The Racing Knockabout Gosling

The Racing Knockabout Gosling.

Gosling was the winning yacht of 1897 in one of the best racing classes now existing in this country, the Roston knockabout class. The origin of this class dates back about six years, when Carl, a small keel cutter, was built for C. H. W. Foster, of Boston. She differed from the small keel yachts then numerous about Boston and Marblehead mainly in that her lines were thoroughly modern, and her form a great improvement on the older boats; while her rig, being intended merely for “knocking about” off Marblehead in any weather, without regard to racing, was simplified by the absence of a bow sprit, a small jib being set with the tack fast to the stemhead. The little boat soon became noted through her good performance, especially in bad weather, and her evident utility, and others were built to about the same dimensions, the name “knockabout” attaching itself to the class by common consent as it gradually assumed a definite shape. It was soon discovered that the boats could be raced, and that there was far less arduous work and more real pleasure in sailing them than the absurd machines of the then existing 21 ft. open class, with nearly twice the area of sail on the same waterline.

Through 1893 and 1894 the racing of these boats, by this time quite numerous, became a recognized institution about Boston waters, from Marblehead to Hull, and in the fall of the latter year there was organized the Knock about Association, with definite rules to restrict the building. The season of 1895 saw some new boats in the racing, specially designed to the limit of the new rules, while some of the slower of the original boats naturally dropped out; the class showed about fifteen starters in the season’s races, the winning boat being Spinster, owned by L. M. Clark, president of the Y. R. A. of Massachusetts. In the following year the racing became still keener, largely through the addition of a Herreshoff boat, Cock Robin, that proved exceptionally fast. Second to her, however, out of a racine fleet of a round dozen, was Bo Peep, owned by Mr. Clark and F. O. North, both of Dorchester.

Carl was built by the George I.awley & Son Corporation, of South Boston, builders of Puritan, Mayflower, Merlin, Jubilee, Sachem, Aleaea and many other large yachts, with small ernes of all kinds, and Spinster came from the same yard, as did many of the early knockabouts, including two for Mr. North. Bo Peep was ordered by Messrs. Clark and North after the season of 1896 was well under way and the superior speed of Cock Robin had become a matter of note among yachtsmen; she was designed by George F. Lawley, president of the corporation. In twelve races she won seven firsts and two seconds, being third on each of the other three occasions, her season’s average being 72.9, all of her races being sailed between Aug. 13 and Sept. 21.

The success of Bo Peep induced her owners to try again for the honor of heading what was now becoming a very lively racing class, and to this end Mr. Lawley designed Gosling, his firm building her in the winter of 1896-7. She was raced steadilv last season, starting twenty-six times and scoring seven firsts, eight seconds and four thirds, with an association percentage of 46 as compared to 37 of the second boat in the class; thus winning the Y. R. A. championship medal and pennant of the knockabout class. A comparison of the present design with that of Carl, published some time since in the Forest and Stream, will show the changes necessitated by the continual demand for higher speed in the class; Gosling being built as closely as possible to the limit, which is as follows:

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A knockabout is a sea-worthy keel boat (not to include fin-keel), decked or half decked, of fair accommodations, rigged simply without bowsprit, and with only main sail and one headsail. The load waterline length shall not exceed 21ft. The beam at the load waterline shall be at least 7 and not more than 8ft. The freeboard shall be not less than 2oin. The forward side of the mast at the deck shall be not less than 5ft. from the forward end of the load waterline. The planking, including deck, shall be not less than 3/4in., finished. The frames shall be not less than 12in. on centers. The deadwood shall be filled in, the rudder shall be hung on the sternpost. The outside ballast shall be not less than 3,5oolbs. The limits of freeboard, beam, planking, frames, deadwood, rudder, place of mast and amount of outside ballast shall not exclude any exist ing knockabout boats which otherwise come within the restrictions. The actual sail area shall be not over 5oosq.ft., not over 400 of which shall be in the mainsail. Only mainsail and jib shall be allowed, but a storm jib may be substituted for a working jib.

*****************

Click on images to enlarge…

While Gosling, like all of the later boats of the class, complies literally with the above restrictions, there is very little wasted in the effort to secure accommodation at the price of speed, the displacement and depth being cut to a minimum, and there being but a low cuddy un der the forward deck. As the class now is, the boats are built for racing only, which end they answer admirably. Gosling’s dimensions and elements are:

  • Length over all……………………….30ft.   7 1/2in.
  •         L.W.L……………………………..20ft.       10in.
  • Overhang, bow………………………..4ft. 10 1/2in.
  •                     stern……………………….5ft.
  • Beam, extreme…………………………7ft.    7 1/2in.
  •         L.W.L……………………………….7ft.           1in.
  • Freeboard, least………………………1ft.    8 1/2in.
  • Sheer bow………………………………1ft.
  •             stern……………………………….               2in.
  • Draft, extreme…………………………..5ft,   2 1/2in.
  • Displacement, long tons…………….2.55
  •                             pounds……………..5,700
  • Coefficient of displacement………… .44
  • Ballast, long tons……………………  15.66
  •                pounds……………………….3,500
  • Ratio of ballast to displacement …..   .61
  • Midship section, area. sq. ft………….9.75
  •               coefficient……………………….. .20
  • Lateral plane, area, sq. ft………….  46.50
  •                coefficient…………………..       .43
  • L.W.L. plane, area, sq. ft………..   104.40
  •                coefficient…………………..       .70
  • Midship section from Station O…  11.70
  • Coefficient………………………………..     .56
  • C. B. from Station O……………………  11.60
  • Coefficient……………………………….      .56
  • C. E. from Station O………………….    11.50
  • C. E. above L.W.L…………………….
  • Mast from Station O…………………       5ft.      4 1/2in.
  •          deck to truck…………………….      29ft,    3in.
  • Boom………………………………………      21ft.    6in.
  • Gaff…………………………………………      14ft.
  • Mainsail, hoist………………………….      21ft.
  •                    leech…………………………      34ft.   6in.
  • Jib. luff……………………………………       21ft.
  •         leech…………………………………      19ft.   6in.
  •         foot…………………………………..      10ft.  4in.
  • Mainsail, area, sq. ft…………………      392
  • Jib. area. sq. ft…………………………       104

_____

  • Total……………………………………..         496

We are indebted to the Lawley & Son Corporation for the lines of Gosling, the photo is by N.L. Stebbins, of Boston

 

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San Felipe Model

Reprinted from FineModelShips.com with the kind permission of Dr. Michael Czytko

The SAN FELIPE is one of the most favoured ships among the ship model builders. The model is elegant, very beautifully designed, and makes a decorative piece of art to be displayed at home or in the [...] Read more →

The Billesden Coplow Run

*note – Billesdon and Billesden have both been used to name the hunt.

BILLESDEN COPLOW POEM

[From “Reminiscences of the late Thomas Assheton Smith, Esq”]

The run celebrated in the following verses took place on the 24th of February, 1800, when Mr. Meynell hunted Leicestershire, and has since been [...] Read more →

Arsenic and Old Lace

What is follows is an historical article that appeared in The Hartford Courant in 1916 about the arsenic murders carried out by Mrs. Archer-Gilligan. This story is the basis for the 1944 Hollywood film “Arsenic and Old Lace” starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane and directed by Frank Capra. The [...] Read more →

Mocking Bird Food

Mocking Bird Food.

Hemp seed……….2 pounds Rape seed………. .1 pound Crackers………….1 pound Rice…………….1/4 pound Corn meal………1/4 pound Lard oil…………1/4 pound

 

Home Top of Pg. Read more →

Naval Stores – Distilling Turpentine

Chipping a Turpentine Tree

DISTILLING TURPENTINE One of the Most Important Industries of the State of Georgia Injuring the Magnificent Trees Spirits, Resin, Tar, Pitch, and Crude Turpentine all from the Long Leaved Pine – “Naval Stores” So Called.

Dublin, Ga., May 8. – One of the most important industries [...] Read more →

Gout Remedies

Jan Verkolje Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first person to describe gout or uric acid crystals 1679.

For one suffering gout, the following vitamins, herbs, and extracts may be worth looking into:

Vitamin C Folic Acid – Folic Acid is a B vitamin and is also known as B9 – [Known food [...] Read more →

The Standard Navy Cutter and a Whale Boat Design

Dec. 24, 1898 Forest and Stream Pg. 513-514

The Standard Navy Boats.

Above we find,

The accompanying illustrations show further details of the standard navy boats, the lines of which appeared last week. In all of these boats, as stated previously, the quality of speed has been given [...] Read more →

How to Make Money – Insurance

Life insurance certificate issued by the Yorkshire Fire & Life Insurance Company to Samuel Holt, Liverpool, England, 1851. On display at the British Museum in London. Donated by the ifs School of Finance. Photo by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)

From How to Make Money; and How to Keep it, Or, Capital and Labor [...] Read more →

The Kalmar War

Wojna Kalmarska – 1611

The Kalmar War

From The Historian’s History of the World (In 25 Volumes) by Henry Smith William L.L.D. – Vol. XVI.(Scandinavia) Pg. 308-310

The northern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, as already noticed, had been peopled from the remotest times by nomadic tribes called Finns or Cwenas by [...] Read more →

Modern Slow Cookers, A Critical Design Flaw

Modern slow cookers come in all sizes and colors with various bells and whistles, including timers and shut off mechanisms. They also come with a serious design flaw, that being the lack of a proper domed lid.

The first photo below depict a popular model Crock-Pot® sold far and wide [...] Read more →

The First Pineapple Grown in England

First Pineapple Grown in England

Click here to read an excellent article on the history of pineapple growing in the UK.

Should one be interested in serious mass scale production, click here for scientific resources.

Growing pineapples in the UK.

The video below demonstrates how to grow pineapples in Florida.

[...] Read more →

Cocktails and Canapés

From The How and When, An Authoritative reference reference guide to the origin, use and classification of the world’s choicest vintages and spirits by Hyman Gale and Gerald F. Marco. The Marco name is of a Chicago family that were involved in all aspects of the liquor business and ran Marco’s Bar [...] Read more →