary to obtain a speed of six miles, and as space 
 on an ordinary sail boat is valuable, the increase 
 in engine room would scarcely be warranted. Of 
 course, if provision is made for auxiliary power 
 when the craft is built, an engine of almost any 
 size, within reasonable limits, may be installed, but 
 the ordinary sail boat furnishes only a limited 
 amount of room in which a " kicker " can be 
 placed. 
 
 In view of the fact that the power and speed of 
 the boat are to be subordinated to roominess and 
 
102 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 interior arrangement, the selection of the proper 
 size and type of motor that is to form the 
 "kicker" becomes an important subject. It is 
 for this kind of work that the slow-speed, " heavy- 
 duty " motor is particularly valuable, and its 
 greater weight, which precludes its use in racing 
 or semi-speed boats, does not form a sufficient ob- 
 jection to overcome its many advantages as aux- 
 iliary power in a sail boat. Such a motor can be 
 obtained in greater horsepowers per cylinder 
 than can the lighter, high-speed engines, and this, 
 in itself, constitutes an important point in the 
 selection of the proper power plant for the sail 
 boat. 
 
 Six or eight horsepower is a size of " kicker " 
 often used, and while this can be obtained in a 
 single cylinder in the slow-speed type, the same 
 power would probably be distributed over two or 
 three cylinders in a motor of the lighter and 
 higher-speed design. To be sure, high-speed 
 racing motors of eight, ten, and even higher, 
 horsepower per cylinder will be found in many a 
 boat, but these are parts of multi-cylinder en- 
 gines developing a horsepower running well into 
 the ?iundreds and representing a type of power 
 plant totally different from that suitable as a 
 " kicker." 
 
 The most convenient out-of-the-way place in 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 103 
 
 which auxiliary power may be installed in a small 
 sloop or " cat " is the 'tween-deck space aft of 
 the cockpit. This space between the keel and the 
 stern deck will probably have been used as a 
 locker, reached by a door opening from the cock- 
 pit, and in this case but very little of the cockpit 
 lining need be demolished. With the door closed, 
 it would scarcely be noticed that the craft was 
 equipped with auxiliary power, but of course the 
 compartment should not be so tightly sealed when 
 the motor is in operation. 
 
 The distance between the engine bed and the 
 stern deck above will, to a certain extent, deter- 
 mine the size and type of motor that can be in- 
 stalled. The slow-speed, heavy-duty, single-cyl- 
 inder motor will have a comparatively long 
 stroke, and consequently the entire engine will set 
 somewhat higher than will one of the multi-cylin- 
 der type. This stern compartment will, at its 
 best, be rather difficult of access, however, and 
 consequently the simplest and least complicated 
 design of power plant should be used. Thus the 
 single-cylinder motor, restricted in power to a 
 size that will easily fit the 'tween-deck space, 
 will probably constitute the most satisfactory 
 *^ kicker " for the ordinary small sloop or cat 
 boat. Whether this should be of the two or the 
 four-cycle type depends upon the size of the mo- 
 
104 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 tor to be installed and the amount of money that 
 the owner is willing to invest in the conversion of 
 his craft. 
 
 Single-cylinder, two-cycle motors of five, six, 
 and even higher, horsepowers give satisfactory 
 service and are cheaper in initial cost than are 
 their four-cycle cousins. The fuel consumption 
 of the latter is less for a given power, however, 
 and it is probable that in sizes above eight horse- 
 power per cylinder the saving in the cost of gas- 
 oline would warrant the greater investment. If 
 it is intended to use the auxiliary power only in 
 emergencies, however, the two-cycle motor will be' 
 the better, regardless of its size, for the depre- 
 ciation will be less and there will be fewer parts 
 to be kept in running condition. 
 
 Even a single-cylinder, two-cycle motor, and 
 one used but infrequently, will require occasional 
 attention, and it is well to make the removable 
 bulkhead or door leading from the engine com- 
 partment into the cockpit of sufficient size to 
 enable the engine to be reached easily. If the 
 deck above the motor is solid, the cylinder should 
 not set so high but that a spark plug may be re- 
 moved or a terminal changed. With any except 
 the smallest type of motor, however, there will 
 not be room between the keel and stern deck to 
 allow the removal of a cylinder for the inspection 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 105 
 
 or repair of piston rings, and the only method in 
 this case is to loosen the engine from its bed and 
 carry it forward to the open cockpit space where 
 all parts may be reached easily. 
 
 For this reason, it is probably the best plan to 
 cut an opening in the stern deck above the motor 
 of sufficient size to allow the removal of the cylin- 
 der, and thus the " spring overhauling " will not 
 demand the separation of the engine from its 
 foundation. A trap door may cover this open- 
 ing, but some form of watertight lapping should 
 be used to render the motor as well protected 
 from rain and heavy seas as though it were rest- 
 ing under a thoroughly-caulked deck. 
 
 If the cockpit is sufficiently large, the motor 
 may be located in the stern portion where it will 
 be much more accessible than would be the case 
 were it placed 'tween decks. As the craft in 
 which the motor is located is primarily a sail 
 boat, however, some provision should be made for 
 covering over the power plant when it is not in 
 use. This may best be done by constructing a 
 boxlike framework which, when covered, will com- 
 pletely enclose the motor. 
 
 The top, sides, and end should be held in place 
 by means of hooks or buttons so that any portion 
 may be removed to reach the desired part of the 
 motor. This framework may be made to include 
 
106 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 only the motor proper, in which case a smaller 
 supplementary box should be used to enclose the 
 flywheel, which may thus be covered, even when 
 the motor is in operation. 
 
 Even though the motor is used only as auxil- 
 iary power, it will not belie its appellation of 
 " kicker " unless the foundation is made suffi- 
 ciently large and heavy. Inasmuch as this aux- 
 iliary power will probably be a motor of the 
 heavy-duty type, it is doubly necessary that the 
 more powerful vibrations should be distributed 
 over a large area of planking and ribs of the 
 hull, and the same methods should be followed in 
 installing the motor as those already described. 
 
 The intake pipe for the circulating water may 
 be let into the bottom plank near the keel at a 
 point under the pump, while the discharge may be 
 made through the muffler. This discharge jacket 
 water will be turned into steam by the hot gases 
 in the muffler, but the vapor will not be blown 
 aboard except by a strong following wind. In 
 which case, of course, the motor would not be 
 needed. The exhaust pipe should leave the hull 
 above the water line, and it is better that it should 
 be led to the extreme stern of the boat. If neces- 
 sary, however, the exhaust may be discharged di- 
 rectly through the side opposite the motor, but 
 in either case the pipe should be inclined slightly 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 107 
 
 downward from the engine in order that the sys- 
 tem will be self-draining and will free itself of any 
 water which may have washed in through the 
 outlet. 
 
 The muffler may be introduced into any con- 
 venient portion of the exhaust pipe line, but bet- 
 ter results are obtained when this is located as 
 near to the outlet as possible. Aside from the 
 fact that but little valuable space is occupied, 
 one of the chief advantages to be found with 
 placing the " kicker " under the stern deck lies 
 in the easy manner in which the piping is con- 
 cealed and the consequent absence of any hot 
 pipes which might otherwise be within too easy 
 reach of some of the passengers or crew of the 
 craft. 
 
 In the average motor boat, the fuel tank is 
 located under the bow deck. This is a safe loca- 
 tion for it, but in the case of the sail boat 
 equipped with auxiliary power, it might be in- 
 convenient to place the fuel tank in a portion of 
 the craft which is otherwise not affected by the 
 installation of the *' kicker." While it is not well 
 to have the gasoline tank placed so close to the 
 motor or muffler that the fuel will become unduly 
 heated before it reaches the carburetor, a well- 
 made and non-leakable receptacle can be placed 
 under the stern deck with perfect safety. It may 
 
108 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 m 
 be held in place bj means of metal straps secured 
 
 to the underside of the deck planks or frame 
 work, but care should be taken to make certain 
 that the copper feed pipe is so fastened through- 
 out its length that it cannot shake loose or break 
 from the vibrations of the motor. 
 
 A hole should be cut in the deck directly over 
 the filling plug of the gasoline tank. This hole 
 should be covered by means of a good-sized flush 
 plate which, when unscrewed, will furnish an open- 
 ing sufficiently large to enable a man to reach in 
 his hand in order to remove the cap or plug of 
 the tank. 
 
 As long as the size of a single cylinder is lim- 
 ited by the 'tween decks space, a double-cylinder 
 engine may, of course, be used, but some de- 
 signers and boat builders have found it advisable 
 to instal a twin-screw power plant. In such a 
 boat, two single-cylinder motors are mounted side 
 by side, each of which drives a propeller inde- 
 pendently of the other. The arrangement of 
 the foundation will, of course, be different from 
 that described for the single engine, but the prin- 
 ciple of the distribution of the weight and vibra- 
 tion will apply quite as well in one case as in the 
 other. 
 
 While the installation of a " kicker " is a com- 
 paratively simple matter, the man who sails or 
 runs a craft so equipped should bear in mind one 
 
HOW TO INSTALL 109 
 
 precaution. If the motor is located 'tween decks 
 or in any other enclosed compartment, the space 
 should be aired thoroughly and frequently, 
 whether the power plant is used or not. Oil and 
 grease, and possibly gasoline, are almost certain 
 to collect around the engine base, and the vapors 
 from these are liable to form an inflammable mix- 
 ture with the uncirculated air of the closed com- 
 partment. After a motor has been run, the gas- 
 oline in the float chamber of the carburetor grad- 
 ually evaporates, but in the open air this will do 
 no harm, as it is soon dispelled. This emphasizes 
 the advantage of removable covers, doors, and 
 deck plates in the engine compartment, for only 
 in this manner can the enclosed space be aired 
 properly. 
 
 This precaution of starting a fresh air circu- 
 lation through the motor compartment should be 
 taken previous to running the engine each day. 
 Even though the engine is not to be used for 
 some time, the compartment should be aired every 
 day or so. If to this caution be added the one 
 against leaving greasy waste or rags in any part 
 of the boat in which a free circulation of air can- 
 riot be obtained, the danger from fire will be re- 
 duced to a minimum and even the most apprehen- 
 sive passenger may feel as free from nervousness 
 when out in a " kicker " auxiliary sail boat as 
 though gasoline were an unknown liquid. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 ACCESSORIES 
 
 A CERTAIN man once bought a motor boat 
 which was advertised as "furnished com- 
 plete ready to run." It ran all right, but 
 it was easier for him to stand up than to sit down 
 on the hard, uncushioned seats and he had to take 
 a dinner bell and a fish horn along to comply with 
 the law regarding signals; by the time he had 
 purchased all the " extras " needed to make the 
 boat serviceable and comfortable in all kinds of 
 weather he had spent a sum almost equal to the 
 original cost of the boat — ^but he had as good an 
 all-around craft as any yachtsman could reason- 
 ably desire. 
 
 It is not necessary to go to this extreme and 
 buy all the " trimmings," but very few motor 
 boats in their original condition are equipped 
 with anything more than the attachments neces- 
 sary for operating the motor and steering the 
 hull, and an additional outlay is always required 
 to obtain all the pleasures possible out of the 
 craft. The " bare necessities " need consist only 
 
 110 
 
ACCESSORIES 111 
 
 of the proper number of lights, a whistle or other 
 signal to comply with the law, and a life preserver 
 or two. Cushions on all the seats may be a lux- 
 ury, but if they are cork-filled and are not fas- 
 tened to the boat, they may be made to take the 
 place of life preservers, as a cushion two or three 
 feet long has ample buoyancy to keep a person's 
 head above water. 
 
 The carrying of life preservers, whistle, and 
 signal lights should not be a matter of law alone, 
 however, for it is decidedly to the owner's interest 
 to equip his boat with appliances which not only 
 make for the safety of other craft in his vicinity, 
 but for the safety of those on board his own boat 
 as well. If life preservers are desired in addition 
 to those which may be formed by the cork-filled 
 cushions, a small " life ring " is probably the best 
 form. These rings have an opening through 
 them large enough to permit the admission of a 
 man's arm and shoulder, and as they are small 
 and compact they can be suspended from the roof 
 of the canopy top, out of the way and yet ready 
 for instant use. 
 
 If the boat is inclosed or has a canopy top, it 
 will probably be necessary to display three for- 
 ward signal lights at night. Two of these must 
 be placed beside vertical guards which serve to 
 enable each to be seen only from the proper side. 
 
112 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 In many boats these guards are permanent and 
 the lights are fastened on at the side of the 
 guard with a bracket. 
 
 For a small craft, however, these guards are 
 unsightly in the daytime while not serving any 
 practical purpose, and it is well to make them 
 collapsible so that they will not show when out of 
 use. This may be done best by making each 
 guard of a sheet of zinc and fastening it to the 
 roof by two or three " strap " hinges. When 
 not in use these may be turned back so that each 
 lies flat along the roof. When it is desired to 
 attach the lights the guards may be secured in 
 an upright position with a hook and eye. This 
 method of securing the signal-light boards will 
 also allow bulky articles to be carried on any 
 part of the roof. 
 
 A whistle or loud " noise maker " of some kind 
 is one of the most important attachments of a 
 motor boat, for not only does it serve as a signal 
 to warn other boats on which side you intend to 
 pass them, but on cruises it is useful in an- 
 nouncing the approach of your craft to locks, 
 drawbridges, and the like, and will thus save 
 much time in waiting for the tender to arrive at 
 the scene of operations. Owing to the noise made 
 by the motor in practically every power craft a 
 loud whistle or siren should be used for signaling 
 
ACCESSORIES 113 
 
 in order that it may be heard over the much 
 nearer sound of the engine in the other boat. 
 
 Por the smaller boats effective hand whistles 
 can be obtained which will serve the purpose 
 nearly as well as would a steam siren. These 
 consist of a large cylinder and hand-operated 
 plunger, the latter of which, when moved, com- 
 presses the air and forces it out through a small 
 whistle. This whistle is generally fastened di- 
 rectly to the cylinder, but if installed in the bot- 
 tom of the boat in this manner the high sides of 
 the cockpit will so confine the sound that much 
 of the effectiveness of the whistle as a signal will 
 be lost. A far better way in a medium-sized 
 craft is to disconnect the whistle proper from the 
 cylinder and place it either on the canopy top 
 (if the boat is covered) or on the bow deck. It 
 can then be connected with the source of air by 
 a few elbows and lengths of brass pipe — an ope- 
 ration which should not take a good pipefitter 
 more than an hour. 
 
 Many motor boats are now equipped with a 
 whistle operated by the exhaust from the motor — 
 either taken direct or confined in a separate tank, 
 to be used as desired. Such a signal may be 
 sounded from any part of the boat by merely 
 pulling a cord in the same manner as on steam 
 boats. Another type of marine whistle obtains 
 
114 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 its compressed air from a tank which is kept 
 filled by means of a small pump connected to the 
 gasoline motor. This pump can be so arranged 
 that it will be thrown into action automatically 
 when the pressure in the tank becomes reduced 
 below a certain amount. 
 
 The electric horn is coming into popular fa- 
 vor as a signal for motor boats, owing to the pe- 
 culiar penetrating quality of its tone and the 
 ease with which it is installed and operated. It 
 may be operated on dry batteries or a storage 
 cell and can be sounded merely by pushing a but- 
 ton located in any convenient place near the 
 wheel. The sound will be continuous as long as 
 the button is pressed. 
 
 Although the majority of two-cycle motors on 
 the market are advertised as reversible and nearly 
 all of this type can run equally well in either di- 
 rection, it is not well to be obliged to depend upon 
 this in case of an emergency, and I strongly ad- 
 vise every owner of a motor boat driven by an 
 engine developing six horsepower and over to 
 equip his craft with some sort of good reverse 
 gear which will operate independently of the mo- 
 tor. Such an arrangement is absolutely neces- 
 sary if a four-cycle motor is used, for this type 
 of engine, unless specially constructed, will run 
 in but the one direction. 
 
ACCESSORIES 116 
 
 There are two distinct types of reverse mech- 
 anisms in popular use among motor boatmen, and 
 while space will not permit a full discussion of 
 the merits and disadvantages of each, a short 
 description of the two is necessary in order that 
 the novice may best know how to equip his boat. 
 Everyone knows that the blades of the propeller 
 are turned at an angle from the plane in which 
 the whole wheel revolves. With the solid type of 
 propeller in which the blades are cast rigidly with 
 the hub, revolution in one direction will give a 
 forward force to the boat while revolution of the 
 wheel in the opposite direction will draw the hull 
 backward. 
 
 It will be seen, then, that all that is necessary 
 thus to control the boat is to be able to change 
 at will the direction of rotation of the shaft upon 
 which the wheel is mounted. If this could be done 
 by the engine, with the absolute assurance that 
 it would turn in one direction or the other, as de- 
 sired, with no danger of stopping at the crucial 
 moment or, what is worse yet, of continuing with 
 renewed power in the same direction from which 
 it is desired to change, there would be no need for 
 reverse gears of any kind. But we cannot have 
 that assurance — and hence the thriving business 
 done by the clutch and reverse propeller manu- 
 facturers. 
 
116 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 The reverse clutch is the mechanism usually in- 
 stalled directly behind the motor, forming the 
 connection between the crank shaft and the pro- 
 peller shaft. When the lever attached to this 
 mechanism is thrown in one direction, the pro- 
 peller shaft revolves with the crank shaft of the 
 motor as though connected by a rigid coupling. 
 When this control lever is moved to its other 
 limit a set of gears is thrown into mesh which 
 causes the propeller shaft to revolve in the oppo- 
 site direction from that of the flywheel of the 
 motor. Between these positions of the lever is 
 the neutral, at which point the motor may run 
 while the propeller and shaft will remain perfectly 
 still. 
 
 The other arrangement is known as the re- 
 versible propeller and is quite different in its 
 operation from that of the reverse clutch — al- 
 though the results are practically the same. 
 With this mechanism the propeller shaft is con- 
 nected directly to the crank shaft of the motor 
 and always revolves with it. By a lever arrange- 
 ment and a rod or sleeve which follows the pro- 
 peller shaft and connects with the wheel, each 
 blade may be made to turn on its longest axis. 
 This serves to change the pitch of the blades in 
 unison, so that almost any desired angle to the 
 plane of revolution of the wheel may be obtained. 
 
ACCESSORIES 117 
 
 When these blades are turned so that there is 
 no pitch, the effect on the boat is the same as 
 though a smooth disc were revolving through the 
 water and, no matter how fast the motor may be 
 running, there will be no power exerted in either 
 direction. This corresponds to the neutral posi- 
 tion of the reverse clutch. If the blades are 
 turned farther in this same direction, the pitch of 
 the wheel will be so changed that, whereas there 
 was a push against the hull before, there will now 
 be a pully and we have the same result as though 
 a solid wheel had been revolved in the opposite di- 
 rection. It is evident that with this arrange- 
 ment almost every variation of pitch can be ob- 
 tained from the greatest forward angle, through 
 zero, to an equally great reverse angle. 
 
 It is a great advantage to be able to change 
 the pitch of the propeller at will while the boat 
 is under way, for by regulating the speed of the 
 motor to the position of the blades a wonderful 
 flexibility of control can be obtained. Then, too, 
 there may be a certain pitch of the propeller at 
 which the highest speed of the boat may be ob- 
 tained but which, under certain conditions, will 
 allow the motor to " turn up " too fast and cause 
 undue vibrations in the hull. By increasing the 
 pitch of the propeller blades a greater load will 
 be thrown on the engine, which may result in 
 
118 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 smoother running, although it will probably re- 
 duce the speed of the boat somewhat. 
 
