Some time ago there appeared in the Proceedings an article, “Are There Any Sailors in the Navy?” This article was written by an eastern yachtsman and was in no way a reflection upon the professional abilities of naval officers, rather it was a query as to why the Navy was not represented in greater numbers among the racers of small sailing craft.
Twenty-five or more years ago, when the only power boats in the Navy were the late unlamented steam launches, and all other types of small boats carried by the fleet were propelled either by canvas or a “white-ash breeze,” such a query would have been an impertinence. Not only were most officers keen on sailing whenever possible, but the enlisted men assigned to the boats were just as enthusiastic. More than once I have seen a boat’s crew working far into the night, without orders, grooming their boat for a forthcoming race. In fact, I have done it myself on several occasions. Interest among all hands, from the skipper to the mess cooks, was at fever heat and regatta day was always a banner event.
However, as time passed and power boats of all kinds were introduced into the service, sailing races waned in importance and messroom conversation changed from “tack,” “reach,” “clew,” etc., to “4-cycle,” “V-12’s,” “compression,” and what have you.
Personally, I feel that the query “Are There Any Sailors in the Navy?” was not only well meant but also was entirely pertinent. In a sense, the Navy has partly answered this query with the new Marconi-rigged whaleboat, photographs of which appeared in these pages a few months ago. This is a beautifully designed boat and should be a continuous source of pleasure to those who sail her. Nevertheless, she is not a complete answer for the simple reason that, being an open boat and rather heavily constructed for service conditions, she would have a difficult time of it with the lighter, decked-over boats which are a familiar sight in front of any yacht club.
To my way of thinking, the answer lies in an entirely different direction. For instance, in 1931, Mr. W. F. Crosby, editor of Rudder, a yachting magazine published in New York, designed a small boat which he named Snipe. This is but one of a number of small boats, both sail and power, which Mr. Crosby has designed and all of which have been successful for their purpose. The designing of Snipe, however, was in answer to a demand for a speedy, safe, small sailboat which could be built cheaply, kept religiously to a “one-design” class and at the same time be sporty enough to interest real yachtsmen. To say that Snipe fulfilled these specifications would be putting it mildly, for within 3 ½ years this boat has become the largest “one-design” class in the world. At the present writing there are 1,063 Snipes registered by the Snipe Class International Racing Association and more registrations are coming in almost daily. This boat has created almost as much interest abroad as it has in the United States and Snipes are being built in such far-away places as New Zealand and Japan.
It is my belief that Snipe, sailed by Navy crews, would soon prove that there are sailors in the Navy, plenty of them in fact, and that they can sail a small boat just as smartly as any civilian yachtsman. I also believe that any naval vessel could afford to own one for the following reasons: Snipe is a Marconi-rigged sloop, 15 ft. 6 in. l.o.a., with a beam of 5 ft. and a draft of about 3 ft. 6 in. with the centerboard down. She has a V-bottom, is decked over, and is perfectly safe in a 40-mile blow with a crew of three aboard. With her mainsail and working jib, she carries 99.6 sq. ft. of canvas. A “Genoa” jib is used in light airs. She works up to windward beautifully and has frequently outfooted boats with twice her sail area. Her mast is hollow and four-sided and she has a built-up T-boom. She can be fitted for a 3-4-hp. outboard motor to be used if, as, and when the breeze fails, as breezes sometimes do. She can easily be stowed and carried aboard a destroyer.
She is designed to be built for no more than $300 by a professional boat builder, sails included. She can also be bought “knocked down” from anyone of a number of concerns for about $150 complete. As a matter of fact, she can be built by one man doing all his own work for $100 or less. It’s a poor canteen fund which could not afford a Snipe.
Due to the V-bottom construction, no steam bending is necessary. With the aid of a $1.50 booklet, How to Build “Snipe"— plus a few easily procured tools—almost anyone can build her and have a lot of fun doing it. With the possible exception of the Marconi track for her mast and boom, she could be built complete aboard ship from material already at hand. She must be built to exact specifications for registry and a carpenter’s mate could do the job in a short time.
Not the least of it is the fact that this boat can be registered and receive a racing number for the price of a 3-cent stamp and the trouble of writing a letter. She would then be eligible to race other Snipes in any port where the ship may happen to be. If five or more of these boats form a “fleet,” they can race for points on an international basis. In other words, under the “racing for points” rules, Snipes can race in Guantanamo Bay for points against other Snipes racing in Australia. The races for points are held on a basis of a full-year season in order that fleets both north and south of the equator cat have an equal chance.
All in all, she is a fine little boat, cheap in first cost and upkeep—but not in performance—easy to build, simply rigged) easy to unrig and stow aboard ship. The few dollars invested in her would be returned many times in clean sport and good-fellowship, and in a type of competition where personal skill means more than “bore X stroke X revs.”
Various sized fleets of these boats have been built by any number of representative yacht clubs on our east and west coasts as well as Gulf ports. In addition) fleets have been formed, or are in process of forming, in Argentina, Japan, England, Scotland, Belgium, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, Australia, and elsewhere. An international board of directors is functioning smoothly for international racing while various local committees handle races in our home ports.
From a materialistic viewpoint, having a Snipe aboard ready for racing would be an immediate point of contact with these yachtsmen, and such civilian contacts made and fostered will certainly do no harm to the Navy. Furthermore, small-boat sailing gives one a more intimate knowledge of winds, tides, currents, and weather in general, and these are factors which will always play an important part in naval history.
For some time past, there has been a great renaissance in small sailboat racing going on all over the world and particularly in the United States. Not only is it a wonderful sport in itself, but also it is one of the finest possible means of creating good will. Who has a better right to be at the forefront of such a movement than the Navy? One of the best and most economical ways I know of to participate in this movement is to build a Snipe and get her going.
That’s what I’m doing.