"Walk Billcord rushed out from the bushes."—Page 19.
THE BOAT-BUILDER SERIES
STEM TO STERN
OR
BUILDING THE BOAT
BY
OLIVER OPTIC
AUTHOR OF "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD," "THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES," "THE
ARMY AND NAVY SERIES," "THE WOODVILLE SERIES," "THE STARRY-FLAG
SERIES," "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES," "THE ONWARD AND
UPWARD SERIES," "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES," "THE
LAKE-SHORE SERIES," "THE RIVERDALE SERIES,"
"ALL ADRIFT," "SNUG HARBOR,"
"SQUARE AND COMPASSES,"
ETC., ETC.
With Illustrations
BOSTON
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM
1886
Copyright, 1885,
By William T. Adams.
——
All Rights Reserved.
——
STEM TO STERN.
Electrotyped by
C. J. Peters & Son, Boston.
TO
MY ADOPTED "NEVVY,"
JOHN S. SHRIVER
OF BALTIMORE,
THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED.
The Boat-Builder Series.
1. ALL ADRIFT; or, The Goldwing Club.
2. SNUG HARBOR; or, The Champlain Mechanics.
3. SQUARE AND COMPASSES; or, Building the House.
4. STEM TO STERN; or, Building the Boat.
5. ALL TAUT; or, Rigging the Boat.
6. READY ABOUT; or, Sailing the Boat.
PREFACE.
"Stem to Stern" is the fourth volume of the "Boat-Builder Series." Mostof the characters connected with the Beech Hill Industrial Schoolcontinue to take part in the action of the story. Like its predecessors,a considerable portion of the work is devoted to business and mechanicalinformation. The writer finds it quite impracticable to give as minutedirections for the building of a boat as a few of his young readers maydesire, for the entire volume would hardly afford sufficient space forall the details of planning and constructing a yacht. But he hasendeavored to impart some information in a general way in regard toshipbuilding, and has indicated in what manner the ambitious youngboat-builder may obtain the amplest instruction in this difficult art.It is necessary to assure his young friends that, with all[Pg 6] thebook-knowledge it is possible to obtain on the