 It is this flexibility of pitch that is one of the 
 strongest points in favor of the reversible pro- 
 peller. Another advantage to be found in this 
 type of wheel is the ease with which individual 
 blades may be replaced. It often happens that 
 when a shoal or log is struck, only one " bucket " 
 of the propeller may be damaged. In case a 
 solid wheel is used, the entire propeller must be 
 replaced, and although this is not a very difficult 
 operation when once the boat is raised out of wa- 
 ter, one or two extra wheels would occupy a 
 greater amount of space in the boat than would 
 a dozen interchangeable blades for the reverse 
 propeller. 
 
 The reverse clutch using a solid wheel has its 
 advantages, however, and it is entirely a matter 
 of personal preference and opinion as to which 
 is the better type to use on any particular de- 
 sign of boat. The hub of the solid wheel can be 
 made smaller than that of the reverse propeller, 
 and consequently slightly better blade design 
 with a greater amount of effective surface for the 
 same size of wheel may be obtained with the for- 
 mer. This feature makes the solid wheel better 
 suited for racing purposes in which it is necessary 
 to take every factor into consideration which will 
 
ACCESSORIES 119 
 
 have any effect, no matter how small, upon the 
 speed of the boat. Many a race has been lost 
 and won on such a small matter as a few square 
 inches of effective blade area. 
 
 Then, too, it must be remembered that the solid 
 wheel attached to the end of a plain steel shaft is 
 the simplest form of connection between the mo- 
 tor and the water. The reversible propeller re- 
 quires either a hollow shaft throughout the length 
 of which slides a rod connected to the blade-turn- 
 ing mechanism located in the hub, or a sleeve 
 which surrounds this propeller shaft and ope- 
 rates the same levers for changing the pitch of 
 the buckets as does the rod. This complicates 
 matters slightly, particularly if it is desired to 
 shorten the propeller shaft, and in addition 
 greater attention must be paid to the outboard 
 and inboard stuffing boxes in order that the pack- 
 ing will not be disturbed by the lateral motion of 
 the sleeve or rod. 
 
 With both the ordinary reversible propeller 
 and the clutch the speed of the motor must be 
 regulated in connection with the load carried by 
 the wheel. For instance, as the blades are 
 brought to neutral or as the clutch is released, 
 the motor must be throttled down and the spark 
 retarded in order to keep the motor from racing 
 under its decreased load. When the load is 
 
120 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 again applied, either by increasing the pitch of 
 the blades or by re-engaging the clutch, the throt- 
 tle of the motor must be opened and the spark 
 advanced in order to prevent the engine from be- 
 coming stalled under its increased load. 
 
 In order to simplify these operations and to 
 enable complete control of the boat to be obtained 
 by one lever, a reversible propeller has been de- 
 signed in which the load upon the engine is al- 
 ways constant, no matter what may be the posi- 
 tion of the blades. This device consists of two 
 propellers on the end of a single shaft, the pitch 
 of each of which is regulated by one lever lo- 
 cated near the motor, as in the ordinary type. 
 For full power ahead each propeller is turned so 
 as to give maximum efficiency on the forward 
 drive. 
 
 As the wheel is turned toward neutral the pitch 
 of one blade is changed automatically so that it 
 sets up a resistance against the water sufficient 
 to overcome the loss of load on the motor due to 
 the decreased pitch of the other bucket. When 
 the neutral point of the propeller is reached, one 
 blade is so turned as to develop a forward push, 
 which is entirely counteracted by the reverse 
 pitch of the other blade, which is exerting a back- 
 ward pull. As these forces are equal and are 
 working in opposite directions, there is no power 
 
ACCESSORIES 121 
 
 transmitted to the boat, although the motor will 
 be running at full load. For full speed astern 
 both propellers will be set to reverse pitch. 
 
 It will be seen readily that when the load lost 
 by one propeller is gained by the other the load 
 on the motor must remain constant and there can 
 be no racing. With a wheel of this type prop- 
 erly designed the reverse lever may be used alone 
 to control the speed of the boat, and the load may 
 be shifted from full power ahead to full speed 
 astern with scarcely any perceptible change in 
 the speed of the motor. 
 
 Very few of the smaller motor boats require 
 both a pilot and an engineer— except that the 
 operator must have some of the qualities and abil- 
 ities of each. Even a forty-foot cruiser may be 
 managed by one man after the motor is once 
 started, and the ease with which a comparatively 
 bulky boat may be operated is really astonishing. 
 This " one-man control " feature of the motor 
 boat is probably best exemplified in the " auto 
 boat." The steering wheel is generally of the 
 automobile type, having the spark and throttle 
 levers located on quadrants inside its rim. The 
 starting crank and reverse levers are near at 
 hand, and practically every phase of motor boat 
 navigation may be obtained by the one man with- 
 out once stirring from his seat. 
 
122 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 With the boat in which the motor is located in 
 the stern or in the center of an undivided cockpit, 
 such one-man control as that described above can- 
 not be obtained. Nearly all of the larger boats 
 of this type are steered from a wheel in the bow, 
 while the motor is operated by a second member 
 of the party. It is possible to convert such a 
 boat as this into a one-man control type, how- 
 ever, merely by the proper arrangement of the 
 throttle, spark, and reverse levers and the instal- 
 lation of an extra steering wheel. 
 
 These control levers should be arranged so that 
 all three come within reach of the left hand, leav- 
 ing the right free for steering the boat. A sim- 
 ple extension from the throttle may be arranged 
 easily by almost any machinist or blacksmith, and 
 it is probable that the reverse and spark levers 
 will already be located within easy reach. 
 
 There are many arrangements for auxiliary 
 steering in use on various motor boats, but prob- 
 ably the simplest and most effective is a small 
 extra wheel attached to the coaming or side of 
 the cockpit opposite the motor. A connection 
 may be made with the rudder line at this point, a 
 few turns taken around the drum of the wheel, 
 and it will then work in conjunction with the 
 steering wheel at the bow without complicating 
 the system to any extent. This extra wheel 
 
ACCESSORIES US 
 
 should not have handles, or grips, projecting 
 from its rim, as these are liable to be in the way 
 and to catch in the clothing of persons sitting 
 near by. 
 
 The best form is a small wheel with a round 
 rim. This will furnish a sufficient grip and will 
 be as compact as any device obtainable. Many 
 boats are equipped with a single vertical lever, 
 pivoted at its lower end and fastened to the steer- 
 ing line about in the middle. This is a simple 
 form of control and one easily installed, but the 
 large arc of the circle through which the handle 
 swings when the boat is turned occupies consid- 
 erable room along the side of the cockpit and is 
 liable to destroy the seating capacity of a locker 
 which may be located within range. 
 
 Furthermore, a greater length of steering line 
 will be required when this lever is pushed in either 
 direction from the vertical than will be the case 
 when it is standing upright. This has the effect 
 of making the steering line too slack when the 
 boat is going straight and of tightening it un- 
 duly when the rudder is turned hard in either di- 
 rection. An attachment to this lever can be ob- 
 tained by means of which the steering line will be 
 kept at the same tension — no matter what the 
 position of the rudder may be. This attachment 
 consists of two sectors of a steel wheel, each hav- 
 
1^4 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ing a toothed rim to accommodate the links of a 
 chain fastened to the rudder line. 
 
 These sectors may be likened to a part of the 
 sprocket wheel of a bicycle, and as the chain lol- 
 lows the arc of the wheel attached to the lever as 
 it is pushed in either direction, the tension on the 
 rudder chain remains always the same. This is a 
 simple arrangement, but Jt is hardly as desirable 
 as the small wheel mentioned at first. 
 
 Most of the devices and attachments described 
 above have had to do with the management of the 
 boat while under way, but it must be remembered 
 that it is often desirable or necessary to stop and 
 to stay stopped for a while, and when there is no 
 good pier or other landing place available, an 
 anchor will prove itself of as great value as any 
 accessory to be found on board. This will be 
 true particularly if the motor should happen to 
 break down near a shore toward which a strong 
 wind is blowing or a strong current flows, and in 
 this case the anchor may be the means of saving 
 the boat from being smashed or stove-in upon the 
 rocks. It is much easier to repair the motor 
 when there is no feeling of rush or hurry, and 
 when the boat is safely riding at anchor the trou- 
 ble may be located much more quickly and a bet- 
 ter job done than if there was danger of drifting 
 helplessly upon the rocks. 
 
ACCESSORIES 125 
 
 An anchor of sufficient size and strength for 
 holding a medium-sized boat in a good " blow " 
 is not the bulky and unwieldy object that one 
 might think. While there are no " pocket edi- 
 tions," of course, folding anchors are made which 
 can be stowed in a remarkably small space and 
 which can yet be rendered easily available for al- 
 most instant use. Such an anchor, together with 
 about two hundred feet of rope, may be stowed in 
 a space two feet long by one foot square and 
 should form a part of the equipment of every 
 motor boat. It will be strong enough to hold 
 a thirty-foot boat, or larger, and the two hundred 
 feet of line will allow of comfortable mooring in 
 almost any river or lake. 
 
 These accessories are what might be termed 
 the necessities for every motor boat, for while 
 a craft can be navigated without them, each fills 
 its place in helping to make the sport " safe and 
 sane." 
 
 There are, on the other hand, several " lux- 
 uries " which many a seasoned motor boatman 
 would find it difficult to do without, and although 
 they do not add directly to the safety of running 
 a power craft, each does its share toward making 
 it a more comfortable and pleasant diversion. 
 
 In several devices, the combination of safety 
 and comfort is attained to a high degree, a single 
 
126 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 apparatus serving the needs of both. This is 
 well exemplified in the small lighting plants that 
 furnish power for the search light that enables 
 landings to be made with safety on the darkest 
 night, and that also supply the cabin illumination, 
 as well. 
 
 A small, gasoline motor-driven generator of one 
 kilowatt, capable of supplying current for all sig- 
 nal lights and for a couple of dozen ten-candle- 
 power electric bulbs will be found exceedingly 
 useful on the cruiser that can spare a few square 
 feet of floor space in the engine room for the in- 
 stallation of this compact illuminating plant. 
 The generator is driven direct by a two-horse- 
 power, single-cylinder, two-cycle, high-speed gas- 
 oline engine, and by means of a small switch board, 
 any or all of the lights may be used as desired. 
 The addition of a small set of storage batteries 
 in conjunction with the generator, enables the 
 lights to be used when it is undesirable to ope- 
 rate the power plant. 
 
 Even though its cockpit does not afford room 
 for the installation of the more pretentious elec- 
 tric generating plant, the small open boat or 
 cruiser need not be without a brilliant search- 
 light and means of interior illumination, for acety- 
 lene gas can come to the rescue in the form of a 
 very compact and easily-operated generator of a 
 
ACCESSORIES 127 
 
 capacity sufficient to meet the requirements of 
 even a large craft. The nuisance of old and half- 
 used carbide has been done away with, and by 
 means of these generators, the very last ounce of 
 the substance may be consumed, even when the 
 lights have been in operation only at long in- 
 tervals. 
 
 This generator is mounted on a horizontal axis 
 set in spring supports and is inverted when it is 
 desired to stop the generation of gas. This in- 
 version breaks the contact of the water with the 
 carbide, and only a small amount of the acetylene, 
 under very low pressure, is stored in the gene- 
 rator. By turning the chamber to its original 
 position, the carbide is again brought into con- 
 tact with the moist residue, and generation is 
 immediately resumed. One, two, or three units, 
 depending upon the number of lights to be pro- 
 vided for, are mounted upon the single horizontal 
 axis and constitute the entire generating set. A 
 single generator is also made especially for the 
 production of acetylene for one searchlight and 
 one cabin light. 
 
 Many a motor boat is afflicted with the ill 
 known as " water in the hull," and the curing of 
 this is to the nautical enthusiast what pumping 
 up the tires is to his automobilist cousin — for 
 both entail about the same amount of backbreak- 
 
1^8 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 ing work. As the power of the motor has come 
 to the aid of the automobilist in helping him 
 pump up his tires, so does the bilge pump relieve 
 the motor boatman of much of the time and trou- 
 ble of " baling out." Some forms of bilge pumps 
 are attached to the flywheel by means of a fric- 
 tion pulley, while others are a part of the circu- 
 lating system of the cooling water. 
 
 All of these systems operate by means of a 
 rotary or plunger pump, but in a third type, the 
 steam injector principle is applied to suck out 
 the bilge water without the use of any moving 
 parts. The water jacket of the exhaust mani- 
 fold is tapped and the stream of circulating wa- 
 ter between it and the outlet is used to form the 
 suction for the bilge connections. The overflow 
 from the engine circulating water, or all that is 
 not forced through the " injector " with the bilge 
 water, is discharged into the muffler, which is 
 tapped in order to provide for this. 
 
 As in all gas engines, the most delicate part of 
 the motor boat power plant is the ignition system. 
 And the man who has been caught out in the rain 
 in an open motor boat will also probably realize 
 that the average ignition system is not amphib- 
 ious and that water on the spark plug puts as 
 effective a damper on the spirits of the engine as 
 does an empty gasoline tank. But the sight of 
 
ACCESSORIES 129 
 
 any ignition outfit consisting of a coil, wiring, 
 and plug entirely immersed in water, with a spark 
 merrily leaping from one electrode of the plug to 
 the other would indicate that the above-mentioned 
 rainy-day troubles of the motor boatman are at 
 an end. 
 
 Such outfits as those that gave this astonishing 
 demonstration are not only waterproof, but they 
 are compact as well, eliminate all high-tension 
 wiring, and require but two connections in the 
 whole system. In one type of this system, the 
 " step-up transformer," or coil, is wound around 
 the spark plug so that the latter is practically 
 embodied in the core of the former. The spark- 
 ing end of the plug projects from the coil, and 
 this is screwed into the engine cylinder in the 
 same manner as is the ordinary spark plug. A 
 circuit breaker, corresponding to the vibrating 
 armature of the ordinary coil, and the set of bat- 
 teries, form the only parts of this ignition sys- 
 tem that are not combined with the coil and plug 
 on the engine cylinder. 
 
 Another device similar to that just described 
 combines the coil, condenser, and vibrator in a 
 single waterproof covering that can be attached 
 directly to the spark plug of each cylinder with- 
 out the use of wires. The electrical connection is 
 made automatically with the tip and shank of the 
 
130 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 spark plug, and the attachment will fit any stand- 
 ard make. 
 
 Spark plugs and coils are not the only parts 
 of the ignition that can be rendered temporarily 
 useless by water, and it is well known that damp- 
 ness is as disastrous to the life of a dry battery 
 as is excessive use. In order to keep these cur- 
 rent generators dry at all times and under all 
 conditions, several forms of battery cases have 
 been devised. These are made in various sizes 
 and will hold from one set of two cells to two 
 sets of eight batteries each. The covers of the 
 boxes are clamped down tightly over a rubber 
 gasket that serves to keep the contents abso- 
 lutely dry, even when the cases are entirely im- 
 mersed in water, and all wire connections are 
 made from brass terminals that project through 
 the top and sides of the box. 
 
 In one form of battery box, the cells are pro- 
 vided with special screw tops that engage with 
 similar tops that are attached to the lid of the 
 box. These form one battery terminal, while 
 connection is made with the other pole by means 
 of a brass spring in the top of the box over each 
 cell. Connections between the individual cells 
 are made through brass strips set on the inside 
 of the top of the box, and there is consequently 
 no exterior wiring except that leading to the coils 
 
ACCESSORIES 131 
 
 and motor. A special switch can be provided 
 on the top of the box by means of which various 
 wiring arrangements between the sets of batter- 
 ies can be obtained. By this means, either set 
 may be used separately, or both may be used to- 
 gether, either in the series or in the series-par- 
 allel arrangement. 
 
 Another form of battery box is intended to be 
 used with any kind of a dry cell of the standard 
 size. This box is filled with a waterproof com- 
 pound into which holes are moulded to accommo- 
 date the individual batteries. The cells are thus 
 separated from each other by a waterproof insu- 
 lating material, and as each fits tightly in its 
 pocket, the batteries are held in place as rigidly 
 as though they were screwed to the cover of the 
 box. Special wire connectors are used between 
 the individual cells, and the current is conducted 
 to the terminals on the outside of the box by 
 means of brass strips. Brackets are supplied by 
 means of which the case may be attached either 
 to the floor or to the underside of a seat or the 
 deck. 
 
 Those who want to know how fast their boat 
 is running may now satisfy their curiosity by 
 referring to their speedometer. One type of this 
 device designed for use on motor boats is ope- 
 rated by iheans of an inlet pipe in the bottom of 
 
132 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the boat. The change in pressure, due to the 
 speed of the boat, is shown on a mercury gauge 
 marked to read in miles per hour. 
 
 In order to cut down the number of separate 
 tools required on board and to lessen the chances 
 of losing or mislaying any or all, a special device 
 has been designed which in reality comprises eight 
 separate, solid end w^-enches in one piece that 
 will easily fit the coat or vest pocket. This con- 
 sists of four flat, thin, solid end wrenches of the 
 same length placed one above the other and held 
 in position by a centerbolt that passes through a 
 slot cut through the middle of each piece. This 
 centerbolt has a squared shank that keeps each in- 
 dividual wrench from turning, and on its threaded 
 end is screwed a wing, or thumb, nut that serves 
 to keep the four tools held rigidly together when 
 it is tightened. 
 
 As the slot through which the centerbolt passes 
 is a couple of inches long, any one of the four 
 wrenches may be slid out from the rest of the nest 
 so that the desired end projects a sufficient dis- 
 tance to be applied to the nut that is to be turned. 
 As there are eight ends of different sizes on the 
 four wrenches, and each tool may be slid to the 
 limit of the slot in either direction, eight sizes of 
 nuts may be wrestled with^ and yet only in thick- 
 ness is the tool larger than a single wrench. A 
 
ACCESSORIES 133 
 
 square hole cut near the end of one of the 
 wrenches in the nest serves as a key with which 
 to open or close the valve of a gas tank of stand- 
 ard make. 
 
 Another unique type of wrench consists of a 
 pair of adjustable jaws operated by the thumb 
 nut and thread of the well-known " monkey " 
 principle. Opposite the jaws the shank of this 
 wrench is held in an " eye-piece " which is, in 
 turn, mounted in a ratchet joint at the end of a 
 heavy handle. These two joints, the eye-piece 
 and the handle, thus allow the jaws to occupy two 
 different series of positions in relation to the 
 handle. By loosening a thumb nut at the end 
 of the eye-piece, the jaws may be turned through 
 an arc of approximately ninety degrees about 
 their shank as an axis, while the ratchet joint in 
 the end of the handle in which the eye-piece is 
 mounted enables the jaws to be revolved to any 
 position about the eye-piece as an axis. 
 
 The ratchet operates in either direction and 
 may be turned on or off by means of a milled 
 nut. It will be seen that, inasmuch as the jaws 
 have any number of adjustments through both a 
 horizontal and vertical plane, independent of the 
 handle, almost any nut can be reached. The 
 ratchet attachment allows the nut to be turned by 
 moving the handle through but a very small arc. 
 
134 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 A motor boat is a good deal like a house; it 
 can be made serviceable without great expense, 
 but to be made comfortable and attractive as well, 
 it must be furnished with common sense. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 
 
 EVEN though the motor boat spends the 
 greater part of its existence in the water, 
 water should spend very little time in the 
 motor boat. No matter how well protected the 
 motor may be, the interior of the boat, the floor 
 boards, the inside of the planking, the seats and 
 cushions, and every part of the equipment and 
 furnishings will give better service if they are 
 kept dry, and it is consequently as much of a 
 duty owed to the craft itself as it is to the pas- 
 sengers to provide some sort of protection from 
 the spray and rain. 
 
