The racing men some years ago adopted what is known as the sliding deck seat, which extends over the side of the canoe and on which the captain sits when sailing. It can be shifted from one side to the other when the canoe tacks and is much more comfortable to sit on than the deck, and dryer when sailing in rough water. Considerable skill is required to keep a canoe right side up when sailing, as the harder the wind blows the further out of the canoe must the skipper get to hold it up. Cruisers now use a deck seat, as it adds so much to one's comfort when sailing.

The regular sailing-racing canoes are now decked over entirely. with the exertion of a small hole, called a cockpit, for the feet. This cockpit is boarded in on all sides, so that whatever water gets into it cannot get into the hold of the canoe. An upset in such a canoe does not matter in the least. The skipper climbs out on the windward side and by his weight lifts the sails out of the water and thus rights the canoe. As no water has been able to get into the canoe except the gallon or two in the cockpit, the skipper sails on again as though nothing had happened. No canoeman minds getting his feet wet when sailing.

The cockpit in an ordinary cruising canoe should be at least six feet clear between the bulkheads if the captain expects to sleep in it at any time. The deck opening need not be over five feet long and at least half of this can be covered with removable hatches.

Next issue: The Sailing Canoe

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