Commander T. B. Horner, R.N., has proposed the following plan for a lateen sail :

The yard at its heel is pivoted into the fore end of the boom e, and can be lowered so as to reef the sail diagonally by the foot, as shown; while the "down tackle" at the mast keeps all in place, and a leathered bar (which may be called the "truss-rod"), fitted to open on a hinge (d), acts as a traveller to bind the yard to the mast, and to follow the shifting of it aft as reefed; while a horse and traveller abaft the rudder-head would be useful to keep the boom down in working to windward. The main sheet and down-tackle being overhauled when lowering the yard for furling, the sail would make up upon the boom.

The tack might be triced up like a cutter's, by having a few hoops or a lacing on the yard; while, by being rounded at the luff, a single block purchase, making fast to a belaying pin formed by lengthening the pin of the pivot (as shown at e), would stretch all flat again with ease.

A topmast could be added to the rig, and a topsail set as indicated by the dotted lines, the sheet of which might be fitted with an indiarubber stopper at the bitts, to meet the spring of the lateen yard.

CHAPTER XVII.

BRIGHTON BEACH BOATS.

THE Brighton beach boats enjoy a very high repute on the South Coast, and no doubt they are very capable little vessels, and well adapted for the work they are put to. As there is no sheltered anchorage at Brighton, the boats are hauled up on the beach; and a more or less flat floor is necessary for this operation, in order that the boats may be floated as far up on the beach as possible. The boats are fitted with stout bilge keels three or four inches deep, on one of which a boat rests as she is hauled up. Ways are now laid down for hauling the boats up and launching them off; but a few years ago the boats were hauled over the beach, by a capstan, without ways. The latest boats are built with much more rise of floor than formerly, and their sailing qualities are said to be improved thereby.

There are many advantages justly claimed for the Brighton beach boats, and especially for those of the Black Joke type, whose lines are given in "Yacht Designing;" they can be run over a sandbank in a foot or two of water to the "smooth on the other side;" whilst the deep boat, of equal length perhaps, must remain pile driving outside in the lop. They can be allowed to take the ground without fear of their not getting upright again; and, if necessary, they can be run ashore to effect a landing. These certainly are advantages which cannot be claimed for a 5-tonner of the modern school, and it is not surprising that for coast work the beach boat is in such very high favour.

Mr. Thomas Stow, of Shoreham, has built many successful beach boats, and the design on Plate X. was taken from a model he made. The "fairing" process required the design, as taken from the model, to be modified a little, and the midship section* is a trifle farther aft than

The practice in building the Brighton beach boats is to place the midship section at about the mid-length of the boat, and rake it forward a little. Probably better results would be obtained by having the mid-section in the position we have placed it, and, as the after body appears to be all that could be desired as to form and length, there is no object in raking the mid-section forward.

it was in the model; but no important departure has been taken from the original lines as first taken off. It will be seen that some portion of the counter is immersed, and we believe that this is admissible under the rules of the Brighton Sailing Club, whose present rule of measurement takes length from stem to sternpost. The design has a trifle more displacement than the generality of the boats; but this can be considered an advantage.

The rig common to all, we believe, is that known as the cutter, and the boats require a very great deal of head sail; but, as the design given (Plate X.) has a finer entrance than is usual, the probability is that such a boat would require less head sail than the ordinary run of beach boats, and would consequently be less hard on her helm.

The boats are decked-in up to the mast, and the counter is also decked, whilst a water-way is built round the midship sides of the boat about 1ft. wide, with 3in. coamings. The centre plates were formerly much larger than that shown in the design; but, with so much keel under the boat, very little plate is necessary, and, indeed, the boat would hang to windward very well without any plate down at all.

The general floor construction of the boats is shown by Fig. D, representing a floor section at No. 6. The floor is joggled to the keel as shown, and shaped to the mould at each section; the floor is then taken out and joggled and bevelled to receive the plank, as the boats are generally clench built. Where they are carvel built the construction is shown by Fig. A, representing the midship section, with heels of floor cut through to admit the centre plate. The construction at No. 7 station is shown by Fig. B, where considerable depth has to be given to the throat of the floor. Sometimes the floors aft and forward are steamed and bent into their stations, being afterwards removed to be joggled (as shown by Fig. C, representing No. 2 station forward) if the boat is clench built.

The centre-board case is generally of wood with a knee, as shown by a, Fig. A, to keep it in its place, and to generally strengthen the floor of the boat.

Greatest length from fore side of stem plumb at L.W.L. to aft side of
stern post on deck

21ft.

Weight of hull (exclusive of iron plate, iron keel, and ballast, spars,
sails, and crew)

140wt.