 To be sure, a man can provide himself with a 
 " slicker " and oilskins and keep as dry in the 
 heaviest rain or spray as though he were snugly 
 ensconced in a cabin, but the subsequent time and 
 trouble spent in baling and drying out the inte- 
 rior of the boat and polishing the rusted metal 
 parts will make the owner wish his craft, as well 
 as himself, could be provided with a set of oil- 
 skins. Many cases are on record, of course, in 
 
 135 
 
136 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 which boats have been run when they were half 
 full of water, but the average motor boat is not 
 a submarine, and the less water that finds its 
 way over the wrong side of the gunwale, the bet- 
 ter will it be both for the craft and the occupants. 
 
 Every well-treated motor boat is entitled to a 
 boathouse or shelter of some kind in which it may^ 
 be kept when it is not in use. But the motor 
 boat is not like the turtle and cannot carry its 
 house on its back, and consequently when on 
 camping trips or cruises, if the craft is of the 
 open cockpit type, some provision must be made 
 for a removable covering. An effective protec- 
 tion for this purpose which will completely cover 
 the interior of the boat may be made from stout 
 canvas. This should be made of the same gen- 
 eral shape as the outlines of the cockpit, but its 
 width should be slightly greater than the beam 
 of the boat. 
 
 Grommets or brass rings should be worked into 
 the outer edge at frequent intervals to fit over 
 hooks screwed in corresponding positions in the 
 outside of the coaming. When the rings, or 
 grommets, are fitted over the hooks, the cover 
 will be held tightly in position, but as the canvas 
 will either lie flat or will sag in the middle, the 
 water will collect in the center and will probably 
 soak through unless the material has been thor- 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 137 
 
 oughly waterproofed. Consequently the center- 
 line of the canvas should be raised above the edges 
 to form sloping sides off which the water will run 
 without soaking through. 
 
 This is best provided for by taking a stout 
 stick or a narrow board slightly longer than the 
 cockpit and notching this at its "edge near each 
 end so that it will fit down over the coaming at 
 the bow and stern. If the canvas has been made 
 of the proper width, it can be fitted down over 
 this board and will be stretched in the form of 
 sloping sides. 
 
 Such a covering can be folded and stowed in a 
 small space when not in use. For this reason it 
 is well adapted as a shelter to be carried in the 
 boat on extended trips, and if there is no con- 
 venient place in which to store the long center 
 stick, this may be made in two parts and hinged 
 in the middle. 
 
 If the motor boat has been purchased before 
 boathouse accommodations have been built to re- 
 ceive it, or if the boathouse is already full and 
 there is no room for the extra craft, th^ type of 
 cover described above will serve well as a tempo- 
 rary shelter until other provisions can be made. 
 In fact, the writer knows of an instance in which 
 such a cover was made to serve as a boathouse 
 for a small " runabout " for four seasons. In 
 
138 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 this case, the stern of the boat was fastened by a 
 long line to a pier that projected into the stream 
 for some distance, while the bow rope was tied to 
 a post near the water's edge on shore. This 
 method of mooring kept the boat at a safe dis- 
 tance from both pier and shore, even in the heav- 
 iest wind, and the craft was as well protected, 
 both inside and out, as though it had been riding 
 placidly in its slip in the boathouse. 
 
 A low-lying cover that protects the entire 
 cockpit does its duty too well to be sufficiently 
 versatile to serve also as a spray hood when the 
 boat is running in a heavy sea, for it allows no 
 room for occupants and can be used only as a 
 shelter when the craft is at rest. It is the un- 
 protected motor that will suifer most in a heavy 
 rain or spray, and consequently the simplest kind 
 of cover must take into consideration the shelter- 
 ing of the carburetor and ignition system — ^par- 
 ticularly the latter. 
 
 Absurd as it may sound, in an emergency a hat 
 has been found to afford a simple and yet highly 
 effective shelter for a single-cylinder motor, and 
 in many instances the placing of a " sou'wester " 
 over the spark plug has enabled the boat to run 
 continuously through a rain that would have 
 stopped the engine " dead " were this head cover- 
 ing not available. If the motor only is to be con- 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 139 
 
 sidered in sheltering the boat from the rain, an 
 oilskin or rubber cloth jacket, that will fit down 
 over the manifold and carburetor with tapes or 
 puckering strings by which it may be held in place 
 in a high wind, will serve to keep the engine itself 
 in running condition. This is the simplest of all 
 coverings, but it is only to be recommended for 
 temporary use until a more complete shelter that 
 will protect the cockpit as well as motor can be 
 obtained. 
 
 The motor boat having a canopy top will doubt- 
 less be provided with side curtains which can be 
 let down, completely enclosing the interior of the 
 boat. These serve well as a covering if the boat 
 is to be left out of its slip over night, and they 
 also aiford complete protection to the occupants 
 in case of a rain storm. It is probable that these 
 curtains will be divided into sections, and in this 
 case one or more on the windward side may be let 
 down to keep the spray out when there is a heavy 
 head sea running. 
 
 This would probably interfere with the view of 
 the steersman and the passengers, however, and 
 as the ordinary spray cloth should be merely an 
 extension of the coaming and does not need to 
 connect with the canopy top, a protection other 
 than the curtain is almost necessary for pleasant- 
 weather-but-rough-water navigation. Such an 
 
140 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 auxiliary spray curtain may consist of a strip 
 of heavy canvas eighteen inches or two feet wide 
 extending around the bow from the 'midship por- 
 tion of one side of the coaming to a point di- 
 rectly opposite. 
 
 Grommets or brass rings fastened to the bot- 
 tom edge of this canvas may engage with hooks 
 screwed into the outer side of the coaming. The 
 upper edge of the spray cloth may be secured in 
 the same manner to the upright stanchions, or 
 supports for the canopy top. In order to sup- 
 port the canvas where it rounds the curved coam- 
 ing at the bow of the cockpit, separate brass or 
 iron rods will need to be used. Casings should 
 be provided in the canvas into which these rods 
 may be slipped, and each of the latter should be 
 supported upright in the coaming by means of 
 two screw eyes placed one above the other. 
 
 If the rods are not too tight a fit in these screw 
 eyes, each of the former may be removed when 
 the spray cloth is unhooked, and the entire at- 
 tachment may then be rolled up and stowed in a 
 small space in one of the lockers. The fact that 
 the spray cloth extends back on each side from 
 the bow to amidships will generally serve to pro- 
 tect the entire cockpit from the flying spray. 
 
 A stationary canopy top composed of matched 
 strips of wood made waterproof by a canvas cov- 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 141 
 
 ering, the whole supported on well-secured stan- 
 chions, forms a good shelter equipment for a fair- 
 sized motor boat and has the advantage of being 
 more solid and substantial than the removable 
 tops. But many an owner prefers an open boat 
 for short trips and pleasant weather cruising, 
 and the craft of such a man should be provided 
 with a top that is easily attached and removed 
 " on the spur of the moment " before leaving the 
 boathouse. 
 
 Such a canopy top may consist of a frame- 
 work over which stout waterproof canvas should 
 be stretched and permanently secured. This 
 framework may be supported by brass stanchions, 
 the lower ends of which fit into brass guides and 
 sockets secured to the coaming and deck at the 
 proper points. A set screw, or some other 
 clamping arrangement, should be provided for 
 each socket so that the stanchions will be held se- 
 curely in place and will not rattle and shake from 
 the vibrations of the motor. 
 
 This same clamping arrangement may be used 
 to hold stanchions supporting a matched wood 
 and canvas canopy top as described in the pre- 
 ceding paragraph, but unless all parts of the 
 guides and sockets are made unusually large and 
 heavy and are well secured to the deck and coam- 
 ing, such a removable shelter will be too unwieldy, 
 
142 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 bulky, and top-heavy to be practical. As a rule, 
 it is better to confine the removable type of top 
 to the more easily handled canvas variety. 
 
 Hinged or sliding hatches should be cut in the 
 roof of every permanent canopy top in order to 
 furnish easy entrances and exits to and from the 
 cockpit. On some boats these hatchways are cut 
 in the sides of the top, while on others the en- 
 trance or exit is made by way of the bow or stern 
 deck. It is not advisable to cut a flap in the side 
 or end of canvas top, but headroom for entrance 
 and exit may be afforded by attaching a hinged 
 bow to the two front or rear stanchions. This 
 hinged bow will carry the end of the canvas top, 
 and when it is turned to a vertical position and 
 lies alongside the stanchions to which its ends 
 are hinged, the canvas will be folded back be- 
 tween the two supports. A fastening of some 
 sort should be provided to hold the hinged bow 
 in an extended position and thus stretch the can- 
 vas tightly when this " hatch " is not in use. 
 
 Folding " automobile " tops have come into 
 popular use on many types and sizes of motor 
 boats, and these form a convenient and easily-re- 
 moved protection from the sun, wind and spray. 
 When extended, such a top is supported on two 
 or more sets of bows that are hinged in brackets 
 set in the coaming, and the entire canvas is 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 143 
 
 stretched tight by means of straps attached to 
 cleats set in the bow and stern decks. Each set 
 of bows can be removed easily from its pivot, or 
 hinge, and transferred to the stern of the cock- 
 pit where, by means of other pins, they may be 
 turned back along the deck with the stern set of 
 bows. Then the supports are all " nested " to- 
 gether at the stern of the cockpit with the 
 stretches of canvas top folded between them, and 
 a covering that formerly extended over the entire 
 cockpit can thus be compressed into a wonder- 
 fully small space in a short time. 
 
 These automobile tops are provided with 
 lengths of side curtains which may be buttoned 
 down to the gunwale, and thus the entire cockpit 
 of the boat may be enclosed in stormy weather. 
 As these side curtains are cut in sections, only 
 that side of the boat on which the spray or rain 
 is driving need be protected, but if it is found 
 necessary to enclose the entire cockpit, the cellu- 
 loid windows which are placed in the bow " apron " 
 and some of the side strips will serve to make 
 navigation both easy and dry in the stormiest or 
 roughest weather. The bow apron with its 
 transparent front furnishes a good spray cloth, 
 and as in many forms this curtain extends partly 
 around the side of the coaming and slopes toward 
 the stern from top to bottom, the occupants of 
 
lU THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the rear of the cockpit also can be protected from 
 the flying water and spray of a head or quarter- 
 ing sea. 
 
 Adaptations of the automobile top may be used 
 for a variety of boats and shapes of cockpits. 
 The racing motor boat, for instance, having its 
 engine under the forward deck and provided with 
 cockpit accommodations for only two or three 
 persons, need use only a single set of the bows, 
 and as these are pivoted at a common point, the 
 entire covering may be set up in the proverbial 
 "jiffy." With the side curtains and the front 
 apron in place, the cockpit of the craft is con- 
 verted into a marine counterpart of the doctor's 
 buggy or runabout on a rainy day. This type of 
 hood may also be applied as a covering for the 
 stern deck of a cruiser. 
 
 Shelters for this type of boat generally consist 
 of an iron pipe framework used for the support 
 of strips of canvas that may be laced to the top 
 and sides, as needed. Some large cruisers are 
 provided with a permanent canopy top, but the 
 desire to remove the covering in pleasant weather 
 makes the proper form of automobile top or de- 
 tachable awning the more preferable type. It 
 would be inadvisable, of course, to employ the 
 automobile top as a stern deck covering on a 
 large cruiser, as the broad beam would make 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 145 
 
 necessary the use of bows that would be too wide 
 to support the weight of canvas properly. 
 
 An inexpensive covering for a " knockabout " 
 or other boat on which it is not desired to spend 
 much money for a shelter, will be found in the 
 " melon " hood. This obtains its name from the 
 shape that the top assumes when extended, and it 
 is made in as great a number of forms as there 
 are varieties of the vegetable after which it is 
 christened. This hood in its simplest form con- 
 sists of a set of three or four bent-wood bows, all 
 of which are attached at their ends to a pin set 
 in the coaming on each side of the boat. These 
 bows are covered with a waterproof canvas, the 
 forward end of which is shaped to fit around the 
 forward curve of the cockpit on the deck outside 
 of the coaming. 
 
 When the hood is not in use, all the bows are 
 turned forward and lie along the deck outside 
 the coaming, with the canvas folded between 
 them. The canvas, it should be understood, is 
 stretched from one end to the other of all of the 
 bows. Consequently, when the bows are turned 
 up and opened out as far as the canvas will al- 
 low, a complete covering is formed over the for- 
 ward end of the boat and both the sides and the 
 bow are entirely enclosed. 
 
 If there are but two bows used and the last one 
 
146 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 stands vertical, the hood will assume the shape of 
 a " quarter slice " of melon, and if celluloid win- 
 dows are cut in the bow portion, this size makes 
 a satisfactory shelter for the steersman. The 
 bow end of the canvas is fastened to the forward 
 curve of the coaming by means of the usual 
 grommets and hooks, and consequently by loos- 
 ening these and springing out the hoops, or bows, 
 from the pins on which they turn, the hood can be 
 removed entirely. 
 
 If the cockpit of the boat to be covered is short, 
 the bows of the melon hood may be pivoted amid- 
 ships, and by doubling the quarter melon size, a 
 protection completely enclosing the entire cock- 
 pit will be formed. This, of course, will require 
 two or three more bows than will the other form, 
 but a " half melon " shape will be obtained that 
 will protect the occupants of the boat and its 
 power plant in all kinds of rain or spray. 
 
 Another arrangement of the melon hood for a 
 boat having a medium-sized cockpit is to use two 
 of the " quarter slice " shape, installing one at 
 each end so that they will meet amidships when 
 raised. A flap of some kind will need to be used 
 to make a water-tight " j oint " between the two. 
 If the cockpit is too long for the two quarter 
 melon hoods to meet, an extra bow may be placed 
 in sockets so that it occupies a position in the 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 14T 
 
 middle of the uncovered portion, and to this the 
 extra canvas necessary may be attached. The 
 edges of this canvas may be laced or buttoned to 
 the ends of the hoods that are already in place. 
 
 In case the cockpit is too long to be entirely 
 enclosed by one or two hoods without the use of 
 additional bows and canvas, a far different type 
 of covering may be installed to good advantage. 
 While this hood is of the " half melon " shape, its 
 construction is somewhat different from and more 
 elaborate than that described above, but it also 
 admits of a greater variety of uses. In this type, 
 the bows generally consist of iron hoops that 
 straddle the cockpit in the same manner as do 
 the others. These hoops, however, instead of be- 
 ing sewed or laced to the canvas, are attached to 
 it by means of sliding rings. This method of at- 
 tachment allows the canvas to be slid off the iron 
 hoops — or to one end of all of them, rather — 
 and to lie collapsed outside of the coaming along 
 the deck from bow to stern. 
 
 In order to stiffen the edge of this canvas and 
 make it slide more easily and evenly, an iron rod 
 should be sewed into it at one side or the other. 
 If this rod is attached to each hoop by means of 
 a sliding ring, the entire covering may be either 
 opened or collapsed by moving the rod from one 
 side of the cockpit to the other along the hoops. 
 
148 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Thus, if the hoops are in position and the canvas 
 is collapsed on one side of the deck outside of the 
 coaming, it may be opened and made to cover the 
 entire cockpit bj sliding the outer edge in which 
 the rod is fastened over to the other side. 
 
 The rod and the rest of the canvas will follow 
 along the hoops, being guided by the rings. The 
 rod, of course, should be curved at its ends to fit 
 half way around both the bow and stern of the 
 cockpit coaming, for this is the position that the 
 edge of the canvas must assume when it is either 
 collapsed or wide open. 
 
 When the iron rod is slid over the hoops so 
 that the canVas is collapsed and it all lies on the 
 same side of the deck outside the coaming, the 
 hoops, of course, may be turned down flat, as has 
 been described in connection with the first-men- 
 tioned melon hood. One of the objections to the 
 other type of melon hood lay in the fact that both 
 sides and overhead must be covered if it is de- 
 sired to open the shelter at all, and there was con- 
 sequently no halfway position in which it could 
 serve as a spray hood. 
 
 The sliding ring type, however, may be raised 
 up on either side as great or as small an amount 
 as desired, and it thus forms an adjustable spray 
 cloth without interfering with the view, light, and 
 air on the lee side or overhead. The objection 
 
COVERS, CANOPIES, AND TOPS 140 
 
 may be made to this type of hood that it will look 
 bulky and " mussy " when it is collapsed along the 
 side of the cockpit, but while it is not claimed that 
 it is as neat in appearance as is the automobile 
 top, it is surprising into how small a space a 
 length of stout, light canvas may be folded. 
 
 A convertible, removable, adjustable, combina- 
 tion sunshade and rain shelter has been devised 
 which is particularly well suited for use on small, 
 well-equipped, pleasure boats. This consists of 
 a canvas top stretched over a wire frame that is 
 supported only at its two ends by an upright 
 stanchion set at both the bow and stern of the 
 cockpit. These stanchions rest in sockets and 
 consequently are easily set in place and taken out, 
 thus forming the removable feature of this can- 
 
 The frame of the canvas top is attached to 
 each stanchion by a sliding collar that can be 
 held in any position along the upright by means 
 of a set screw. Thus the top can be set at any 
 desired distance above the cockpit, and as one end 
 can be raised or lowered independently of the 
 other, the canvas may be tilted to serve as a pro- 
 tection from the slanting rays of the sun. 
 
 The frame over which the canvas is stretched is 
 set in the sliding collars by means of pins, or piv- 
 ots, and thus the top may be turned around a 
 
150 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 horizontal, longitudinal axis. This allows the 
 canopy top to be tilted sideways to serve as a 
 spray or sun shield, or it may also be used in this 
 manner as a protection from cold breezes. When 
 the craft is not in use, the top may be slid down 
 the stanchions until it rests over the coaming, 
 and thus a substantial cockpit cover is formed 
 that will serve well to keep rain out of the interior 
 of the boat. 
 
 Whether a man buys a ready-made spray hood 
 or top, or whether he makes one himself, the size 
 and weight of the boat to which it is to be at- 
 tached should always receive first consideration. 
 A permanent canopy top, set on stout stanchions 
 high enough above the floor to furnish ample 
 headroom, makes one of the best covers for a 
 twenty-five or thirty-foot boat, or larger, but it 
 should not be fitted to a light racer or runabout 
 on which it would be top-heavy. This precaution 
 should not be taken so much on account of the ap- 
 pearance of the craft as because of the actual 
 safety to the occupants of the boat under some 
 conditions. In a heavy blow the wind resistance 
 of the canopy top might easily upset the boat. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 CAMPING AND CRUISING 
 
 FOR camping purposes, roominess and 
 strength in a motor boat should not be 
 sacrificed for speed, for the latter is the 
 least necessary attribute of a boat intended for 
 this use. In the " good old days," when canoes 
 furnished the only means of water transportation 
 for a camping trip, five miles an hour sufficed to 
 reach our goal. If five miles an hour proved good 
 enough then, why aren't seven or eight sufficient 
 nowadays? We don't need to bring our business 
 habits into our pleasures to that extent — and 
 half of the fun of camping is the " going in." 
 
