Fate of the COUNTESS: Schooner Days MCXLVII (1147)

by C. H. J. Snider

Canadians After America's Cup - 7

CANADIAN challenger for the America's Cup, the Countess of Duffern did beat the America herself to the light ship in the preliminary Brenton Reef race-— but that was only half of it.

The America was not new when this happened in 1876, but was still in the first rank of American yachts. In 1873 Gen. Benjamin Butler had bought her out of the U.S. navy and reconditioned her, giving her a modern rig. It was larger than the one under which, in 1851, she had captured the Queen's Cup called America's Cup. She is alive yet, in honored retirement, at Annapolis Naval Academy, 104 years old.

The first half of the long race around Brenton Reef lightship must have been all down hill. The Countess, a centreboarder drawing only seven feet with board up, ran away from America, a keel yacht drawing 11 feet. But when they rounded the lightship and hauled on the wind—good night America, Tidal Wave, Wanderer and Idler all waded past the Countess, and she finished the race hours behind.

NOTHING RIGHT

Both of her topsails, set on yards and clubs like a cutter's, were too big, the foremast one useless except for one tack. It had to be lowered completely, carried around, and hoisted up again every time she came about. Her main topmast staysail could only be made to draw by hoisting it upside down.

The mainsail had stretched beyond its spars, and hung like a bag. She had to carry her jibtopsail all the time because this bagging sail gave her a weather helm. Jibtopsails are often a handicap going to windward, a griping mainsail a hindrance always.

The schooner had been in the water ever since her launching three months before, and caulking and planking had both swelled with the continued immersion. She was scaly as an alligator, the putty sticking out of hey seams in lumps and ridges. And her crew of 10 was not nearly large enough to handle her racing canvas.

She had to be hauled out, scraped, polished and black-leaded. She had been so roughly finished that they used jack-planes on her before any polishing could be attempted.

All her sails had to be recut, and more to be got. She needed three or four jib topsails, for varying conditions, and maintopmast staysails to match, and balloon canvas. She hadn't even a spinnaker. All she had for running was a squaresail, like a Welland canaller. And she needed a dozen more men.

Where was the money for all this to come from?

"MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE"

Major Gifford had put all he could afford into the venture. John Bell, QC, and Corbys from Belleville had contributed to the syndicate. So too, had Major Torrance, and Messrs. Thos. Legett and Murray Geddes and Fred. Lucas, all of Hamilton, and in the volunteer crew. Fred Lucas was a brother of Allan Lucas, later commodore of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club. The $100 each had put up for the voyage was all gone. There had to be a further call. There was little Toronto money, apart from what Messrs. Boswell and Jones may have provided. The RCYC had supplied only the auspices for the challenge. The enterprise had been looked upon as a speculation by a professional sailor and builder, who had induced Vice-Commodore Gifford to take on more than Hercules could handle.

Capt. Alex. Cuthbert of Cobourg, designer, builder and sailing-master of the Countess, had built and sailed and sold several successful lake yachts. He was cock-a-hoop over the defeat his sloop Annie Cuthbert had inflicted on the American designed Cora, which bore the bell on the lakes.

He and his townsman Major Gifford had embarked on this audacious venture for the Blue Ribbon of the yachting world without sufficient capital to carry it through, and ignoring the cardinal fact that in sport and in war Americans will spend the last dollar, the last nickel and the last red cent before they will be beaten. This mistake is all that can be fairly charged against the two Cobourg sailors.

"WHO GOES ABORROWING"

New York yachtsmen were riot as ungenerous as their newspapers or as Canadian I-told-you-so's. They lent sails, advice, and credit. The poor Countess, came into combat on Aug. 11, 1876, reinforced with some sailors from the New York yacht Comet, and much improved — though needing much more.

The American defender Madeline, her polished copper bottom shining like gold, won the first race, a 38 mile triangular affair, by the comfortable margin of ten minutes; and the next, 20 miles to windward and back, by 27 minutes 14 seconds. The Countess could have done better if better prepared. But she wasn't.

The America, which sailed over the course, beat the Countess' time by 12 minutes.

The Countess came back to Lake Ontario by painful stages, after a marshal's sale in New York of Major Gifford's interests. She took part in lake regattas and did well. She was "terrific" on a reach in smooth water and is said to have logged 14 knots more than once. Major Gifford's journal mentions her doing 11 and 12 knots in cruising trim, while at sea.

In 1879 she lay lonely at anchor in Burlington Bay, for sale at $5,0000, with no takers; 25 cents a head admission for sightseers. Capt. Prindiville of Chicago, a schooner captain who had made money and later became commodore of the Chicago Yacht Club, bought her at a bargain and took her west. She sailed some great races on Lake Michigan.

Dismantled, she became a floating clubhouse. Time of the World's Fair of 1893 she was taken outside the breakwater and scuttled, and there she lies, sanded over these 60 years or more. A great yacht, named after a great lady, capable of great things, but less fortunate in fulfilment than her gracious namesake.