By the Inside Route to Florida

Southern Cruising Enrolls 399 of the "Four Hundred" and Several Thousand Others

LATIMER SHAW

THIS has been a great year for parades. Every hamlet has had processions in honor of its returned service men and there have been countless other columns of paraders moving north, east, south and west to celebrate almost every kind of event, from the funeral of John Barleycorn to the stoppage of work by joyous gentlemen and ladies engaged in the most popular of post-war pastimes—striking.

This winter, however, is witnessing a parade which is different, in that it will last for months, and the fun will be only beginning when the column breaks ranks. We refer to the steady and ever-growing procession of motor boats wending southward from the land of sleet and bronchitis.

Among all the Florida pastimes there is not one that equals motor boating in popularity or in enjoyment. Many hundreds of motor boats, ranging from the little family cruiser to the millionaire's gorgeous motor houseboat already are navigating the shallow waters, harbors and bayous of the land of the Everglades. Other hundreds are on the way, through the vagaries of the Inside Route. We in the North do not realize the extent to which this cruising-to-Florida idea has grown. We do not realize the appeal, the practicability, the economy which have attracted thousands of dwellers of New York, Chicago, Pittsburg and other cities above the winter foliage-line to invest in motor boats and set sail for the South the moment the frost appears on the pumpkin.

The only requisites are time and money—as much time as you can spare, and as much money as you want to spend. It is possible for the owner of a small inexpensive cruiser to take his family to Florida and keep them there all winter more cheaply than he could keep them at home. Countless numbers have discovered this fkct. They live on board the boat, Nature offers a free supply of heat, light and many varieties of food. Rent is nothing. Clothing bills are forgotten. Upkeep is limited to gasoline oil and other necessities for the craft and the additional food supplies to add to Nature's larder. Entertainment is a matter of one's own sweet will. The motor boat voyager travels thousands of miles through an endless variety of waters, most of which are protected and safe, through scenery ever-changing and full of charm. He gathers health in large and visible quantities.

I had no real idea of the extent of motor boating in Florida until recently, when the heads of several of the largest yacht building companies told me that they regard the winter season in Florida as vastly more important than the entire summer season in the north. That is a pretty broad statement, when you consider the size of the territory covered by "the North," and the myriads of motor boats you see between June and November, and it gives a rather breath-taking idea of the growth in popularity of southern cruising.

On account of the shallowness of most of its waters Florida is no place for steam yachts. They cannot navigate over its rivers and bays. Consequently, Lloyd's Register has many pages devoted to shallow draft motor yachts and house-boats built by men of means for the purpose of enjoying all that Florida has to offer in winter.

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There are several ways of reaching this motor boat haven where winter is turned to summer. The most practical and the most popular route is that known as the "Inside Route," which extends down the East Coast through a series of canals, rivers and protected bays. This is the course chosen by the vast majority of motor boat people. Complete directions and large scale charts for this entire trip from New York to Key West can be obtained for the small sum of twenty cents from the Department of Commerce, U. S. Coast & Geodetic Survey, and no one with a grain of sense would think of starting out on such a voyage without these directions; in fact, their possession is compulsory.

No matter where else the motor boat cruiser may roam during the early part of the year, he is almost sure to be in Miami during February, when the big racing regatta fathered by Carl Fisher is held. Mr. Fisher has done much to build up this part of Florida, and has gathered around him a group of experts on motor boats to make the Miami races the most important motor boat event of the winter season.

Another popular route to the South is by way of the Mississippi River, and many yachtsmen in the Middle West prefer to make the trip this way. One of the most important and interesting boats of the year recently sailed down the Mississippi from Chicago. She is the new Great Lakes cruiser Ranger, owned by Howard R. Hughes, brother of Rupert Hughes, the author. Ranger is a wonderful boat, and contains, in spite of her speed of 27 miles an hour, all the luxuries it would seem possible to cram into her 52 feet of length. She has two Van Blerck motors of 150 horsepower each, one-man control from the bridge, and comforts and conveniences for ten people, including a crew of two. She is of the V-bottom or wave collecting type of express cruiser, and is the very latest of the sixty examples of this type turned out by the Great Lakes Company.

It is interesting to note that, with the idea of winning both the runabout and cruiser races at Miami, the Sterling Company has brought out a new motor boat engine of rather radical nature. It is of 5 3/4 bore by 6¾ inches stroke, with two inlet and two exhaust valves for each cylinder. In other words it is a dual valvein-the-head machine. It weighs 10 pounds per horse-power, and operates on an average of .51 pounds of fuel per horse-power hour, which compares very favorably with the finest engines, including those intended for aviation. It is built in four, six and eight cylinder units, and develops 150,225 and 300 horse-power respectively. It will be interesting to watch this motor in the Miami races.

The Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation has turned out some marvellous Speedway yachts within the past few months for southern cruising. They include the Edryd, a 73-foot express cruiser for Francis A. Hardy, of Chicago, several 52-foot "commuters," which will be used by their owners this winter for fast work on the Florida fishing grounds, and in the summer time to take their owners to business quickly, as they develop a speed of over 27 miles an hour. One of the most spectacular and elaborate express cruisers of the season is Georgena II, built by Consolidated for F. F. Proctor, the wellknown theatrical manager. This is a boat of such extraordinary features that we plan to give photographs and full description of her in the next issue.

The Albany Boat Corporation has turned over to J. F. McGowin, of Mobile, Ala., the latest example of its long line of express cruisers for navigating the Florida-East Coast waters. This boat is only 50 feet in length, but is so arranged to afford accommodations usually found only in much. larger craft, and provides comfort for a party of four and a crew of two. It has a tremendous galley, on which the most elaborate meals can be prepared, and a big glassenclosed deck house for the enjoyment of guests. The cabin and dining salon are large and luxuriously fitted. She turns up a speed of 22 miles per hour, with her twin screws driven by a pair of six cylinder Van Blerck motors. This boat is the culminating achievement of this company, which has specialized in producing luxurious standardized cruisers and runabouts.

One of the most famous of American boat builders is Lawley. This year he has built a number of luxurious cruisers and fast speedsters, which will make motor boating history this winter in southern waters.