 A motor boat need not be of great weight for 
 camping trips, and a power canoe can be obtained 
 which will not weigh over one hundred and twenty- 
 five pounds including hull, engine, gasoline tank, 
 and all accessories necessary for its operation. 
 If a good, stout skag, well braced, is attached to 
 the stern end of the keel so that it affords ample 
 protection for the propeller, this craft, which 
 will not draw over fifteen inches of water, should 
 151 
 
152 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 be able to navigate almost any stream accessible 
 to an ordinary " man-power " canoe. 
 
 The small additional weight of the motor will 
 not interfere with the use of the canoe for or- 
 dinary paddling if the power should give out; in 
 fact, the engine will occupy so little space that it 
 can be ignored almost entirely and the craft used 
 as an ordinary canoe when desired. This is a de- 
 cided advantage that a light power canoe has over 
 a bulkier craft for camping purposes when it is 
 desired to navigate shallow and unknown streams 
 in a necessarily slow and cautious manner. 
 
 If carries are so frequent on the proposed 
 camping trip that even the lightest power canoe 
 should be too heavy for convenience, a detachable 
 motor may be obtained which may be installed 
 quickly on almost any form of square-ended hull. 
 The motor of this power plant is attached to a 
 tiller and is connected with two sets of bevel gears 
 to the propeller, which can be turned in either di- 
 rection and is used to replace the rudder. 
 
 As the motor, shaft, rudder, tiller, propeller, 
 gasoline tank, and other accessories all form a 
 single unit, the entire power plant may be re- 
 moved and carried separately across any inter- 
 vening neck of land. When the boat is again 
 launched on the other side, it may be reconverted 
 into a power craft with only a few minutes' work. 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 153 
 
 Such a power plant may be installed on almost any 
 small hull, but the square stern offers a more con- 
 venient shape of surface to which to attach the 
 clamps or eyes and pins that are used to support 
 the motor. 
 
 For camping in localities where there are no 
 carries to be made, a larger power boat is prefer- 
 able to a motor canoe, and a twenty-five-footer, 
 when properly arranged, can be made to accom- 
 modate three or four men and all duffle and pro- 
 visions for several weeks. Such a boat should 
 have ample beam — at least six or six and a half 
 feet — and should be equipped with built-in seats, 
 under which lockers should be arranged. 
 
 Room in the stern for carrying equipment can 
 be obtained by constructing the hull of the 
 V-transom stern type, and this is in reality a 
 speedier and more seaworthy design than any 
 other form. For all purposes throughout the 
 field of motor boating this type of stern has prac- 
 tically supplanted the fantail, torpedo, com- 
 promise, and other forms of rear-hull design. 
 Of course this statement does not apply to the 
 case of motor canoes and motor skiffs, in which 
 the general lines of the hull are the same as in 
 the man-power types, but the majority of ready- 
 made power craft will be found to be designed 
 with this V-transom stern. 
 
154 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 If the hull is stanch, with no leaks, this stern 
 compartment should be one of the driest in the 
 whole boat, as it is entirely inclosed from the 
 rain and spray. This, then, is the logical place 
 in which to stow goods injured by dampness — 
 provided the deck above is well calked so that no 
 rain can leak through. On account of the inac- 
 cessibility of the far corners of this compartment, 
 articles which are rarely used should be the only 
 ones to be stowed this far back. 
 
 If the boat is equipped with a substantial can- 
 opy roof, the tent and other comparatively light 
 articles whose weight can be distributed over a 
 considerable space may be lashed to the top, thus 
 saving much room in the cockpit. An open boat 
 is really preferable for camping, however, for 
 there will then be no top to interfere with over- 
 hanging boughs or low bridges. 
 
 I do not advise that a twenty-five-foot motor 
 boat should entirely take the place of one or more 
 canoes on all camping trips, for some sort of a 
 tender is necessary in many places where the shore 
 formation renders it impossible for the bulkier 
 craft to land. A light skiff or canoe can find a 
 landing along almost any shore and can be pulled 
 up on a shelving rock or beach out of reach of 
 the waves. Even a motor canoe can be handled 
 in this manner. 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 155 
 
 Even one skiff or canoe must be towed in the 
 proper relation with the motor boat, and when 
 several are trailing behind, the matter of attach- 
 ing all so that each will follow in the wake of the 
 other is one which requires some experience. 
 Every boat when under power leaves in its wake 
 a series of stern waves which travel in the same 
 direction and extend at right angles to the course. 
 The problem of towing is to attach each skiff or 
 canoe so that its bow will rest on one of these 
 stern waves, for otherwise the craft in tow will 
 not follow in the proper wake, but will " slew " 
 rapidly from one side to the other and will even- 
 tually either fill with water or overturn from the 
 jerk of the towrope. 
 
 In towing a single skiff or canoe, it may be at- 
 tached within a few inches of the extreme stern 
 of the power boat. If the power boat is travel- 
 ing at high speed, however, the towline should be 
 let out so that the bow of the skiff is resting on 
 the second or third stern wave. In towing a 
 series of boats, one may be attached close to the 
 stern of the power craft, two more at the second 
 stern wave, another two on the wave behind this, 
 and so on. 
 
 Not more than two should be towed on the 
 same stern wave, and a single skiff is all that 
 should be carried close to the power boat. Men 
 
156 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 should be seated in the sterns of several of the 
 boats in tow to keep the slack from interfering 
 with the propeller of the motor boat when the 
 power is shut off, and to help the long line around 
 any sharp turns which may be in the course. 
 Any weight in any of the skiffs in tow should be 
 shifted to the extreme stern of the boat in order 
 to keep the bow from drawing down. 
 
 As the field for camping is enlarged by the mo- 
 tor boat, so is the fitting out rendered slightly 
 more complicated. Ignoring entirely the neces- 
 sary accessories for the motor, additional para- 
 phernalia must be taken which could be omitted 
 were canoes alone used, but this extra equipment 
 may prove of invaluable service and should on no 
 account be left at home. 
 
 First and foremost of these comes the anchor, 
 which, if it will not actually prove the means of 
 saving the occupants from bodily harm, will 
 probably at least save the boat from many 
 scratches and bumps — if not more serious dam- 
 age. If any distance is to be traveled over open 
 water, two anchors should be carried, for it may 
 become necessary to " ride out a gale " in some 
 bay not well protected, and if one anchor should 
 refuse to hold in this case, or if the line should 
 part, a second " hook " may be the means of 
 keeping the boat off a rocky shore. 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 157 
 
 Even though the camping trip is to be taken 
 only along a small river, protected at all points 
 from high winds or heavy seas, the anchor and 
 cable, or rope, should be sufficiently heavy to with- 
 stand a great strain, as the motor may break 
 down in a swift current. In this case the anchor 
 may keep the boat from being carried on shore, 
 and the mechanic or engineer of the party may 
 then take his time while making repairs. Trou- 
 ble with a motor cannot be located and repaired 
 properly if there is a necessity for haste, as would 
 be the case were the boat drifting upon the near-by 
 shore. While in the larger boats the anchor is a 
 heavy mass of iron which must be carried outside 
 the hull or on the deck, small motor boats may be 
 equipped with collapsible or folding anchors which 
 may be stowed in a comparatively small space 
 'tween decks, and which will yet be ready for in- 
 stant use when the occasion arises. 
 
 The most vital and vulnerable part of the ex- 
 terior of a motor boat is the propeller and shaft, 
 and even a heavy skag will not always serve to 
 keep this from damage if a shoal, sandbar, or log 
 is encountered. It is the care that must be taken 
 to prevent contact of the propeller with a rock 
 that makes landing a medium-sized motor boat on 
 an unknown shore such a difficult operation. 
 The bow or 'midship section of the hull may be 
 
158 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 beached, or may even be allowed to bump a rock 
 lightly, and so, unless there is a pier or wharf at 
 hand or some natural landing place where it is 
 known that the water is sufficiently deep, a land- 
 ing from the motor boat must be made " bow on." 
 
 In this case, a stout anchor and sufficient length 
 of rope may sometimes be made to take the place 
 of a tender in enabling landings to be made at 
 places on the shore where no natural or artificial 
 wharf or pier will be found. If the landing on 
 this " treacherous shore " is to be made directly 
 from the motor boat without the use of a tender, 
 the anchor should be dropped when the craft is 
 still a hundred feet or so from the desired point 
 of disembarking. After the anchor has firmly 
 caught in the river bottom, the boat may proceed 
 very slowly toward the shore, the anchor rope 
 being kept sufficiently taut so that the headway 
 may be stopped immediately if the water becomes 
 too shallow. 
 
 It is probable that the water will be sufficiently 
 deep for the propeller a boat length away from 
 shore ; this being the case, the craft may be moved 
 forward until the bow strikes the beach or a rock 
 forming a suitable landing place. The anchor 
 rope should then be made fast to its cleat so that 
 the stern cannot drift around parallel with the 
 shore, and by attaching a bow line to a rock or 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 159 
 
 tree, the boat may be held in this position until 
 all of the passengers and equipment are landed. 
 
 It would not be advisable to leave the boat 
 unattended in this manner for any length of time, 
 •for if the anchor should be dragged only a few 
 feet by the wind or the current, the hull would 
 probably be damaged by being bumped against 
 the rocks from which it was formerly held away 
 by the anchor rope. To tether a boat so that it 
 will be kept at a safe distance from the shore and 
 yet rendered accessible when desired is a prob- 
 lem which can best be solved by employing a ten- 
 der; the use of the anchor for this purpose is 
 only a makeshift for a temporary landing. 
 
 If the route to be traversed is through unknown 
 waters — streams, bays, and lakes abounding in 
 shoals and sandbars of which there are no Gov- 
 ernment maps or charts obtainable — a small hand 
 capstan, firmly secured to the bow or stern deck, 
 may prove an invaluable addition to the camping 
 equipment. The capstan on larger boats is a 
 sort of windlass used for raising the anchor, but 
 on the smaller craft its services may be reversed. 
 
 This will be the case if the boat has stuck on 
 a sandbar or shoal in such a manner that it can 
 neither be moved by its own power nor lifted off 
 by the members of the party. In this event, the 
 anchor may be carried out in the tender to deeper 
 
160 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 water and firmly imbedded in the bottom. By 
 then operating the capstan attached to the an- 
 chor rope, a tremendous pull will be exerted on 
 the boat, which should serve to move it oif into 
 the deeper water. 
 
 Although a heavy stag is a great protection 
 to the propeller, a sunken log or peculiarly-shaped 
 rock may take one or two " buckets " off the 
 wheel in spite of all precautions. I therefore ad- 
 vise every camper who uses a motor boat to be as 
 certain to carry along an extra wheel or buckets 
 as he is sure to make his pipe and tobacco a part 
 of the equipment; he can borrow a smoke from 
 his friends, but they won't have any propeller 
 blades concealed about their clothes. 
 
 But even though an extra wheel or so is avail- 
 able in case of accident to the old one, how is the 
 change to be made, with the nearest boathouse or 
 derrick miles away? If the boat is a light one, 
 the solution is easy, for a shelving beach, a large, 
 round log, and two or three husky men can bring 
 the stern out of water in a "jiffy." But the 
 problem is not so simple in the case of a boat 
 weighing two or three tons, or more, and the 
 camper must call on mechanical means to aid him. 
 
 These will be furnished if he has been wise 
 enough to carry in the boat as a part of his reg- 
 ular equipment on such a camping expedition a 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 161 
 
 differential pulley, or what is more commonly 
 known as an " endless chain." This consists of 
 but three parts — the chain, a single lower pulley, 
 and a double upper pulley. A hook fastened to 
 the bearing of the double pulley enables it to be 
 suspended from any stout overhead support, while 
 a similar hook on the lower pulley is attached to 
 a rope passed around the hull of the boat to be 
 raised. 
 
 By pulling one side of the chain the lower pul- 
 ley and hook will be raised, slowly to be sure, but 
 with sufficient force to lift from one to ten tons, 
 depending upon the capacity and size of the 
 equipment. By pulling the other side of the 
 chain the weight will be lowered easily and gently. 
 The principal feature of this arrangement is that 
 the weight will remain suspended at any height 
 at which it is left, without the necessity of fasten- 
 ing the chain. In other words, the pulley is 
 " self-locking." 
 
 Although the wheels and chain of this differ- 
 ential pulley are rather heavy, the whole arrange- 
 ment may be stowed in a comparatively small 
 space, and, considering the service that this may 
 render to the boat and party, the added weight 
 may well be deemed inconsequential. The chief 
 difficulty to be encountered on a long trip when it 
 is desired to use this pulley is to find a place over 
 
16S THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 the water from which to suspend the upper block. 
 A launch slip in a boathouse having stout over- 
 head rafters will, of course, offer an easy solution, 
 but when on a trip during which boathouses are 
 few and far between, a pier or bridge under which 
 there is sufficient water to run the boat can be 
 made to serve the purpose. 
 
 In case. the country is so unsettled that even 
 rude bridges will be scarce, a projecting rock 
 ledge or stout limb of a tree, a couple of heavy 
 logs, and a little of that ingenuity with which 
 every camper is supposed to be endowed should 
 combine to make possible a repair to the pro- 
 peller under almost any conditions. 
 
 No camping trip in a motor boat should be 
 undertaken without carrying along a plentiful 
 supply of old but serviceable fenders to protect 
 the side of the boat from scratches and bumps 
 while making landings. It is a good idea to at- 
 tach small brass cleats at frequent intervals along 
 the gunwales on both sides of the hull, so that a 
 fender can be fastened immediately to almost any 
 portion of the boat. Old leather boat cushions 
 that have been considered worn out long ago will 
 be found to make serviceable fenders in lieu of the 
 ordinary cork-filled kind. 
 
 If the campers carry along a tent to protect 
 them from rain and dampness, why should not the 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 165 
 
 faithful little boat and engine that have brought 
 them to this Nirvana be accorded the same con- 
 sideration? A stout duck cover made to fit over 
 the cockpit by means of rings and eyes, and 
 raised in the center by a pole placed lengthwise 
 across the cockpit as described in a preceding 
 chapter, will serve to keep the interior and the 
 motor dry and in good condition, and the little 
 craft will be much more willing to continue the 
 journey indefinitely than would be the case were 
 it exposed to all kinds of weather. 
 
 Motor boat cruising need not be restricted to 
 a large cruiser. In fact, some of the most en- 
 joyable trips, lasting several days or weeks, may 
 be taken in an ordinary open motor boat, and 
 almost as much pleasure and comfort will be had 
 as though the craft were especially designed for 
 such a purpose. Few men are fortunate enough 
 to possess two motor boats of different types, 
 and for the average owner the twenty-five or 
 thirty-foot open craft will suit his all-around 
 needs much better than will a bona fide cruiser. 
 
 The latter is not as well adapted for use as a 
 pleasure or sight-seeing craft as is the open boat, 
 from which an unobstructed view may be had in 
 all directions, and the deck space of the cruiser 
 is too limited for a short, daylight trip on which 
 the occupants desire to be out of doors as much 
 
164 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 as possible. To be sure, the enclosed cabin of 
 the cruiser is ideal for stormy weather and for 
 sleeping on board, but the open boat may be made 
 snug and comfortable by the use of a little in- 
 genuity and a few attachments that may be easily 
 and quickly obtained and applied. 
 
 It is to be assumed, of course, that the open 
 craft in question will consist of a stout hull and 
 a sturdy, reliable motor, and consequently the 
 considerations of the transformation of this into 
 a cruiser will consist of attachments or changes 
 that do not affect the general design of the boat 
 as a whole. By an open boat is meant one in 
 which the cockpit is not enclosed at the sides, as 
 is the case with the cruiser, but a top of some 
 kind is necessary on any craft in which the party 
 is to live for any length of time. Many open 
 boats are supplied with some sort of a canopy 
 top for shelter from the sun and rain, and some 
 of these are of the detachable type such as is 
 used on automobiles. 
 
 The automobile top, however, is not suitable 
 for more than a few days' cruise, as it is seldom 
 that sufficient headroom will be found under it to 
 render the interior of the boat comfortable when 
 entirely enclosed. Furthermore, it is hardly 
 strong or substaiitid enough to withstand a beavy 
 gale, and while it is ideal for short trips along 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 165 
 
 protected waters, a more permanent arrangement 
 is necessary for an extended cruise on which all 
 manner of conditions will be met. 
 
 The most substantial form of permanent can 
 opy top has been already described. Stout cur- 
 tains of some waterproof material should be at- 
 tached to the underside of the canopy along its 
 outside edge. There should be several sections 
 of these of such a width that they will overlap a^ 
 few inches at the stanchions. These curtains 
 should be buttoned to each other at the overlap- 
 ping edges and should be fastened to the lower, 
 outside edge of the coaming, near the deck, by 
 means of hooks and grommets, or brass rings, 
 worked into the cloth. 
 
 The curtains may be rolled up under the can- 
 opy when not in use and held in place by short 
 leather straps and hooks. Any or all portions 
 of the cockpit may be enclosed, and a protecting 
 section of the curtain will be found exceedingly 
 useful, even on a fair day, when a quartering wind 
 blows the spray into the interior of the boat, or 
 when a member of the party complains of a 
 " draft " at the back of his neck. 
 
 There can be no portholes with glass windows 
 in such a cabin, but pieces of thin sheet celluloid 
 sewed into holes cut in the curtains make an ex- 
 cellent substitute, and one of these at the bow in 
 
166 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 front of the wheel will allow the boat to be navi- 
 gated in the stormiest weather with the cockpit 
 entirely enclosed and the pilot as snug and well 
 protected as any other member of the party. 
 When the boat is under way it will seldom be 
 necessary to button down all of the curtains, for 
 a part of the cockpit will be in the lee of the wind 
 and this side may be left open. 
 
 While the boat is occupied it is necessary to 
 leave at least a part of one curtain open for ven- 
 tilation, for the air will soon become unbearably 
 close if the cockpit is entirely enclosed. Conse- 
 quently it is only when the boat is left unattended 
 that the curtains will be buttoned down tightly on 
 all sides. 
 
 This substantial canopy has another advantage 
 over the automobile top for cruising, in that 
 hooks may be screwed in the cross-pieces and 
 stanchions of the former and almost any section 
 of the cockpit converted into a wardrobe at night. 
 If the cruise is to be taken during the mosquito, 
 fly, or " punkie " season, plenty of mosquito net- 
 ting should be taken along to be pinned over the 
 loose flaps of the curtains that are left open at 
 night for purposes of ventilation. 
 
 In the small open cockpit of a boat of this size, 
 a portable heater would not only be impracticable, 
 but unnecessary as well. Anyone who has had 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 167 
 
 any experience with a motor boat will realize that 
 the engine, although cooled by a constant supply 
 of water, gives off a considerable amount of heat 
 when running and for some time after it has 
 stopped. With most of the curtains closed, this 
 heat from the motor can be confined and will 
 make the interior of the boat several degrees 
 warmer than the temperature of the outside air. 
 
 On an unusually cold night, the clutch may be 
 disconnected or the blades thrown to neutral, and 
 the motor may then be used as a heat generator 
 as often as necessary. The motor is more effi- 
 cient for this purpose in the open boat with the 
 curtains closed than it is in the cruiser, for in 
 the latter case, the power plant is generally lo- 
 cated in a separate compartment and a large 
 amount of its heat would not reach the main cabin. 
 
 The sleeping arrangements in an open boat 
 cannot, of course, be made as compact as those 
 of a cruiser ; the back of the side seats cannot be 
 pulled up to form an upper berth and there can 
 be no owner's private stateroom provided. It is 
 possible, however, for two or three to sleep com- 
 fortably aboard a twenty-five foot boat, not orig- 
 inally designed for cruising, on beds which, while 
 riot the softest or springiest, will at least be rest- 
 ful and can be stowed in a small space in one of 
 the lockers when not in use. 
 
