A THOUSAND MILES' CRUISE IN THE SILVER CLOUD From Dundee to France and Back in a Small Boat by William Forwell After reading McGregor's "Voyage Alone in the Yawl Rob Roy," this Scottish minister and his young son decide to do their own extended cruise in a small boat. From Chapter II:: "Where are you from?" "Dundee." "Where are you bound to?" "Calais." Holds in his breath and stares. "In that thing?" "Yes." "How many are thereof you?" "This little fellow (pointing to my son of fourteen years) and myself." My yawl was built in September, 1876, by Mr. A. Burn, Montrose. I personally superintended, giving shape and dimensions. Boatbuilders are the most agreeable class of workmen I have ever attended. The mason has his ideas of strength and appearance, and these he will follow out in spite of you, even in building an oven, when solidity, the quality required, is entirely sacrificed.    The photographer must have you sit in a position to please him, whereas you are to pay for the picture. But the notions of boatfanciers are so widely divergent, and perhaps sometimes so whimsical, that it seems to be the rule of boatbuilders to produce the shape that suits the man that has the cash to pay.The order was:--a fisher's yawl--one exception, she must be square-sterned, an exception which only affects the eye, but never touches the water. Length, 19 feet on the keel, with a proportionate breadth of beam, 7 feet 9 inches, which I fixed after measuring scores of boats of this type. Rig, the usual yawl, with lug-sail. This rig had struck me as exceedingly handy, when, two years ago, I had the use of an old friend's boat at Saltcoats, which alone, to the horror of all with the exception of the owner, I sailed up and down the west coast between Millport, Ayr, and Arran. Thus finished I left Montrose lighthouse one fine afternoon about one o'clock, amid the predictions of the fishers that I would be lost, and reached Broughty Ferry by seven. But to be able to go further than one day's sail some improvements were required. These were made during winter, and in doing so three things were steadily kept in view slfety, sleep, speed. Ample space for sleeping was decked over in the forepart of the boat, taking care to leave room aft for full purchase on at least one pair of oars. The partial deck was intended also to fling off the crest of a wave should ever such intrude. HOME PAGE