27. Form of Skeg.-In many motor boats the skeg is used as the main support of the rudder post, and for this reason it should be given a close examination when looking over the boat. As previously explained, the skeg also acts as a guard to protect the propeller from striking obstructions, and from coming in contact with the bottom. In cheaply built boats, the skeg is usually made of a flat piece of metal bolted to the under side

of the keel, as in Fig. 20 (a), and allowed to extend aft far enough to reach the lower pintle, as the pivot on which the rudder turns is called.

If such a skeg does not clear the propeller it is bent with a kink, as shown in (b). The boltheads, the forward edge of the skeg, and the pintle of the rudder protruding below the line of the keel, are liable to catch on things; to prevent this the forward end of the skeg should be fitted in flush with keel. The

screws should have their heads countersunk, and the after end of the skeg should be folded over, as in (c). This arrangement will not only hold the rudder firmly, but the under part of the skeg will serve as a support to the rudder. As the flat surface dragging through the water, bent in this way, is a

FIG. 21

resistance, the skeg is sometimes given a twist, as in Fig. 21, to make it cut edgewise through the water.

28. Sometimes the skegs have to reach so far aft that they are hardly able to hold their own weight. To find out if such is the case, the skeg should be given a light downward push with the foot to see if it

is firm and solid. To reinforce and straighten the skeg, an upright bolt or bar should be fitted from the hull down and bolted to the skeg just forward of the rudder,

FIG. 22

as shown in Fig. 22. The proper way in which to construct a skeg on a boat is to have one specially cast, as shown in Fig. 23. Such a skeg, when fitted to conform with the shape and dimensions of the keel, unless smashed by hitting on rocks, will last as

FIG. 23

long as the boat and give no trouble. It adds greatly to the appearance of the boat when hauled out and is well worth what little extra it may cost over the makeshift kind, which is apt to give trouble. Where extra

strength is needed, the skeg can be made and tapered off like a tree trunk, in proportion to the strain it has to bear. It is needless to state that every propeller should be protected by a skeg.

29. Rudders and Steering Gear. The rudder is one of the most vital parts of any craft, whether it is a motor, steam, or sail boat; yet when examining a number of boats, one may see many curious appendages attached to the stern to serve as rudders. To make sure that the steering gear of a boat is in good condition, the steering wheel should be tried, to see if the rudder responds readily or if it stands still until the wheel is turned half way around. Through the neglect of the owners or the operators, many boats have what is known as lost motion in their steering gear; which means that the rudder does not respond readily to the turn of the wheel. The high-speed hydroplanes have done much to perfect the steering apparatus on small boats; on account of their speed, perfect control and quick response to the steering wheel is an absolute requirement.

30. Hydroplanes use flexible, bronze or steel, wire wheel ropes; and where the rope rounds a corner, there are sheaves of large diameter

having a score in

the sheave that just

FIG. 24

fits the rope. A score that is too big permits the strands of the rope to flatten down, which is apt to break them, but where the rope preserves its round shape it retains its strength. At a suitable place along the tiller rope, some means of taking up the slack of the ropes should be provided. In some cases, this is accomplished by having two thimbles spliced into the tiller ropes and lacing the two together, as in Fig. 24. a take-up can be made in any desired length. are also used for this purpose, though they are limited in their take-up to the length of their screws.

This kind of
Turnbuckles

If the boat examined has a turnbuckle, care must be taken that it is easy to get at, to tighten when necessary, and that there is some means of locking the turnbuckle, or the ropes will untwist themselves and slacken the tiller rope, as in the case of a plain turnbuckle shown in Fig. 25 (a). This is accomplished by locknuts as in (b). Another arrangement, shown in (c), is by putting cotter pins through small holes in the ends of the

threaded screws so the head and point of the cotter pin in the slots of the turnbuckle prevent its untwisting.

Few builders take the trouble nowadays to splice the ends of the wire tiller ropes; they use some form of a wire-rope clamp,

of which there are various styles on the market. When the tiller rope is made of hemp or manila, the arrangement with spliced thimbles is preferable, while a turnbuckle is more suitable for wire rope.

CARE OF A MOTOR BOAT

FITTING OUT A MOTOR BOAT

PAINTING OF HULL

31. After a boat has been selected, but before it is launched, the hull, and especially the under-water portion of it, should be well caulked, puttied, and painted. It is far more economical to paint and varnish everything that needs it, when the boat is on dry land, before she is put afloat, because after launching there are so many other important things that require attention. The outboard portion of the hull, in particular, cannot be given the same proper attention after launching as when the boat is out of water.

32. In fresh water, any good plain flat or enamel paint will last some time; but in salty water a slime is formed in a few

weeks on which marine growth and barnacles attach themselves and tend to reduce the speed of the boat if not scraped off. Antifouling paints have a certain amount of copper or other ingredients that are supposed to prevent this growth forming on the wetted surface of a boat. Of these paints, there are several brands, some lasting better than others in various localities. It is good policy to apply the kind of antifouling paint used by local boatmen, as their experience is a good guide. Warm shallow water seems to be the conditions where a boat's bottom fouls the quickest.

33. Paint Mixture.-If the boatman desires to mix up his own copper paint, he can use with confidence the following recipe: Red lead, 2 pounds; copper bronze (powder), pound; arsenic, pound; Paris blue, pound; chrome yellow, pound; patent dryer, 2 pints; linseed oil, 2 pints; copal varnish, 2 pints. These ingredients should be thoroughly mixed together with the paddle and thinned to brushing consistency by adding varnish. It dries with a good gloss and of a neat reddish copper shade, is durable and comparatively inexpensive to mix up.

The composition paint should be applied after the finishing coat of white is dry. To prevent the heavy minerals from settling to the bottom of the paint pot, copper paint must be stirred at frequent intervals as the work of painting proceeds, and the paint must be well brushed out.

34. Method of Painting the Hull.-Any one who has ever tried to paint the top sides of a boat when it is afloat knows how difficult, almost impossible in fact, it is to paint a straight line where the white paint meets the red or green copper antifouling paint of the bottom. If the boat to be fitted out is an old one, the upper part of the boat should always be painted first and care taken that the wood is dry, the surface well smoothed with sandpaper, and all seams and holes puttied before the paint is applied. No attempt should be made to paint over places where any grease has been daubed on until all traces of the grease have been removed; otherwise, the paint will soon peel off.

By painting the bottom of the boat last, the brush used for the darker bottom paint will cover any places where the white may