168 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 The construction of such a bed is one of the 
 things requiring a small amount of that ingenuity 
 necessary to convert an ordinary open boat into 
 a cruiser, which is half the fun of preparing for 
 such a trip. Inasmuch as the interior arrange- 
 ment of the cockpit of different boats will vary 
 to a great extent, no definite directions for mak- 
 ing a collapsible bed can be given, but the de- 
 scription of an average case taken as an example 
 may help the novice the better to plan for such a 
 cruise. 
 
 Suppose, for instance, you have a twenty-five 
 foot open boat of goodly beam with the motor lo- 
 cated about amidships. It is probable that the 
 lockers and seats will extend along the sides of 
 the interior and around the stern, thus leaving a 
 considerable unoccupied floor space aft of the 
 motor. You will immediately recognize this as 
 the logical place for the erection of a double bed 
 so as to utilize the side and stern locker seats. 
 
 This can best be done by constructing a frame- 
 work and platform to fit this space between the 
 seats aft of the motor, and you will then have a 
 bed probably six or seven feet long and at least 
 five feet wide. The framework for this platform 
 need consist of but two long sticks placed along- 
 side the lockers and supported by three or four 
 hinged, inverted, V-shaped pieces. If the legs 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 169 
 
 of these pieces are held at the proper distance 
 apart when in use by means of hooks and eyes, 
 the supports may be folded together in compact 
 form when you desire to stow the bed in the day- 
 time. It will be an easy matter for you to get 
 several boards and shape their edges to fit differ- 
 ent sections of the space between the lockers, and 
 if you place cleats along these boards at the 
 proper places, they will be held rigidly in position 
 on the framework. 
 
 For a different location of the motor, you will 
 need to follow a different design of bed, or plat- 
 form, but in any event the sleeping quarters 
 should be raised well above the floor of the cock- 
 pit in order to obtain all the fresh air possible. 
 It must be remembered that there can never be a 
 perfect circulation of air in the cockpit several 
 feet below the coaming and that it is here that 
 any gasoline vapors will collect. Consequently 
 do not think that cushions spread on the floor of 
 the craft will serve as a satisfactory bed for a 
 night or so — the double bed formed by the plat- 
 form is worth all the trouble required to make it, 
 even for a single night's lodging. 
 
 Of course, the open boat cannot be provided 
 with a complete galley, but by using one of the 
 lockers as a storeroom for provisions and carry- 
 ing along a gasoline or kerosene stove such as is 
 
170 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 used on the cruisers, meals " fit for a king " may 
 be prepared with remarkably little trouble. The 
 " trimmings," such as tablecloth, napkins, and 
 finger bowls will be missing, but on a cruise the 
 lack of such equipment will probably be consid- 
 ered more of a luxury than a hardship. When in 
 use, the stove may be placed on a hinged shelf in 
 one corner of the cockpit. The shelf should be 
 installed at such a height that the burner of the 
 stove will come a few inches below the coaming, 
 and the flame will thus be protected from the wind 
 on two sides. 
 
 In case the wind is blowing on the unprotected 
 side of the stove, a piece of canvas, or a curtain, 
 may be rigged up where necessary, and in this 
 manner a snug little galley may be improvised. 
 There will be times, however, when the stove can- 
 not be used on shipboard on account of a heavy 
 sea or high wind; in either of these events, the 
 appetites of the party must be appeased with the 
 ready-cooked canned goods which should form a 
 part of the commissary department of every 
 cruise. 
 
 Extra propeller blades, or an entire wheel, 
 should form a part of every cruising equipment, 
 even though the trip is to be taken over " familiar 
 ground " — and in the event of the latter proving 
 literally true, an extra " bucket " or two may be 
 
CAMPING AND CRUISING 171 
 
 the only means by which the outhig may be con- 
 tinued as originally planned. If the trip is to be 
 through large, navigable rivers and deep lakes, 
 and care is taken to keep away from the shore, an 
 accident to the propeller is not probable, but a 
 submerged log or a floating piece of wreckage 
 may easily accomplish what the absence of sand 
 bars or shoals would seem to render impossible. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE BOATHOUSE 
 
 EVERY motor boat, no matter how small or 
 cheap, deserves a home of some kind where 
 it may be sheltered from the rain and dew. 
 This need not be an elaborate or expensive struc- 
 ture, nor, in fact, is it necessary that it should be 
 a building at all, for a sloping canvas roof will 
 serve as effectually to keep out the dampness as 
 will one made of timbers and shingles or tile. 
 
 The man who already owns a motor boat, skiff, 
 canoe, or sailboat will probably have some form 
 of dock or landing stage projecting into the river 
 or lake. If this dock is in the form of an uncov- 
 ered slip between the piers of which the craft may 
 be run, the construction of a simple shelter is an 
 easy matter. This will consist of a strip of heavy 
 canvas stretched over iron bows, or hoops, that 
 straddle the slip. In order to make a substantial 
 framework, one of these hoops should be set in 
 the slip at a distance of about every three feet, 
 and each may be held securely in place by means 
 of sockets into which the ends slide. 
 172 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 173 
 
 Screw rings, or eyes, should be attached to the 
 sides of the slip above the sockets to serve as 
 guides, and if the sockets are provided with stops 
 for the ends of the hoops, no clamps will be needed 
 to hold the framework in place. The hoops 
 should be sufficiently long so that the heads of 
 occupants of the boat will not strike the top of 
 the framework at high water, although if this dis- 
 tance is made unnecessarily great, an undue 
 amount of canvas will be required and the cost of 
 the shelter will not be kept as low as would other- 
 wise be the case. 
 
 The canvas should be sufficiently wide to sur- 
 round the hoops completely from one side to the 
 other where they project above the docks. The 
 edges of the canvas may be either laced or hooked 
 down to the top of the docks or sides of the slip, 
 and for this purpose, grommets, or brass rings, 
 should be sewed into the material. The covering 
 may be attached to the hoops either by lacing or 
 by means of sliding rings sewed into the canvas, 
 but as the latter permits the shelter to be raised 
 along the side when it is desired to admit more 
 light or air, this is probably the better method 
 of the two. Flaps should be provided at both the 
 water and shore ends of this " tunnel," and these 
 should be furnished with lacing or buttons that 
 will render them rain and wind tight when closed. 
 
174 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 If wide docks form the slip over which the shel- 
 ter is erected, entrances may be cut in the canvas 
 on either side of the covering. These should be 
 in the form of flaps between two of the hoops, and 
 the loose canvas may be buttoned or laced down 
 when it is desired to " close the doors." Such a 
 side flap is useful for entering or leaving the boat, 
 for there is no dock space provided inside of the 
 canvas covering. 
 
 If there is no uncovered slip over which this 
 canvas shelter may be erected, and if the only 
 landing consists of a dock that juts into the water 
 a suflScient distance, an additional pier will need 
 to be constructed. This, however, need not 
 dampen the ambitions of the man who desires to 
 erect a shelter for his boat, as the building of a 
 small pier is not as complicated or serious an un- 
 dertaking as it may sound. The pier need only 
 serve the purpose of furnishing a substantial an- 
 chorage for the other end of the hoops forming 
 the framework for the canvas, and it is not even 
 necessary that a platform be built along the top, 
 as the entrance to and exit from the boat would 
 be made from the dock side. 
 
 If the river or lake bottom is sufficiently soft, 
 the simplest pier would be formed of a line of piles 
 driven into the mud and a heavy timber laid across 
 the top and secured to each one. The guides and 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 175 
 
 sockets for the hoops could then be attached to 
 the timber and the proper piles, respectively. 
 
 If the river bottom is too rocky to enable piles 
 to be driven in, " cribs " should be built on the 
 bottom of posts of the proper length. These 
 posts may then be placed in position to form the 
 pier, and if the cribs at their ends are loaded with 
 stones and the tops secured to the heavy timber 
 as already described, the resulting structure will 
 be sufficiently well anchored to form a solid sup- 
 port for the canvas framework and covering. 
 
 Many boathouses are constructed with docks 
 on all sides, and in this case, such a landing stage 
 may be used in connection with the above-men- 
 tioned pier to form a canvas-covered shelter for 
 an extra motor boat. If there are no docks along 
 the sides of the boathouse, or if the water is not 
 sufficiently deep for the accommodation of a mo- 
 tor boat, two pile-piers may be built out from 
 the front of the building and the slip thus formed 
 may then be covered with the canvas shelter. 
 
 This is a simple method of providing for the 
 accommodation of more craft than the boathouse 
 is capable of holding, but the objection will at 
 once be raised that the shelter includes no dock 
 alongside of which landings may be made. This, 
 of course, is true, but if a small platform is built 
 across a bow corner of the slip from the shore end 
 
176 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 of a pier to the boathouse, entrance to the craft 
 may be effected from the forward deck. If the 
 boathouse was designed for the accommodation of 
 skiffs or canoes only and consequently is floored 
 over completely inside, it will be well to build the 
 covered slip for the motor boat directly out from 
 the water-front door and thus do away with the 
 necessity of constructing an outside dock or plat- 
 form. 
 
 A motor boat is a necessary adjunct to every 
 house boat, for not only will it act in the capacity 
 of messenger between this water residence and a 
 base of supplies, but it may also serve as the mo- 
 tive power for towing the larger craft from one 
 resting place to another. This nomadic existence 
 of such a motor boat renders the problem of its 
 proper shelter rather a serious one, and often- 
 times a cockpit cover forms the only protection 
 that the craft will find for an entire season. If 
 a house boat can be towed from place to place, 
 however, there is no reason why a boathouse hav- 
 ing such transient properties might not also be 
 constructed. 
 
 Such a floating shelter may consist of a canvas 
 covering and framework such as has already been 
 described, but instead of mounting the iron hoops 
 on permanent piers, a special construction is re- 
 quired. The simplest form of floating support 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 177 
 
 for the framework is composed of a sufficient num- 
 ber of watertight barrels or kegs held together in 
 two parallel lines by heavy timbers attached to 
 each. These two lines should be braced at their 
 forward ends with an extra timber so that they 
 will be kept at the proper distance apart, and as 
 an added precaution, the stern hoop should be 
 made especially heavy to help maintain this posi- 
 tion. 
 
 There are many substantial boathouses built 
 with a " solid floor " for the accommodation of 
 skiifs or canoes, and it may be that some of these, 
 on account of their construction, cannot be con- 
 verted into motor boat garages. A shelter for 
 the boat, however, that is more substantial and 
 permanent than the canvas covering, may be 
 added to such a boathouse at small expense in the 
 form of a " lean-to." Such a lean-to, of course, 
 cannot afford a great amount of interior space, 
 but as it is intended to serve merely as a perma- 
 nent shelter for the boat, a slip large enough to 
 accommodate the craft will furnish all of the room 
 necessary. A dock should be built out from the 
 shore parallel with the side of the boathouse and 
 at a distance from it equal to the width of the de- 
 sired slip. The roof over this slip may be a con- 
 tinuation of that over the main boathouse, at a 
 decreased angle, if necessary, to allow the proper 
 
178 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 amount of head room. The rafters may be at- 
 tached to the projecting eaves of the main roof 
 and supported at the other end by the siding that 
 should be erected on the dock built for the pur- 
 pose. 
 
 If the dock has been built wide enough, it is 
 well to erect this siding on the center line so that 
 there will be platform space both inside and out- 
 side the lean-to. Otherwise, it is probable that 
 the dock will be more useful outside as a landing 
 place than it will inside of the lean-to, as the floor 
 space of the main boathouse will serve all interior 
 platform purposes. One or more doors should 
 be cut through the old boathouse partition against 
 which the lean-to is built. It is obvious that such 
 an addition to a boathouse is suitable only for the 
 accommodation of open motor boats, as there 
 would not be sufficient ceiling space afforded for 
 those having permanent canopy tops or cabins. 
 
 Even though the black flag was long ago hauled 
 down, the motor boat owner realizes that piracy 
 exists to a greater or less degree along our water- 
 ways and at the summer resorts where a set of 
 batteries, easily-" borrowed " tools, expensive 
 cork-filled cushions, and even gasoline and lubri- 
 cating oil that lie in unguarded craft make profit- 
 able loot for these modern, though petty, bucca- 
 neers. A canvas covering may protect the cock- 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 179 
 
 pit of the boat from rain and dew, but it cannot 
 guard the contents from the covetously-inclined 
 prowler, and the owner who erects a boathouse in 
 which his craft may be kept under lock and key 
 will be able to pay more than interest on his in- 
 vestment by the saving on his battery and spark 
 plug bills alone. But it is not only the owner 
 who has suffered losses of the movable property 
 of his boat who will profit by housing his craft in 
 a substantial building; a well-designed boathouse 
 is of great convenience in other respects, and as 
 a storehouse in winter and a repair shop in sum- 
 mer it is a " multum in parvo " of no mean con- 
 sideration. 
 
 As the enthusiast who has graduated from skiff, 
 canoe, or sailboat to motor boat has made the 
 change by degrees, so it is probable that he will 
 not care to bear the expense of a brand-new motor 
 boat garage as a matriculation fee. This is not 
 necessary, however, for with his old skiffhouse or 
 canoe shed as a nucleus, the owner may evolve a 
 habitation for his craft that will be in keeping 
 with his progression as a nautical sportsman. 
 This, of course, does not apply to the man who, 
 as a first venture, invests in a forty-footer, but 
 is directed only to the owner whose purchase is a 
 runabout no longer than an ordinary-sized boat- 
 house. 
 
180 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 If the original boathouse sets out from shore a 
 sufficient distance, the water under its floor will 
 be deep enough for the accommodation of the 
 small motor boat, and the planking need only be 
 cut away to form a slip. The beam.s on which 
 the floor rests will, of course, need to be rear- 
 ranged, and it is possible that an extra pier or 
 two will be required at the sides of this new slip 
 for the support of the stringpieces. 
 
 If the boathouse rests on but four piers — one 
 at each corner — it will be an easy matter to cut 
 a slip, as there will then be no obstruction at its 
 entrance. A third pier at the front of the boat- 
 house, however, will seriously interfere with the 
 construction of a central slip and may need to be 
 replaced with two small ones — thus forming two 
 piers at each side of the entrance. 
 
 As three piers at the front would probably only 
 be used to support a moderately large boathouse, 
 it would be well to cut the slip between two of 
 these piers and thus preserve the remaining half 
 of the floor space intact if the boat to be accom- 
 modated is a small one. It should always be re- 
 membered, however, that a " tight fit " between 
 boat and slip is inadvisable and that the latter 
 should always be several feet wider than the beam 
 of the craft it is to receive. Consequently, it 
 may be necessary to remove the central pier in 
 
THE BO AT HOUSE 181 
 
 order to construct a slip that will be sufficiently 
 wide. 
 
 If the boathouse does not set far enough out 
 from shore to afford a sufficient depth of water 
 when the slip is cut in the floor, the nature of the 
 bottom will determine the advisability of dredg- 
 ing or moving the building. Even though a small 
 boat will not draw over two or three feet of water, 
 provision should be made for a variation in the 
 level of the surface of the stream or lake on which 
 the boathouse is situated, and a depth of five or 
 six feet under the stern is none too great for the 
 accommodation of an ordinary craft. If the bot- 
 tom is soft, it will, of course, be an easy matter to 
 dredge the slip to the desired depth, but the action 
 of the waves will probably soon refill the excava- 
 tion and make it necessary to repeat the opera- 
 tion several times in a season. 
 
 Whether cruiser or racer is ultimately pur- 
 chased, the services of the little runabout will 
 always be needed, and it is well to provide for the 
 accommodation of one of the latter as a first con- 
 sideration and basis of the boathouse plans. 
 Such a slip should be at least twenty feet long and 
 five feet wide, even though the runabout owned at 
 present should be considerably smaller than these 
 dimensions. The main portion of the boathouse 
 should be devoted to the provisions for accommo- 
 
18g THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 dating the prospective larger craft, while the slip 
 for the runabout may be placed in a connecting 
 lean-to formed by an extension of the roof at an 
 angle different from that at which it slopes on 
 the other side. As it is not beyond the bounds 
 of probability that a forty-foot racer or cruiser 
 will be the " ultimate purchase," it is well to build 
 the main portion of the house at least fifty feet 
 long. The large slip can be covered over with 
 planks which have been cut to fit into it and rest 
 on cleats secured to the sides. This will form a 
 smooth, level floor which can be taken up as soon 
 as it is desired to use the slip. If the slip is not 
 cut when the house is built, provision should be 
 made for this to be done at any time by so lo- 
 cating the piers that none will be placed directly 
 at the entrance when the floor is reconstructed. 
 
 A boathouse designed to accommodate a large 
 " fleet," from yacht or cruiser down to a small 
 runabout or tender, should be built with the larg- 
 est slip in the center under the peak of the roof 
 and those of the successively smaller sizes on 
 either side so that the individual slips for the 
 " youngsters " are under the eaves. This design 
 is necessary on account of the practice of using 
 tall signal masts on yachts and large cruisers. 
 
 There should be plenty of floor space between 
 the slips and the entire building should extend 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 183 
 
 several feet beyond the end of the longest. 
 Rather than build the slips at the sides of just 
 the size to accommodate the small boats, and thus 
 restrict their capacity, it is better to construct 
 one or two larger slips and in these keep all the 
 runabouts, work boats, and tenders not suffi- 
 ciently large to require an individual slip. This 
 will thus furnish an emergency or " guest " slip. 
 
 Boats equipped with signal masts require all 
 of the available roof space, of course, and it is 
 Consequently impossible to build a loft in the boat- 
 house. If it is certain that a boat of this size or 
 type will never be purchased, however, it is well 
 to design the boathouse with a loft. This is not 
 only useful as an extra room for the storage of 
 spare equipment, tops, fenders, chairs, canvas, 
 rope, and the like, but the interposition of this 
 top flooring between the boat and the roof pro- 
 tects the hull from being unduly dried out dur- 
 ing the hot days of spring before the craft is 
 made ready for the water. 
 
 When the piers for the boathouse are built, it 
 Is well to make these considerably larger than is 
 necessary for the support of the building alone, 
 and use the foundation thus afforded for the con- 
 struction of ample and substantial docks. A 
 boathouse with no outside docks is as poorly de- 
 signed as a country home with no porch. In fact, 
 
184 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 docks should be built, not only on both sides of 
 the boathouse, but in front as well, and the motor 
 boat garage having the greatest amount of 
 " wharfage " is, in some respects, the best de- 
 signed. Plenty of dock space not only affords 
 accommodation for visiting craft and lends an 
 air of hospitality to the water front, but the 
 owner will find every square foot of it useful at 
 various times for his own boat. 
 
 If the boat has been running in a heavy sea or 
 a severe storm, the interior, top, curtains, and the 
 like may be dried to much better advantage if the 
 craft is left outside where sun and wind will help 
 the process. Then, too, in making repairs to the 
 motor or painting a part of the hull or top, it 
 may be advisable to move the boat out where sun, 
 air, and light will be more abundant, and then 
 the dock on the side on which the conditions are 
 the most favorable may be selected, — and the ad- 
 vantage of having a choice will be appreciated. 
 
 Even in the strongest wind, the boathouse may 
 prove itself a substantial shelter and breakwater 
 and the dock on the lee side will afford a safe 
 refuge when it would be impossible to land at the 
 opposite platform on account of the high seas. 
 A large amount of dock space that will be shel- 
 tered from almost any wind that blows can be ob- 
 tained by building a " basin " or open slip parallel 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 185 
 
 with the shore line and at a sufficient distance from 
 it to afford the proper depth of water. This 
 basin should be built large enough to receive sev- 
 eral small boats, and the outside of the large pier 
 which serves as a breakwater may be used for the 
 accommodation of a long craft. 
 
