Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/74

 windward so well when provided with this strange invention. The punt drew but three inches of water when her lee-board was up, and skimmed over the water at a wonderful rate. It must be confessed that she was not a good sea-boat: she had very little freeboard, and was easily swamped. In fact, whenever the wind rose and the water became choppy she was in imminent danger of filling. And yet her skipper felt no anxiety, for the peril was not so great as one would gather from the above statement. The water through which he sailed was generally considerably under two feet in depth, often so shallow that foundering was a physical impossibility. When it got very rough he adopted a bold course. He used to lighten his vessel by stepping out of her into the tossing waters, and, walking ahead of her with tow-line over his shoulder, would tow her against wind and sea until calmer weather permitted him to re-*embark and hoist his canvas. The working of lee-boards is very simple. When running before the wind they are raised; when turning to windward the weather one is raised and the lee one is lowered.

If a boat's sides are not straight up and down, but flare out, as is usually the case, a chock of wood must be nailed on either side a little above the water-line to support the lee-boards and keep them perpendicular.

The Florida canoe above mentioned was practically what we should call in England a sailing-punt. Such a boat is only suited for sailing in smooth