of condition. Many
boat-owners after entering for a race put their boats in the hands of
boat-builders to be gotten into condition so abundant around rivers and
bays where boat-racing is popular. To these men are usually intrusted,
besides getting the boat into condition, the procuring and training of
the crew, and if the race is important, the command of that too. Most
likely the crew will be composed of rivermen, amply compensated for
their services, and an amateur or two, one of which perhaps is the
owner. Of course all this costs, the builder having to be paid for his
labor of getting the boat ready and if he wins the race he naturally
expects something extra.

There are some owners, however, who attend to all these matters
personally, and their expenses are reduced to a very low figure.

If a boy has become the happy possessor of a boat, and is desirous of
becoming a good sailor, there is no reason why he shouldn't have the
pleasure of racing his boat, even if his supply of pocket money is
limited, provided he personally attends to all the work connected with
his boat. Besides saving much expense, it will serve to thoroughly
acquaint him with every part of his craft, a perfect idea of her
construction and rigging. If he makes a point of rigging her in the
spring and dismantling her in the fall, he will know what to do if some
part of his rigging gives way when he is sailing: and not be obliged to
do as the owner of a line boat on the Shrewsbury River did last year
when the lashings of a throat-halyard block gave way, lower sail and
wait for a friend to tow him in.

[Illustration: IN WINTER QUARTERS.]

We will suppose it to be spring and the boat to be in winter quarters on
shore. Naturally it is to be supposed that after being out of water for
some months her seams will have opened considerably. Do not attempt to
calk her in this condition, for if you should, you would run a good risk
upon the boards swelling of badly warping the planking. First of all,
put the boat in the water and allow her to fill, letting her remain in
this condition until the planking has swollen to the utmost: then pull
the boat up on land and let her dry for a day or so, so that the paint
will take. If the bottom is dirty, take a scrubbing-brush and water and
thoroughly clean it. After the boat is dry, examine all the seams
carefully, and where the openings appear too large to be stopped with
paint fill them with calking cotton soaked in