 By using the platform at one side of the boat- 
 house to form the end of the slip, but one or two 
 additional docks need be built for the construc- 
 tion of this sheltered basin and the maximum 
 amount of water frontage is thus obtained on a 
 comparatively short shore line and at a minimum 
 cost. The construction of the dock forming the 
 land side of the slip should not be difficult, as one 
 end of the cross floor beams may rest on shore 
 while the other end can be supported on piles or 
 piers built only far enough out to obtain a suffi- 
 cient depth of water. When one or more such 
 slips are covered over with a well-designed shin- 
 gle or tile roof, an attractive " guest shelter " is 
 provided that may even serve as a temporary ac- 
 commodation for the owner's boat. 
 
 Small platforms at the front of the boathouse 
 between the slip entrances may often be used to 
 good advantage for small boats or for reaching 
 the stern of the craft inside, and as they require 
 no extra piers, but can be supported by those 
 forming the foundation of the boathouse, the ex- 
 
186 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 pense involved Is almost negligible. If the boat 
 occupying the slip is rather a " tight fit " and 
 there is not sufficient room to allow for erratic 
 steering or a slight miscalculation on the part of 
 the pilot, it is well to cut off the corners of the 
 outside docks guarding the entrance. The docks 
 on either side of the slip will then act as a sort of 
 guide that will enable the boat to enter its berth 
 with ease. 
 
 No matter how simple or how elaborate may be 
 the construction of the boathouse, precautions 
 will need to be taken against the devastations of 
 winter if the structure is located on a stream or 
 body of water on which ice forms every year. 
 Ice and high water show no favors, and many a 
 man has returned to his summer home the follow- 
 ing year only to find his boathouse tilted up at 
 one corner and down at the other and the position 
 of the front piers changed so that the doors to 
 the slip cannot be opened. The weakest point of 
 the foundation of the boathouse, and at the same 
 time the one most open to the attack of the ice, 
 is the forward line of piers separating the slips. 
 These cannot be strung together with heavy cross- 
 pieces, as is the case with those supporting the 
 floor, and in consequence the ice is liable to move 
 the forward piers independently of the boathouse. 
 
 To provide against this, the end piers should 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 187 
 
 be tied together when the boathouse Is closed for 
 the winter, and this is best done by the use of two 
 heavy rods joined at the ends by means of a turn- 
 buckle. The outer ends of the rods should be in 
 the form of hooks which are to fit into eyes 
 screwed into the heavy timbers of each pier. 
 The eyes should have been so placed that the tie 
 rod will come about level with the surface of the 
 water, and after this has been hooked in place, it 
 should be tightened with the turn-buckle. If 
 such a rod is placed across the end of each slip, 
 the piers cannot move away from each other and 
 the boathouse will be found in much better shape 
 than would be the case were the ice and high wa- 
 ter allowed to have full sway. 
 
 Notwithstanding the damage that may result 
 if care is not taken, it may be said that every mo- 
 tor boat should be hauled out of the water at least 
 once each year, even though it is desired to use 
 the craft throughout the whole twelve months. 
 On northern waters, where the Severe winters 
 form ice that would be almost certain to crush or 
 scratch the hull of a comparatively small boat, 
 the reason for hauling the craft out of the reach 
 of harm from this source is apparent; and any- 
 one who has seen large piers or boathouses twisted 
 or moved bodily from their foundations will real- 
 ize the small chance that a frail hull would have of 
 
188 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 withstanding this tremendous force of the frozen 
 water. But every boat, whether used in waters 
 where ice is to be reckoned with or not, requires 
 painting on the under-water portions of the hull 
 at least once or twice a year; and in tropical or 
 semitropical streams where barnacles and marine 
 growth are more abundant, it may be found neces- 
 sary to haul the craft out of water once every two 
 or three months in order to obtain the best results. 
 
 Were the hull not painted, the wood of which 
 at is composed would soon become water-soaked 
 and practically useless. The paint, then, serves 
 to prevent the water from entering the porous 
 fibers of the wood, and keeps the hull dry and at 
 its minimum weight. The length of life of paint 
 on wood under water is not great, however, and 
 while some of the largest steamers and sailboats 
 may not seek the dry dock for several years, this 
 is because of the expense, labor, and time re- 
 quired for such an operation, and a light motor 
 boat that can be hauled out of water in a few 
 hours, or minutes, has no excuse for remaining 
 unpainted any longer than is necessary. 
 
 It is due to these three reasons, then — danger 
 from ice, the necessity for painting, and the fact 
 that the longer the hull is left in the water the 
 more water will it absorb — that the average motor 
 boat should be hauled out high and dry for its 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 189 
 
 winter's rest. If the boat is a light affair, such 
 as a motor canoe or skiff, it may be lifted out of 
 the water and set on sawhorses. Several sticks 
 nailed to the floor and wedged under the gunwales 
 at each side will serve to keep the boat from tip- 
 ping over, and are as effective for this work as 
 the more elaborate bilge blocks. If the floor 
 space of the boathouse is desired for other pur- 
 poses, the boat may be suspended from the rafters 
 by means of several ropes passed entirely around 
 the hull. One of these should be placed under the 
 motor, and the greatest weight should rest here 
 in order to prevent the keel from sagging. Such 
 a method of leaving a small motor boat for the 
 winter, however, is hardly advisable, as the ropes 
 are liable to slip a little or stretch, and thus 
 change the distribution of the weight and allow 
 the strain to come on some vital part of the hull. 
 Larger boats should be raised from the slip 
 cut for their accommodation in the boathouse 
 floor. If the boathouse is well equipped, it is 
 probable that the slip will be provided with two 
 or three sets of vertical screws, to the lower ends 
 of each pair of which are attached heavy timbers 
 which will be raised as the nuts on the screws are 
 turned. A powerful lifting force can be obtained 
 in this manner, and the boat can be raised care- 
 fully and easily to the desired distance above the 
 
190 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 water. If the height of the water remains con- 
 stant throughout the winter, or recedes slightly, 
 the boat need be raised only until the keel is a 
 few inches above the surface. In fact, it would 
 be better to leave the keel and extreme bottom of 
 the hull submerged until freezing weather settles 
 down, but this, of course, can only be done if there 
 is a man near at hand who can be trusted to raise 
 the boat high and dry as soon as winter makes its 
 appearance. 
 
 The screws should be so spaced that the weight 
 of the motor of the boat will come directly over 
 one of the timbers. In raiding the craft, the tim- 
 ber carrying this greatest weight should be kept 
 slightly in advance of the other screws so that it 
 may be certain that an unsupported keel is not 
 carrying the entire weight of the motor. When 
 the boat has been raised to the desired height, the 
 other timbers may be screwed up to a position 
 that will perceptibly relieve the weight on the first 
 screw, but this latter should still be carrying the 
 greatest part of the load, so that there can be no 
 possibility that the weight of the motor will cause 
 the keel to sag. 
 
 If the boathouse slip is not equipped with these 
 screws and timbers, the differential pulley may be 
 of use in raising the boat out of water. Two 
 heavy timbers to which the pulley may be attached 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 191 
 
 should be erected over the bow and stern of the 
 boat and supported by stout uprights. If the 
 floor of the boathouse Is not too high above the 
 surface of the water, the stern may be raised 
 first, a long timber placed under the keel with 
 its ends resting on the floor at either side of the 
 slip, and this half of the hull may be kept out of 
 water while the pulley Is changed to the bow end. 
 Another timber placed across the slip under the 
 bow, and a third amidships, should furnish ample 
 support for any boat up to thirty-five feet In 
 length, and the craft will remain well above the 
 reach of the water. 
 
 A couple of large, one-piece bilge blocks, cut 
 to fit the curvature of the sides of the hull at the 
 points at which they would be used for support, 
 will be found to be much more satisfactory than 
 the odds and ends of timber generally used. If 
 the patterns from which the hull of the boat was 
 constructed are available, it will be an easy mat- 
 ter to obtain the exact curve of all parts of the 
 hull and to select the proper shape for the por- 
 tion at which It Is desired to use the bilge blocks. 
 A heavy bilge block will need to be cut in sections, 
 and after the proper curvature has been given to 
 each part, the separate sections should be bolted 
 together. The one-piece bilge blocks possess the 
 advantage of fitting the curve of the hull exactly 
 
19a THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 at the point at which the support is desired, and 
 consequently the planking will be saved many 
 scratches and digs. In addition to this, they are 
 much easier to handle, and are always ready. 
 
 The fall is not the time for overhauling or re- 
 pairing the motor or hull, as the long period of 
 idleness following would render a thorough inspec- 
 tion necessary in the spring — and probably half 
 of the work would need to be done over again. 
 Consequently, the object in "preparing the boat 
 for its winter's rest " is to leave it in such shape 
 that deterioration will not occur, and to reduce 
 to a minimum the necessity for repairs in the 
 spring. This being the case, there is very little 
 that needs to be done to the motor or to the in- 
 terior of the hull. The lockers should be opened 
 and the covers of the seats removed to allow a cir- 
 culation of air and to dry out the dampness that 
 will have collected during the summer. 
 
 While it is not probable that a few gallons of 
 gasoline remaining in the tank would do any real 
 harm, all fuel should be removed from the boat in 
 order to make " assurance doubly sure." In ad- 
 dition to this, in case of fire and there is any diffi- 
 culty with the insurance companies, it is better 
 to be able to furnish proof positive that not a 
 drop of gasoline was left in the boat or boathouse. 
 The coils should be left in a dry place, but it will 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 19$ 
 
 be useless to try to save the dry batteries, no mat- 
 ter how strong they may be, as they deteriorate so 
 rapidly that they would be absolutely worthless 
 for ignition purposes the next spring. 
 
 If a storage battery is used, it should be " run 
 down " and then charged to its full capacity, In 
 which condition it should be left in some place 
 where there is no possibility of the temperature 
 dropping below the freezing point. It is not 
 necessary to drain the oil out of the oil cups or 
 crank case of the motor, but there should be no 
 oily waste or rags left in the boat or boathouse. 
 All unplated or unpainted iron or steel parts of 
 the motor should be thoroughly covered with 
 " dope," or cup grease, to prevent rust, and it 
 would not be amiss to treat the exposed rudder 
 chains or steel cable in the same manner. 
 
 Although the boat Is supposed to be left in 
 such a condition that the keel cannot be sprung 
 out of line, a slight settling of one of the piers of 
 the boathouse, or poor judgment on the part of 
 the man who superintended the raising of the hull, 
 may leave an uneven distribution of weight on the 
 supporting timbers. For this reason, it is a good 
 idea to uncouple the propeller shaft from the mo- 
 tor and slide it back a few Inches so that it will 
 be free to occupy any position made necessary by 
 the jspringing of the keel. This precaution Is, of 
 
194 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 course, unnecessary if a universal coupling is 
 used between the shaft and the motor, but it 
 should be done in every case in which the connec- 
 tion is solid. 
 
 The best way to haul up on shore is to use the 
 old, familiar " ways," if the boat is too large to 
 be lifted by five or six men. A light boat can, of 
 course, be picked up and carried to the place pre- 
 pared for it, but the heavier craft must be pulled 
 up over the greased timbers by means of a wind- 
 lass anchored to the shore. The ways consists 
 merely of a track of heavy timbers, running from 
 the point at which it is desired to store the boat 
 out into the water to a sufficient depth so that the 
 craft may be floated over the submerged ends. 
 
 A framework designed to fit the bottom of the 
 hull, is run out to the end of the ways, and the 
 boat placed in position over it. This forms what 
 is known as the ^* cradle," and with the keel of the 
 boat resting on three or four heavy, supporting 
 timbers of this framework, and with the " bilge 
 blocks " placed in position to prevent tipping to 
 either side, the craft may be pulled out high and 
 dry, without any part coming into sliding con- 
 tact with the timbers of the ways or cradle. The 
 " bilge blocks " may be wooden blocks or the short 
 ends of heavy timbers, built up to follow the 
 cur^'-atur'e of thie side of the hull so that this strain 
 
THE BOATHOUSE 195 
 
 of keeping the boat in an upright position will 
 be distributed along several vertical sections of 
 the bottom. 
 
 When the boat has been hauled up to its final 
 position it should be supported by extra timbers 
 under its keel and at the sides, and every precau- 
 tion taken to render it damage-proof against the 
 highest gales that blow. The craft should then 
 be covered entirely with a protection of some sort 
 to keep out the rain or snow. Even though the 
 boat is of the cabin variety, and the interior can 
 be closed tightly by means of the hatchways and 
 ports, or windows, it is advisable to board over 
 the entire hull, decks, and cabin. Many men will 
 merely stretch a canvas over the cockpit to keep 
 the water from the inside, but the decks and ex- 
 terior of the hull can be injured by ice, rain, and 
 a hot sun almost as easily as can the interior. 
 While it is not absolutely necessary to cover every 
 portion of the hull, wet weather, followed by the 
 hot sun of the Indian summer or early spring, may 
 serve to dry out the planking or open up the 
 seams, and consequently, if possible, it is ad- 
 visable to inclose every part of the craft during 
 the winter, even though considerable more time 
 and labor wiU bfe required. 
 
 One of tl^e easii&et w5ays to covter the btmt en* 
 tirely h to Hoard ii in Wilh rSxigh planks, and oVer 
 
196 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 these to nail tarred paper. This should eifectu- 
 ally serve to keep out both the sun and rain, and 
 the boards, after having once been sawed to the 
 proper length, will be available for use during 
 successive winters. A framework, over which is 
 stretched waterproof canvas, is sometimes used, 
 and is effective if the '* ridgepole " is placed at a 
 sufficient distance above the deck to slant the roof 
 enotigh to allow all water to run off easily. It is 
 probable, however, that this canvas would cost 
 almost as much as the rough boards, and the re- 
 sulting covering is not as substantial as the one 
 first described. 
 
 A boat which has been properly stored for the 
 winter will last three times as long and will re- 
 quire but one half the attention in the spring as 
 will a craft that is carelessly hauled up and left 
 but scantily protected from the ice, rain, and 
 sun. Remember that every hour spent in care- 
 fully laying up the boat means the saving of at 
 least two hours in the spring, as well as a smaller 
 bill for repairs and supplies when *' fitting out 
 time " comes. 
 
GLOSSARY 
 
 Acetylene — The gas generated by the action of 
 water on calcium carbide. Largely used 
 for illuminating purposes on motor boats 
 and automobiles. 
 
 Ampere — The electrical measure of current quan- 
 tity. 
 
 Anneal — A heat-treating process given to iron 
 and steel in order to obtain a uniform 
 strcture of material. 
 
 Apeon — The front curtain of an automobile type 
 of top. 
 
 AuTO-BoAT — A name sometimes given to that type 
 of motor-boat having its power plant lo- 
 cated under the forward deck. 
 
 Axis — The imaginary line about which a body 
 may be revolved. 
 
 Babbit — A white composition metal, easily 
 melted, that is frequently used for bear- 
 ings. 
 
 Back-fiee — An explosion that takes place in a 
 
 gasoline engine when the valves or ports 
 
 are still open. Instead of confining this 
 
 explosion in the cylinder, the gases are 
 
 197 
 
198 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 blown through the carburetor or into the 
 crank case. 
 
 Base — That portion of the motor to which the 
 cylinders are bolted. Sometimes used as 
 synonymous with crank case. 
 
 Batteky (Dry) — A chemical electric current 
 generator in which no liquids of any sort 
 are used. 
 
 Battery (Storage) — A cell in which electric cur- 
 rent can be stored to be used at will. 
 
 Beam — The measurement of a hull from side to 
 side taken at its widest point. 
 
 Bearing — The metal parts in which a shaft or 
 crank turns. 
 
 Bed— The foundation (generally of wood) on 
 which the engine is installed. 
 
 Bilge Block — Blocks placed against the plank- 
 ing to support the hull when it is out of 
 water. 
 
 Bilge Pump— A pump for removing the water 
 from the bottom of a boat. 
 
 Bore — The measurement of the diameter of the 
 inside of the cylinder. Also, approxi- 
 mately, the diameter of the top of the pis- 
 ton. 
 
 Bow — The extreme forward portion of a boat. 
 As an adjective, it signifies anything for- 
 ward of the amidship section. 
 
GLOSSARY 199 
 
 BaoNZE — ^A copper alloy used as a material for 
 gears, bushings and bearings. 
 
 Bucket — A term generally applied to the remov- 
 able blade of a reversible propeller. 
 
 Bushing — A metal sleeve inserted as a lining in a 
 bearing to take up wear. 
 
 Cam — An irregularly-shaped or slotted piece of 
 metal used to convert rotary motion into 
 lateral movement. Used in four-cycle 
 motors for lifting the valves. 
 
 Capstan — A form of windlass, or winch, used 
 for raising the anchor. 
 
 Carbide (Calcium Carbide) — The chemical used 
 in the generation of acetylene gas. 
 
 Carbon — One of the chemical elements appearing 
 in a variety of forms. Soot is practically 
 pure carbon, as is also the hardened resi- 
 due from the lubricating oil found in en- 
 gine cylinders. 
 
 Carburetor — The device for mixing with the 
 gasoline vapor the proper quantity of air 
 for producing an easily-ignited charge in 
 the cylinder. 
 
 Caulk — To wedge the seams, or cracks, between 
 the planking of a boat. 
 
 Cell — A battery of either the dry, wet, or stor- 
 age type. 
 
 Cleat — A metal or wooden piece having projec- 
 
SOO THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 tions around which a line may be made 
 fast. 
 
 Clutch — ^A connection for transmitting power 
 from one revolving shaft to another. 
 
 Clutch (Reverse) — ^An attachment by means of 
 which the propeller may be turned back- 
 ward while the motor is still revolving in 
 its forward direction. 
 
 Cock — ^A valve which may be opened or closed at 
 will. Usually provided between the inte- 
 rior of the cylinder and the outside air 
 for the purpose of relieving compression 
 in the cylinder. 
 
 Cockpit — The open space or unenclosed portion 
 of a boat. 
 
 Coil — The electrical instrument by means of 
 which the low voltage of the batteries is 
 raised to the high voltage necessary for 
 the formation of the spark. 
 
 CoMPEESSioN — The resistance offered to the up- 
 ward movement of the piston when all 
 openings are closed. In order to obtain 
 the full value from the ignition of the 
 charge, the mixture must first be com- 
 pressed. 
 
 Connecting Rod — ^The metal rod attached at 
 one end to the piston and at the other to 
 the crank. The means of transforming 
 
GLOSSARY SOI 
 
 reciprocating motion into rotary move- 
 ment. 
 
 Contact Point — The small platinum pieces used 
 on a coil and between which the vibrator 
 operates as it alternately makes and 
 breaks the circuit. 
 
 Countersink — To enlarge one portion of a hole 
 in order to allow a bolt, screw head, or 
 the like to set in flush with the surface. 
 
 Coupling — A positive connection between two 
 shafts. 
 
 Coaming — ^A strip of wood surrounding the cock- 
 pit and raised above the deck. 
 
 Ceib — Interlacing timbers loaded with stone and 
 used to form a pier. 
 
 Cradle — A framework for supporting a boat 
 when out of water. 
 
 Cruiser — A type of motor boat having the for- 
 ward portion of the cockpit enclosed in a 
 cabin, and provided with berths and a 
 galley. 
 
