[Illustration:  Fig. 113.  The Rudder.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 114.  The Rudder Hinge.]

The canoe was now complete except for the rudder, which was cut from a 1/2-inch board to about the shape shown in Fig. 114.  Strips 1-1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick were nailed to each side of the blade, forming a post, to the top of which a crosspiece or tiller was fastened.  A cleat nailed to the pillar at each side of the rudder post served to greatly strengthen the joint.  The rudder was hinged to the canoe by a rod, which passed through four brass screw eyes, two threaded into the rudder and a corresponding pair screwed into the stern.  For convenience in steering we ran our tiller rope clear around the boat, through screw eyes in the gunwales and a pulley at the stem, so that the steersman could guide his craft from any point in the canoe.

The Deep Keel.

[Illustration:  Fig. 115.  Bottom of Canoe, Showing Deep Keel.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 116.  End View, Showing Deep Keel.]

We planned to use our canoe as a sailboat, and had to provide a deep keel, which, for convenience, was made detachable.  This keel was 6 inches wide, 1/2 inch thick and 6 feet long, and was fastened at the center of the canoe.  Screw eyes about twelve inches apart were threaded alternately into opposite sides of the keel plate.  Corresponding hooks were attached to the keel in position to hook into the screw eyes, and thus hold the keel firmly in place.

Canoe Sails.

[Illustration:  Fig. 117.  The Mast Step.]

[Illustration:  Fig 118.  The Mainsail.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 119 The Mizzen Sail.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 120.  The Double Paddle.]

Our boat was fitted with two masts, a mainmast and a mizzen or dandy mast.  The former was 6 feet long and the latter 4 feet long, and each measured 1-1/2 inches in diameter at the base, tapering to about 1 inch diameter at the upper end.  They were held in brass bands, or clamps, bent around them and secured to the bulkheads, as shown in Fig. 117.  The sails were of the lanteen type.  The mainsail measured 8-1/2 feet along the boom, 9-1/2 feet along the yard and 10 feet at the leach.  The dimensions of the mizzen sail were:  along the boom, 5 feet; along the yard, 5-1/2 feet; and at the leach, 6 feet.  The boom was attached to a strap of leather on the mast, and was thus given freedom to swing around in any desired position.  The yard was similarly attached, and was raised by a cord, which passed through pulleys at the top and at the base of the mast and extended to a cleat within easy reach of the occupant of the boat.  A double paddle was fashioned from a board 1 inch thick, 6 in wide and 6 feet long.  The blades were shaved down to a thickness of 3/8 of an inch at the edges.

It will be observed that we used no iron in the construction of this boat.  Uncle Ed has warned us not to, because iron rusts out so easily and is apt to damage both the canvas and the wood with which it is in contact.