Page:Yachting wrinkles; a practical and historical handbook of valuable information for the racing and cruising yachtsman (IA yachtingwrinkles00keneiala).pdf/185

 voyage. This is, in my opinion, a wise course to pursue, for sickness at sea is like a wet blanket on the pleasure of a voyage, and no owner wants to ship a sailor unfit to fulfil the duties for which he signs articles.

A crew intended for the usual coastwise cruising and racing, taking part in all the events of the season for which the yacht is eligible, should, of course, be selected with care. You will often see the same crew stick to a yacht for years. They are paid off at the close of the season, get through the winter as best they can, some of them subsisting on their summer savings, others shipping on coasting vessels or fishing craft, or even finding odd jobs to do ashore. When the yacht goes into commission at the beginning of the following summer, there they are to be found aboard of her, and ready for anything that may turn up. Smart and steady men are always in demand, and when they leave the yacht in the fall they get the tip from the sailing-master to report for duty in the spring.

The prudent yacht-owner, when preparing for a deep-water voyage, should ship a crew as small as possible for the proper working of the vessel. Every device for the economizing of labor should be adopted. In these days, when a crew of six, all told, sail a big fore-and-aft cargo schooner, a large ship's company is not absolutely necessary aboard a yacht of moderate size. It is easier