 Crank Shaft — ^The shaft containing the cranks 
 to which the pistons of the motor are con- 
 nected. 
 
 Cylinder — ^The main portion of the motor. The 
 casting in which the piston moves up and 
 down. 
 
 Cycle — A round of events. In the gasoline mo- 
 
«02 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 tor, it is the operations that take place 
 between one ignition of the charge and the 
 next. 
 
 Dead-Centee — The top and bottom positions of 
 a crank. Or, when the crank makes a 
 straight line with the connecting rod. Un- 
 der these conditions, the crank cannot be 
 turned by the piston in question. 
 
 Deck — The roofed-over or covered portion of a 
 hull. All that portion of the top of the 
 hull not included in the cockpit or the 
 cabin. 
 
 Differential Pulley — ^A self-locking hoist 
 operated by chains and three pulleys of 
 different sizes. 
 
 Electrodes — The metal terminations or points 
 between which the current flows. In an 
 ignition plug, they are the points between 
 which the spark jumps. 
 
 Emery Cloth (or Paper) — A sheet over which a 
 preparation of finely powdered emery has 
 been spread. Used on metal in the same 
 manner as sandpaper is used on wood. 
 
 Exhaust — The gases discharged from the cylin- 
 der after ignition has taken place. 
 
 Four Cycle — The type of motor in which the ad- 
 mission of the charge and expulsion of the 
 exhaust gases are controlled by valves and 
 
GLOSSARY ^08 
 
 in which four strokes, or two revolutions, 
 are required between each explosion in 
 each cylinder. 
 
 Fantail — A type of stern used on many sail and 
 steam craft. In such a boat, the deck 
 length is greater than the waterline length, 
 for the stern deck projects far over the 
 water. 
 
 Galley — The kitchen of a cruiser, ship, or yacht. 
 
 Gasket — A packing or lining placed between two 
 adjoining parts to render the joint gas 
 or water-tight. 
 
 Grommets — Brass eyes sewed into a canvas in 
 order that it may be hooked in place. 
 
 Gunwale — The upper side " edges " of the hull. 
 
 Hanger — The underwater support for the stern 
 end of the propeller shaft. 
 
 Hatch — An opening in the roof or top of a boat: 
 to allow headroom when entering or leav- 
 ing the cabin or cockpit. 
 
 Hold — The space in a hull between the bottom 
 and the lower deck. 
 
 Horsepower — The power required to raise 33,- 
 000 pounds one foot in one minute. Or, 
 the power required to raise one pound 33,- 
 000 feet in one minute. 
 
 HuLL—The boat exclusive of cabin, machinery, 
 or furnishings. The " part that floats." 
 
^04 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Hydeoplane — A racing type of boat which, by 
 its shape, is designed to skim over the 
 water instead of through it. 
 
 Inboaed — Applies to anything used inside the 
 hull. 
 
 Jacket — The hollow space surrounding the cyl- 
 inder walls in which the cooling water cir- 
 culates. 
 
 Joint — The point of contact between two sepa- 
 rate parts. 
 
 Keel — The heavy timber running throughout the 
 length of the bottom of the hull which 
 forms the " backbone " of the boat. 
 
 Kilowatt— -A measure of electrical energy. One 
 thousand watts. 
 
 Knockdown — Term applied to a boat that is so 
 constructed that it may be easily taken 
 apart and assembled. 
 
 Lag Sceew — ^A heavy screw with a square head 
 used for holding timbers together. 
 
 Laeboaed — Nearly obsolete term for the port, or 
 left-hand side, of a boat. 
 
 Lee — The side of a shore, boat, building, or the 
 like protected from the wind. 
 
 Log — The piece surrounding the shaft at the 
 point where it pierces the keel. It is used 
 to form a water-tight joint in the hull at 
 this point. 
 
GLOSSARY 205 
 
 Manifold — The casting in which several pipes 
 unite in a common outlet, 
 
 'Midship — Contraction for Amidship. The mid- 
 dle portion of the boat. 
 
 MiXTUEE — Term usually applied to the combus- 
 tible charge after it has left the carbu- 
 retor. 
 
 Muffler — A cylinder into which the exhaust 
 gases are introduced and allowed to ex- 
 pand in order to reduce the noise of the 
 explosion. 
 
 Needle- Valve — The small valve in a carburetor 
 that regulates the amount of gasoline ad- 
 mitted to the intake pipe. 
 
 Neutbal — The position of a reverse clutch or 
 the blades of a propeller at which neither 
 forward nor backward motion will be com- 
 municated to the boat. 
 
 One-Man Control — System by which one per- 
 son may steer boat, run motor, and oper- 
 ate reverse. 
 
 Outboard — Applies to any part of boat used 
 outside of the hull. 
 
 Packing — Material placed between two adjoin- 
 ing surfaces in order to form a tight 
 joint. 
 
 Patterns — Forms by which the correct shape of 
 a certain design of boat may be obtained. 
 
THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Periphery — The surface of a wheel at the great- 
 est distance from its center. 
 
 Pitch — The distance that a propeller would 
 travel in a straight line during one com- 
 plete revolution if there were no " give," 
 or slip. This distance is measured along 
 the axis about which the propeller turns. 
 
 Piston — The portion of the motor that fits the 
 cylinder and moves up and down within it 
 as the gas is exploded. 
 
 Piston Ring — A springy ring surrounding the 
 piston and used to obtain a tight joint as 
 the piston moves. There are generally 
 four rings on each piston. 
 
 Planking — The boards that cover the ribs of the 
 boat and constitute the outside of the hull. 
 
 Plunger — The piston of a pump. 
 
 Poles — The two portions of a battery from 
 which the current is taken. 
 
 Poet — The opening in the cylinder wall through 
 which the gases are admitted and ex- 
 pelled. In a two-cycle motor, ports take 
 the place of valves. 
 Also, the left-hand side of a boat. 
 
 Port (Two-) — A type of two-cycle motor in 
 which the charge is sucked into the cylin- 
 dler directly from the carburetoir and in- 
 take pipfe. 
 
GLOSSARY aOT 
 
 Poet (Three-) — A tjpe of two-cycle motor in 
 which the charge is first sucked into the 
 base and is there compressed before its 
 admission to the cylinder. 
 
 Peopeller — A metal wheel having two, three, or 
 more blades set at an angle to its axis. 
 When this is revolved under water on the 
 end of a shaft, the boat is propelled for- 
 wards or backwards, depending upon the 
 direction of rotation. 
 
 Ratchet — A toothed wheel and " dog " which en- 
 able rotary motion to be transmitted in 
 only one direction. 
 
 Rating — A result obtained by a mathematical 
 computation of measurements which is 
 used as a basis of handicapping boats in 
 speed contests. 
 
 Register — To set one hole or opening so that 
 its outlines coincide exactly with those of 
 the same-shaped opening adjoining it. 
 
 Ribs— Bent pieces of wood attached to the keel 
 and to which the planking is nailed. The 
 ribs and keel form the " skeleton " of a 
 hull. 
 
 Rings— See piston. 
 
 Shim — Small pieces of sheet metal or composi- 
 tion placed between two halves of a bear- 
 ing so that the pifessurfe xrpm tlife shaft 
 
208 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 will not be too great. Also placed between 
 the lugs of an engine base and its bed in 
 order to hold the motor in the proper 
 position so that it will line up with its 
 shaft. 
 
 Shoal — A submerged sandbar or rock dangerous 
 to navigation. 
 
 Skag — A rigid metal bar attached to the keel 
 and extending under the propeller to pro- 
 tect the latter from shoals and other ob- 
 stacles. 
 
 Skiff — A round-bottom rowboat having pointed 
 bow and stern. 
 
 Sleeve^ — A tube surrounding part of a shaft 
 which can be moved or revolved independ- 
 ently of the latter. 
 
 Slip — An opening cut in the floor of a boat-house 
 for the accommodation of one or more 
 craft. 
 
 Spark — The hot flame of electric current used 
 in the cylinder to ignite the charge of gas 
 from the carburetor. 
 
 Spontaneous Combustion — Heat generated by 
 chemical action in a closed space. The 
 cause of many " mysterious " motor boat 
 fires. 
 
 Stanchion— The wooden or metal supports for 
 a canopy top or overhead deck. 
 
GLOSSARY «09 
 
 Staeboaed — The right-hand side of a boat. 
 
 Staeve — To reduce the gasoline or mixture sup- 
 plied to a motor to the extent that irreg- 
 ular running results. 
 
 Step-Up (Transformer) — ^The type of coil used 
 on gasoline engines. This increases the 
 original voltage and reduces the original 
 amperage a proportionate amount. 
 
 Steen — The extreme rear of a boat. As an ad- 
 jective, used to signify any part that is 
 aft of the 'midship portion. 
 
 Steoke — The length of piston travel in a con- 
 tinuous direction. Or, twice the length 
 of the crank to which the connecting rod 
 is attached. 
 
 Tap-— To cut threads in a hole drilled in a piece 
 of metal. 
 
 Teak — A kind of wood sometimes used in the 
 construction of hulls and engine beds. 
 
 Tendee — A small boat usually towed behind a 
 larger craft. Sometimes the tender is 
 carried on top of the large boat, or is 
 slung from davits at the side. 
 
 TiLLEE — The cross-piece attached to the rudder 
 post that is used to turn the rudder. The 
 cables, chains, or ropes that pass around 
 the steering wheel are attached to the end 
 of the tiller. 
 
 \ 
 
210 THE MOTOR BOAT 
 
 Timer — The device by means of which the mo- 
 ment of the formation of the spark is 
 regulated. 
 
 Theee-Poet — See Port. 
 
 Theottle — The valve by means of which the 
 amount of mixture admitted to the cylin- 
 der may be regulated. 
 
 ToEPEDO — A form of stern that projects beyond 
 the deck line. The torpedo stern is the 
 opposite of the fantail stern in that the 
 waterline length of the former is the great- 
 est measurement of the boat. 
 
 Teansfoemee — Ordinarily termed the coil. The 
 device used to increase the voltage of the 
 batteries to an amount sufficient to form 
 the necessary spark. 
 
 'Tween-Deck — The enclosed portion of the hull 
 between the deck and the keel. 
 
 Two-Cycle — The type of motor in which the 
 explosion occurs in each cylinder at each 
 revolution. 
 
 Two-Poet — See Port. 
 
 Univeesal Joint — A coupling that enables the 
 two shafts connected by it to revolve at 
 different angles. 
 
 V-Teansom (Stern) — A form of stern having a 
 V-shapcd plan. 
 
 Valve — A device for controlling the admission or 
 
GLOSSARY 211 
 
 flow of a gas or liquid. In four-cycle 
 engine practice, the valves are used to 
 control the admission of the charge and 
 the expulsion of the exhaust gases to and 
 from the cylinder. 
 
 ViBEATOR — A piece of spring steel used on the 
 top of a coil to make and break the cur- 
 rent alternately in order to obtain the 
 " surging " necessary to the increase in 
 voltage. 
 
 Volt — -A unit of electrical measurement. It rep- 
 resents the pressure or force of the cur- 
 rent as it flows from one pole to the other. 
 
 Wastje — A loose, stringy, cotton material useful 
 for wiping and cleaning parts of a motor 
 and boat. 
 
 Watt— A unit of electrical energy. The num- 
 ber of watts delivered by a generator is the 
 product obtained by multiplying the am- 
 peres by the volts. 
 
 Ways — The inclined track on which a boat is 
 drawn when it is hauled from the water. 
 
 Wheel — A term often applied to the propeller 
 of a boat. 
 
 Windwaed — The side of a boat, shore, building, 
 or the like against which the wind blows. 
 
 THE END 
 
I 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Acetylene Generator, 
 
 126-7 
 Anchor 
 
 Advantages of, 124-5, 
 
 156 
 Folding, 157 
 Used to Replace Ten- 
 der, 158 
 Auto Boat 
 
 Description of, 13 
 Cost of, 13 
 Automobile Engine 
 Comparison with 
 Marine Motor, 30-1 
 Auxiliary Power 
 
 Accessibility of, 104-5 
 Covering for, 105 
 Installing, 100-109 
 Location of, 103 
 Proper size of, 104 
 Speed attained from, 
 101 
 Backfiring, 79 
 Battery Box 
 
 Waterproof, 131 
 Battery 
 
 Care of Storage, 193 
 Deterioration of Dry, 
 198 
 
 Tester, 35 
 
 Trouble with, 35 
 Beam of Boat 
 
 Effect of changing, 53 
 
 Proportion of length 
 to, 5S 
 Bearing 
 
 Babbit, 78 
 
 Bronze, 78 
 
 Effect of worn, 78 
 Bed (Engine) 
 
 Necessity of solid, 85 
 
 How made, 86-9 
 
 (Sleeping) ; how to 
 make for cruising, 
 168-70 
 Bilge Blocks, 191-194 
 
 Pump; automatic, 128 
 Blade 
 
 Effect of changing size 
 of propeller, 57 
 
 Extra, 170 
 
 Removable, 118 
 Boat House 
 
 Arrangement of slips 
 in, 181 
 
 Floating, 176 
 Camping 
 
 Motor canoe for, 151 
 
 25-foot boat for, ISS 
 
 212 
 
INDEX 
 
 213 
 
 Canoe 
 
 How to convert into 
 
 power craft, 91 
 Proper power for, 8, 
 
 152 
 Speed of, 8 
 Canopy Tops, 139, 150 
 
 Danger from, 150 
 Capstan, 159 
 Carbon 
 
 How removed, 67-8 
 Carburetor 
 
 Description of, 32 
 Loss of power from, 
 79 
 Cat Boat 
 
 Converted into power 
 craft, 55, 88 ^ 
 Celluloid Windows, 
 
 143, 165 
 Charts, 159 
 Clutch 
 
 Reverse, 116 
 Coil 
 
 Adjustment of, 35 
 Symptoms of trouble 
 
 with, 34-5 
 Waterproofing, 131 
 Compression 
 
 How much, 64-5 
 Loss of, QQ, 72 
 Connections 
 
 Symptoms of broken, 
 34 
 Covering for Auxiliary 
 Power, 105 
 
 Covers 
 
 Removable canvas 
 
 136-7 
 Cradle, 194 
 Crank Case Explosion, 
 
 39, 76 
 Cribs, 175 
 Cruiser 
 Cost of, 16 
 Description of, 16 
 Curtains for Cruising, 
 
 165 
 Cushions used as Life 
 
 Preservers, 111 
 Dampness 
 
 Effect of on ignition 
 
 system, 43 
 Protecting auxiliary 
 
 power from, 105 
 Protecting ignition 
 system from, 43, 99 
 Differential Pulley, 
 
 161, 190 
 Dredge 
 
 Motor boat used as, 24 
 Exhaust 
 
 Piping for in auxiliary 
 power, 106 
 Fenders 
 
 Use of in camping, 162 
 Fitting out Boat for 
 
 Camping, 162 
 Fire 
 
 Danger from, 109 
 Four-Cycle Motors 
 When used, 15, 84 
 Gaskets (see packing) 
 
214 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Gasoline Failure 
 
 Symptoms of, 34 
 Hauling Out 
 
 Large boat, 189 
 
 On shore, 194 
 , Reasons for, 187 
 
 Small boat, 187 
 Heat 
 
 Too much of in cyl- 
 inder, 41 
 
 For the cruiser, 170 
 Hemlock 
 
 Used in engine bed, 87 
 Horn 
 
 Electric, 114 
 House-Boating 
 
 Use of motor boat for, 
 28 
 Hull 
 
 How supported when 
 out of water, 191 
 
 Proper shape of, 51-4 
 Hydroplane 
 
 Principles of, 52-$ 
 Ice 
 
 Protecting the boat 
 house from, 186-8 
 Keel 
 
 How supported, 190 
 
 Liability to be sprung, 
 190 ' 
 Knock-Down Hulls, 1 1 
 Lean-to for Housing 
 
 Boat, 177 
 Length op Boat 
 
 Effect of increasing, 58 
 
 Proportion of to beam, 
 53 
 Life Preservers, 111 
 Lighting Outfits, 126 
 Lights 
 
 How to make guards 
 for, 112 
 Lining up the Motor, 
 
 93-4 
 Log 
 
 How made for con- 
 verted craft, 94-5 
 Melon Hood, 145 
 Missing (explosions) 
 
 Reasons for, 79 
 Mixture 
 
 Causes of trouble with, 
 
 32, 38 
 Composition of, 32 
 How to remedy weak, 
 33 
 Motors 
 
 Detachable, 152 
 Effect of change in 
 
 location of, 55 
 Sizes for different con- 
 ditions, 14, 84, 104 
 Muffler 
 
 Best location for, 98 
 Needle-Valve 
 
 Adjustment of, 32-3 
 Packing 
 
 Asbestos, 73 
 For crank case, 76 
 Cutting to proper 
 shape, 74 
 
INDEX 
 
 ai5 
 
 Replacing worn or 
 
 blown-out, 74< 
 Rubber, 73 
 Simplest form of, 73 
 Painting 
 
 Necessity for, 188 
 Pier 
 
 How to make, 175 
 Pine 
 
 Used in engine bed, 87 
 Piston 
 
 Device for replacing, 
 
 71-2 
 How fitted and ground, 
 
 70 
 How cleaned and re- 
 moved, 67-8 
 How tested for fit, 69 
 Rings; reasons for, QQ 
 Why not tight fit, QQ 
 Pitch 
 
 Effect of change of, 
 
 56-7 
 What it is, 56-7, 117- 
 18 
 Power 
 
 Effect of too much, 
 
 49-50 
 Loss of, 64, 75, 80 
 Pounding in Cylinder 
 
 Causes of, 40-41 
 Propeller 
 
 Advantages of solid, 
 
 118 
 How to change when 
 
 cruising, 160 
 Importance of proper, 
 5Q 
 
 Proper location of, 59 
 
 Reverse, 116 
 Racing 
 
 Of motor, 119 
 
 Handicaps, 26-7 
 
 One-design, 25 
 
 Small boats, 25 
 Ready-Made Motor 
 
 Boats, 8 
 Reverse Clutch, 116-18 
 
 Propeller, 116 
 
 Gear; reasons for, 116 
 Reversing Motor 
 
 How done, 37 
 Rings (Piston), QQ 
 Runabout 
 
 Cheapest type of boat, 
 7 
 Salt Water 
 
 Difference of speed in, 
 60 
 Scow 
 
 Use of, 23 
 Screws for Hauling 
 
 OUT Boat, 189 
 Shelter (canvas) 
 
 How to make, 172 
 Signal Masts 
 
 Accommodations for 
 
 boats with, 183 
 Skag 
 
 When needed, 97 
 Skiff 
 
 How converted into 
 power craft, 91 
 
 Cost of, 7 
 
 Proper power for, 7 
 
S16 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Sleeping in an Open 
 
 Boat, 167 
 Slips 
 
 Boat house, 180-6 
 Sound of Motor 
 
 How to tell trouble by, 
 38-40 
 Speed 
 
 Effect of power on, 
 49-50 
 Speedometer (Marine), 
 
 131 
 Spray Cloth 
 
 How to make, 138 
 Starving (Motor) 
 
 Cause of, 79 
 Steel Hulls, 9 
 Steering Wheels 
 
 Arrangement of, 122-3 
 Stern 
 
 Drawing down ; pre- 
 vention of, 52-4 
 
 Fantail, 92 
 
 V-transom, 17, 54 
 Stove for Cruising 
 
 How protected, 170 
 Stowing Camp Uten- 
 sils, 154 
 Stuffing Box 
 
 Use of on log, 95 
 Tanks 
 
 Airtight, 9 
 
 Fuel; size of, 97 
 
 Location of, 97, 107 
 
 Material of, 98 
 Teak 
 
 Used in engine bed, 87 
 Tender 
 
 Uses of, 154 
 
 Time 
 
 Trial race, 26-7 
 Tools 
 
 Special, 132-33 
 Top 
 
 Stationary canopy, 144 
 
 Removable, 144 
 
 Automobile, 164, 142 
 Towing, 51 
 
 Load pulled by motor 
 boat, 23-4 
 
 One or more skiffs and 
 canoes, 155 
 Trouble 
 
 How to trace, 44-5 
 Twin-Screws, 108 
 Two-Cycle Motors 
 
 When used, 14, 84 
 V-Transom Stern, 1 7, 
 
 54 
 Ventilation 
 
 Necessity of to prevent 
 fire, 109 
 
 When cruising, 166-68 
 Waterproofing 
 
 Propeller shaft log, 95 
 
 Wires of ignition sys- 
 tem, 43-4 
 Ways 
 
 Use of for hauling out, 
 194 
 Whistles 
 
 Kinds of, 112-13 
 
 Necessity for loud, 112 
 AVood 
 
 Kinds of for engine 
 bed, 86 
 Wrenches, 132-3 
 
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 the care of the trees, and the harvesting and storage of the 
 fruit. 
 
