Nautilus - 1886

W. Baden-Powell

There were many 'Nautilus' built and raced by W. Baden Powell. This is the Nautilus of 1886 which challenged for the New York Canoe Club "International Challenge Cup" and also sailed the various ACA races during the ACA Annual Meet in 1886. 14 1/2 feet long and 32 inches wide, with a midship depth of 12 1/2 inches, sheer forward 8 1/2 inches and aft 5 1/2 inches; the mainsail being 70 sq. ft. and mizzen 15 sq. ft. Note the laying down position - at one time the dominant position taken by canoe sailors until the Americans, in the 1886 International Matches, conclusively demonstrated that much more power and speed can be obtained by sitting on deck and hiking to windward. Previously, skippers would shift bags of lead shot to windward as ballast and canoes would sail with centerboards weighing 80-90 lbs. The Nautilus of 1886 had lighter centerboard and less shot but used two copper tanks of water ballast. The lines for several 'Nautilus' are in the collection of lines drawings for various decked sailing canoes accessible from the main history archives page.