 The Automobile. — Its Selection, Care and Use. By Robert Sloss 
 This is a plain, practical discussion of the things that every 
 man needs to know if he is to buy the right car and get the 
 most out of it. The various details of operation and care 
 are given in simple, intelligible terms. From it the car owner 
 can easily learn the mechanism of his motor and the art of 
 locating motor trouble, as well as how to use his car for 
 the greatest pleasure. A chapter is included on building 
 
 Backwoods Surgery and Medicine. By Charles Stuart Moody. A 
 handy book for the prudent lover of the woods who doesn't 
 expect to be ill but believes in being on the safe side. Com- 
 mon-sense methods for the treatment of the ordinary wounds 
 and accidents are described — setting a broken limb, reducing 
 a dislocation, caring for burns, cuts, etc. Practical remedies 
 for camp diseases are recommended, as well as the ordinary 
 indications of the most probable ailments. Includes a list of 
 the necessary medical and surgical supplies. 
 
 The manager of a mine in Nome, Alaska, writes a§ 
 follows: "I have been on the trail for yea/rs (ttcelve 
 in the Klondike and Alaska) and have always wanted 
 just such a hook as Dr. Moody's Backwoods Surgery 
 ^md Medicine." 
 
Outing Handbooks 
 
 The Beagle. In this book emphasis will be laid on the use of 
 the beagle in the hunting field rather than in the show ring. 
 It is designed for the man who wishes to keep a small pack 
 for his own enjoyment rather than for the large kennel owner. 
 Simple remedies are prescribed and suggestions are given 
 as to the best type for the purposes of purchase or breeding. 
 
 Boat and Canoe Building. Edited by Horace Kephart. It is not 
 a difficult matter to build a boat or a canoe yourself. All that 
 is necessary is to bring together knowledge, manual dexterity, 
 and the proper material. The material can be secured almost 
 anywhere at little expense. The manual dexterity will come 
 with practice and this book furnishes the knowledge. All 
 types of the smaller boats and canoes are dealt with and 
 suggestions are given as to the building and equipping ofl 
 the smaller sail boats. 
 
 Camp Cookery. By Horace Kephart. *'The less a man carries In 
 his pack, the more he must carry in his head," says Mr. Kep- 
 hart. This book tells what a man should carry in both pack 
 and head. Every step is traced — the selection of provisions 
 and utensils, with the kind and quantity of each, the prep- 
 aration of game, the building of fires the cooking of every 
 conceivable kind of food that the camp outfit or woods, fields, 
 or streams may provide — even to the making of desserts. 
 Every precept is the result of hard practice and long experience. 
 Every recipe has been carefully tested. It is the book for the 
 man who wants to dine well and wholesomely, but in true 
 wilderness fashion without reliance on grocery stores or elab- 
 orate camp outfits. It is adapted equally well to th© trips of 
 every length and to all conditions of climate, season or coun- 
 try; the best possible companion for one who wants to travel 
 light and live well. 
 
 The chapter headings tell their own story: 
 Provisions. — ^Utensils. — Fires. — Dressing and Keeping Game and 
 Fish. — Meat. — Game. — Fish and Shellfish. — Cured Meats, etc. — 
 Eggs. — Breadstuffs and Cereals. — Vegetables. — Soups. — Bever- 
 ages and Desserts. 
 
 "Scores of new hints map le obtained "by the house- 
 
 "keeper as well as the camper from Camp Cookery." 
 
 — Portland Oregonian. 
 
 "I am inclined to thing that the advice contained 
 
 in Mr. Kephart's hook is to be relied on. I had to 
 
 stop reading his recipes for cooking wild fowl— they 
 
 made me hungry." — New York Herald. 
 
 "The most useful and valuable book to the camper 
 
 yet published," — Grand Rapids Herald. 
 
 "Camp Cookery is destined to be in the Mt of every 
 
 tent dioeller in the country." 
 
 — Edioin Markham in the San Francisco Examiner, 
 
 ExercFse and Health. By Dr. Woods Hutchinson. Dr. Hutchin- 
 son takes the common-sense view that the greatest problem 
 in exercise for most of us is to get enough of the right kind. 
 The greatest error in exercise is not to take enough, and the 
 greatest danger in athletics is in giving them up. The 
 Chapter heads are illuminating: Errors in Exercise.— Exercise 
 and the Heart. — Muscle Maketh Man. — The Danger of Stop- 
 ping Athletics.—Exercise that Rests. It is written in a direct 
 matter-of-fact manner with an avoidance of medical terms, 
 and a strong emphasis on the rational, all-round manner of 
 living that is best calculated to bring a man to a ripe old 
 age with little illness or consciousness of bodily weakness. 
 
Outing Handbooks 
 
 Farm Drainage and Irrigation. One of the most serious farm 
 •problems is that connected with water, either its lack or Us 
 too great abundance. This book gives the simple proved 
 facts as to the best methods for taking water off the land or 
 bringing it on. It shows the farmer how to bring his swamps 
 into cultivation without converting them into sun-dried wastes. 
 Also how the sandy stretches may be kept moist and bearing 
 through even the driest summer. A knowledge of these simple 
 facts will relieve the farmer from the haunting fear of 
 drought or the long rains that sometimes blight the spring 
 in Northern and Eastern latitudes. 
 
 The Farmer's Bees. The keeping of bees is neither a difficult nor 
 expensive matter, nor is it one in which a little knowledge 
 is necessarily a dangerous thing. However, there are a few 
 elementary facts which could be well learnt, such, for ex- 
 ample, as the handling of swarms and the provision of proper 
 honey-making food and the care of the bees in winter. This 
 book covers this elementary field in a logical and convincing 
 manner. 
 
 The Farmer's Bookkeeper. Half of the secret of success in farm- 
 ing is knowing the real relation between income and expendi- 
 ture. In no business is that so hard to find probably, as in 
 farming. Mr. BufCum has presented a simple, common-sense 
 method of farm accounting which he has used with great suc- 
 cess for many years. It requires no elaborate knowledge of 
 bookkeeping and is entirely reliable in showing the farmer 
 where his business stands as a going concern. 
 
 The Farmer's Cattle. In this volume the problem discussed is 
 two-fold, one of breeding and the other of care. The breed is 
 determined largely by the use to which the farmer wishes his 
 cattle put, whether for dairy or beef purposes. Their care 
 is afEected to a certain extent by the same consideration but 
 not so largely. For the average farmer a combination of the 
 two is usually most desirable, and it is in this light that this 
 book discusses the problem. All of the information is de- 
 signed to avoid unnecessary expense and to save the farmer 
 from rushing into extreme and costly experiments or wasting 
 his time on valueless mongrel strains. The care of calves 
 is discussed in length, as also the stabling and feeding of 
 milk cows and the feeding of the stock destined for the 
 market. 
 
 The Farmer's Hogs. It was once the boast of Illinois, then the 
 biggest grain producing state of the Union, that 90 per cent, 
 of the corn raised in that state was fed in the country of Its 
 origin. Probably 70 per cent, of that amount was fed to hogs. 
 That condition still holds in a large measure. Hence this book 
 is designed to aid the practical farmer in selecting the best 
 hogs for market purposes as well as for home use, and to 
 advise him as to their care and feeding so as to insure a 
 living profit on their cost and the cost of the grain necessary 
 to feed them for market. 
 
 The Farmer's Poultry. It is a proved fact that there is large 
 (profit to be made from the raising of poultry but not by the 
 amateur who rushes into it without knowledge or experience. 
 In this book is given the fruit of many years experience of a 
 man who has made poultry raising pay. The birds dealt with 
 are not the expensive exotics of the poultry fancier but the 
 practical varieties with records as good producers and a good 
 name In the market. The reader is taught how to provide 
 shelter for his poultry that shall keep them comfortable and 
 safe from vermin of all kinds without involving the builder In 
 prohibitive expense. The objective point is poultry as a by» 
 product of the Farm that shall provide amply for the feirmer'i 
 table with a margin for the market. 
 
Outing Handbooki 
 
 The Farmer's Vegetable Garden. This Is designed especially for 
 home growing with some reference, however, to the possibilities 
 of market use of over supply. It gives the latest and best 
 advice on the raising of the staple vegetables, such as potatoes, 
 cabbages, beans, peas, turnips, and so forth. It also shows 
 the farmer how, without material trouble or expense he may 
 enrich his table with new varieties and lengthen the season 
 of his garden's productiveness. It is a manual for the gardener 
 who has only odd times to devote to his garden and Its 
 advice is intended to enable him to use that time to the 
 highest advantage. 
 
 Farm Planning. It is a vexing problem with every practical 
 farmer to get the greatest possible use out of his land with the 
 least possible waste. A stony hillside is not suitable for the 
 raising of wheat but it may furnish an excellent location for 
 an orchard. A piece of swampy bottom land may not be 
 ideal for barley but with proper drainage and cultivation it 
 may be unexcelled for a vegetable garden. This book deals 
 with just such problems and also with the placing of farm 
 buildings, yards, and so forth, in order to make them fit in, 
 so that the farm may be kept constantly at its highest pitch of 
 usefulness. 
 
 The Fine Art of Fishing. By Samuel G. Camp. Combines the 
 pleasure of catching fish with the gratification of following the 
 sport in the most approved manner. The suggestions offered 
 are helpful to beginner and expert anglers. The range of 
 fish and fishing conditions covered is wide and includes such 
 subjects! as "Casting Fine and Far Off," "Strip-Casting for 
 Bass," "Fishing for Mountain Trout," and "Autumn Fishing 
 for Lake Trout." The book is pervaded with a spirit of love for 
 the streamside and the out-doors generally which the genu- 
 ine angler will appreciate. A companion book to "Fishing 
 Kits and Equipment." The advice on outfitting so capably 
 given in that book is supplemented in this later work by equally 
 valuable information on how to use the equipment. 
 
 Fishing Kits and Equipment. By Samuel G. Camp. A complete 
 guide to the angler buying a new outfit. Every detail of fishing 
 kit of the freshwater angler is described, from rodtip to creel 
 and clothing. Special emphasis is laid on outfitting for fly 
 fishing, but full instruction is also given to the man who 
 wants to catch pickerel, pike, muskellunge, lake-trout, bass 
 and other fresh-water game fishes. Prices are quoted for all 
 articles recommended and the approved method of selecting 
 and testing the various rods, lines, leaders, etc., is described. 
 
 "A complete guide to the angler buying a new outfit/' 
 
 — Peoria Herald. 
 
 "The man advised hy Mr. Camp toill catch Ms fish/* 
 
 ^Seattle, P. I. 
 
 "Even the seasoned angler will read this hook with 
 
 profit/* — Chicago Tribune. 
 
 The Horse, Its Breeding, Care and Use. By David Buffum. Mr. 
 Buffum takes up the common, every-day problems of the 
 ordinary horse-user, such as feeding, shoeing, simple home 
 remedies, breaking and the cure for various equine vices. An 
 Important chapter is that tracing the influx of Arabian blood 
 into the English and American horses and its value and limi- 
 tations. Chapters are included on draft-horses, carriage horses, 
 and the development of the two-minute trotter. It is dis- 
 tinctly a sensible book for the sensible man who wishes to 
 know how he can improve his horses and his horsemanship 
 at the same time. 
 
Outing Handbooks 
 
 Intensive Farming. By L. C. Corbett. Th© problem as presented 
 in this book is not so much that of producing results on a 
 small scale because the land is no longer fertile enough to be 
 handled in an expensive manner but rather one of producing 
 a profit on high priced land, which is the real secret of in- 
 tensive farming. This book will take up the question of the 
 kind of crops, and method of planting and cultivation neces- 
 sary to justify the high prices now being charged for farming 
 land in many sections. Its publication marks the passing of 
 the old style, wasteful farmer with his often destructive 
 methods and the appearance of the new farming which means 
 added farm profit and proper conservation of the soil's re- 
 sources. 
 
 Leather and Cloth Working. Edited by Horace Kephart. This 
 book is designed to give competent instruction in the making 
 of the outdoor paraphernalia into which leather and cloth enter, 
 such as tents, sails, sleeping bags, knapsacks, blanket rolls, 
 and so forth. It has the double advantage of reducing the 
 cost of the equipment and nainimizing the risks of loss or 
 accident when away from civilization. The cutting or patching 
 of a sail or the repair of a sleeping bag may seem like a 
 simple matter, but knowledge of how to do it may often spell 
 the difference between safety and comfort or danger and a very 
 high degree of discomfort. 
 
 Making and Keeping Soils. By David Buffum. This is Intended 
 for practical farmers, especially those who wish to operate on 
 a comparatively small scale. The author gives the latest 
 results as showing the possibility of bringing worn-out soil up 
 to its highest point of productiveness and maintaining it there 
 with the least possible expense. The problem of fertilization 
 enters in as also that of crop rotation and the kind of crops 
 best adapted to the different kinds of soil. 
 
 The Motor Boat, Its Selection, Care and Use. By H. W. Slauson. 
 The intending purchaser of a motor boat is advised as to the 
 type of boat best suited to his particular needs, the power 
 required for the desired speeds, and the equipment necessary 
 for the varying uses. The care of the engines receives special 
 attention and chapters are included on the use of the boat in 
 camping and cruising expeditions, its care through the winter, 
 and its efficiency in the summer. 
 
 Outdoor Signalling. By Elbert Wells. Mr. Wells has perfected a 
 method of signalling by means of wig-wag, light, smoke, or 
 whistle which is as simple as it is effective. The funda- 
 mental principle can be learnt in ten minutes and its applica- 
 tion is far easier than that of any other code now in use. 
 It permits also the use of cipher and can be adapted to almost 
 any imaginable conditions of weather, light, or topography. 
 
 Planning the Country House. The builder of a house in the 
 country or in the suburbs is frequently forced to choose be- 
 tween two extremes — his own ignorance or the conventional 
 stereotyped designs of mediocre architects and builders. This 
 book provides a solution by presenting a number of excellent 
 plans by an expert architect of wide experience in country 
 house building, together with a plain statement of the prob- 
 lems which the builder must face, and the most suitable and 
 advisable methods of solving them. A sufficient number of 
 plans are presented for a liberal choice or to suggest the 
 very house that th© reader has been looking for. 
 
Outing Handbooks 
 
 Rustic Carpentry. Edited by Horace Kephart. Every year the 
 number of dwellers in summer cottages of the smaller type 
 increases and every year more and more people are giving 
 attention to the beautifying of their own summer places with 
 porch gates, fences, lawn seats, summer houses, and so forth. 
 The country carpenter is not always available and frequently 
 not dependable. This book answers the call for information 
 as to how the owner of a summer house or summer cottage 
 may be his own carpenter, building his own furniture, con- 
 structing his own porches, adorning his place with attractive 
 fences, seats and so forth. Incidentally it opens the door to 
 a most attractive way of spending one's leisure hours on a 
 summer vacation. 
 
 The Setter. As the hunting dog "par excellence" the setter will 
 only be treated with direct reference to his use before the guns, 
 A practical method of putting a puppy through the necessary 
 preliminary training before he takes the field, is described, as 
 also the proper use of the broken dog in actual hunting or in 
 field trials. As in our other dog books special attention will be 
 given to the care of the dog in the kennels, type and qualities 
 as affecting breeding, and simple remedies for the ordinary 
 diseases. 
 
 The Scottish and Irish Terriers. By Williams Haynes. These 
 two breeds are included in one book because of their general 
 similarity of type, habits and use. Both have been increasing 
 in popularity greatly in recent years. This book responds to 
 a widely felt need for a common-sense manual which shall de- 
 scribe the breed, its noteworthy characteristics, points to be ob- 
 served in selecting a dog, and the training of the dog after 
 selection. Remedies for the ordinary diseases are described 
 and advice given on the construction and eare of kennels in 
 a comprehensive and feasible manner. 
 
 Sheet Metal Working. Edited by Horace Kephart. Sheet metal 
 enters into many of the articles that constitute an important 
 part of the camper or canoeist's outfit such, for example, as 
 baker's ovens, cups and pans, not to mention the numberless 
 cans, boxes and cases which must find a place somewhere 
 in the outdoor man's bags. This book teaches the reader how 
 to obtain exactly the thing he wants because it teaches him 
 how to make it himself. Also it is an excellent insurance 
 against discomfort in the woods by its practical advice in the 
 matter of rough and ready repair and refitting. 
 
 ISportlng Firearms. By Horace Kephart, Mr. Kephart has done 
 for the user of the shotgun, the rifle, or the revolver what he 
 did for the camper and woods eruiser in "The Book of Camp- 
 ing and Woodcraft." All three arms are dealt with from the 
 standpoint of the every-day non-professional user, and com- 
 mon-sense advice is given as to the makes, calibres, and types 
 for the various uses. Even expert marksmen will find in this 
 book possibilities of their favorite weapon suggested or de- 
 scribed, of which they had not dreamt before. 
 
 Tracks and Tracking. By Josef Brunner. After twenty years of 
 patient study and practical experience, Mr. Brunner can, from 
 his intimate knowledge, speak with authority on this subject: 
 "Tracks and Tracking" shows how to follow intelligently even 
 the most intricate animal or bird tracks. It teaches how to in- 
 terpret tracks of wild game and decipher the many tell-tale 
 signs of the chase that would otherwise pass unnoticed. It 
 proves how it is possible to tell from the footprints the name, 
 sex, speed, direction, whether and how wounded, and many 
 other things about wild animals and birds, All material has 
 been gathered first hand. 
 
Outing Handbooks 
 
 Wing and Trap-Shooting. By Charles Asklna. The only practical 
 manual In existence dealing with wing shooting with th« 
 modern gun. It contains a full discussion of the various 
 methods, such as snap-shooting, swing and half-swing, dis- 
 cusses the flight of birds with reference to the gunner's 
 problem of lead and range and makes special application of 
 the various points to the different birds commonly shot in this 
 country, A chapter is included on trap shooting and the book 
 closes with a forceful and common-sense presentation of the 
 etiquette of the iQeld. 
 
 OUTING PUBLISHINQ>COMPANY 
 
HOM 3 ^^^ 
 
One copy del. to Cat. Div. 
 
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