Herreshoff #190304ep [Electric Launch for #224p Eugenia IV]

Particulars

Name: [Electric Launch for #224p Eugenia IV]
Type: Columbia Electric Launch
Designed by: NGH
Contract: 1903-1-12
Construction: Wood
LOA: 17' 3" (5.26m)
LWL: 15' 2.5" (4.64m)
Beam: 4' 8" (1.42m)
Displ.: 800 lbs (363 kg)
Centerboard: No centerboard
Propulsion: Electric, Holtzer-Cabot, 0.5 h.p.
Built for: Herreshoff, J. B.

See also:
#190101ep [Electric Launch for #205p Eugenia III] (1901)
#191001ep [Power Tender for #224p Eugenia IV] (1910)
#224p Eugenia IV (1902)

Note: Particulars are primarily but not exclusively from the HMCo Construction Record. Supplementary information not from the Construction Record appears elsewhere in this record with a complete citation.


Model

Model #706Model number: 706
Model location: H.M.M. Model Room North Wall Right

Vessels from this model:
211 built, modeled by NGH

Original text on model:
"Original COLUMBIA lifeboat for 499 14' [long] scale 1/12 Nov. 1899 gig for #503 506, 507 [unreadable] (cut dinghy 520 16x14 7 1/2" frames dinghy for 624 scale 10 3.4 over 16 * 10-8 [unreadable] / 529, 532, 533, 534 16x14 add-on bow changed and shear raised remeasured Dec. 4, 1909. Boats for 692 and later" (Source: Original handwritten annotation on model. Undated.)

Model Description:
"14' lifeboat of 1899 for the cutter Columbia. Also used, with alterations to scale, mold spacing, freeboard, and with sailing rig added, for many other rowboats, sailing dinghies, and tenders. This shape became HMCo's standard for decades to follow." (Source: Bray, Maynard. 2004.)

Note: Vessels that appear in the records as not built, a cancelled contract, a study model, or as a model sailboat are listed but not counted in the list of vessels built from a model.


Drawings

Main drawing Dwg 002-023 (HH.5.00023) Explore all drawings relating to this boat.

List of drawings:
   Drawings believed to have been first drawn for, or being first referenced to
   Herreshoff #190304ep [Electric Launch for #224p Eugenia IV] are listed in bold.
   Click on Dwg number for preview, on HH number to see at M.I.T. Museum.
  1. Dwg 002-023 (HH.5.00023); Construction Dwg > Electric Launch, 17'-3" O.A., 15'-7 1/2" W.L., 4'-8" Beam (1902-05-01)
  2. Dwg 071-047 (HH.5.05149): Lifting Strap for 17'-3" Launch (Drawing 2-23) (1903-01-13)
Source: Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Together with: Hasselbalch, Kurt with Frances Overcash and Angela Reddin. Guide to The Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass., 1997. Together with: Numerous additions and corrections by Claas van der Linde.
Note: The Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection is copyrighted by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass. Permission to incorporate information from it in the Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné is gratefully acknowledged. The use of this information is permitted solely for research purposes. No part of it is to be published in any form whatsoever.

Documents

Nathanael G. Herreshoff

"I have yours of 8 [November 1905], and take pleasure in giving you what information I can. ...
We have built a number of electric driven launches to go in our yachts. They are in lengths from 20ft [#218p CARMEN, #217p MAISIE and #221p] to 14ft [#190101ep, #190201ep, #190202ep, #190302ep, #190304ep, #190305ep] and 1 1/2 to 1/2 horse power motors. We fit them with light batteries so that they can be easily hoisted at the davits and can run from 1 to 1 1/2 hours on a charge. The 20ft boats have a speed of 6 statute miles and weight at the davits about 1000lbs. The 14ft boats with 1/2hp will speed 4 1/2 miles and weigh about 500lbs. They are very useful little craft to the yachtsmen. When attached to st[eam] yachts which have electric generating plants on board for charging their thums[?]. I do not know what speed has been attained with electric power launches. We have only fitted light powers and batteries for short runs believing the boats usefulness would be destroyed if loaded with the batteries & motors of light[?] power. With the experience we have had with gasoline we still think steam power most reliable and satisfactory." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Penciled draft reply note to Admiral W.L. Capps, Bureau of Construction and Repair, Navy Dept. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Correspondence, Folder 1_14, formerly (84). After November 8, 1905.)

Archival Documents

"[Item Transcription:] The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Truman H. Newberry, has brought to my attention a launch [#232p HELVETIA II] recently built by you for Mr. C. O. Iselin, which seems to have given very great satisfaction. Will you kindly give me so much of the particulars of this launch as you might feel disposed to furnish, especially the general dimensions of the launch, speed, displacement, horsepower of engine and make of engine. Will you also give me, so far as your experience goes, the highest speed developed by launches fitted with electrically-propelled machinery, with dimensions of the launch so propelled.
Trusting that I am not imposing too much upon your good nature, and that you can furnish me the above-requested information at an early date, believe me,
Very sincerely yours, ...
[Incl. penciled NGH draft reply note on verso:] I have yours of 8 [November 1905], and take pleasure in giving you what information I can.
In spring of 1903 we built two gasoline launches [#231p ADRIENNE and #232p HELVETIA II] for the Iselin families at New Rochelle which are considered very satisfactory and model boats of their types. They were intended strictly for pleasure boats to use in L[ong] Is[land] Sound for short excursions. Are rather lightly built, but quite strong enough for the purpose intended, are double planked, a short deck forward with raised house having cabin room enough for shelter in case of rain and a toilet room. Aft of this there is a large open cockpit with the motor in the middle. The boats are 50ft o.a., 10 1/2ft extreme beam, about 3ft draft, high freeboard, and very easy lines below water. They are propelled by 20-25HP 'Standard' engines and have a speed of nearly 10 knots.
We are just building a similar boat [#248p TODDYWAX] except longer --- 60ft o.a. --- which will be used around Newport next summer.
We have built a number of electric driven launches to go in our yachts. They are in lengths from 20ft [#218p CARMEN, #217p MAISIE and #221p] to 14ft [#190101ep, #190201ep, #190202ep, #190302ep, #190304ep, #190305ep] and 1 1/2 to 1/2 horse power motors. We fit them with light batteries so that they can be easily hoisted at the davits and can run from 1 to 1 1/2 hours on a charge. The 20ft boats have a speed of 6 statute miles and weight at the davits about 1000lbs. The 14ft boats with 1/2hp will speed 4 1/2 miles and weigh about 500lbs. They are very useful little craft to the yachtsmen. When attached to st[eam] yachts which have electric generating plants on board for charging their thums[?]. I do not know what speed has been attained with electric power launches. We have only fitted light powers and batteries for short runs believing the boats usefulness would be destroyed if loaded with the batteries & motors of light[?] power. With the experience we have had with gasoline we still think steam power most reliable and satisfactory.
" (Source: Capps, Admiral W.L., Bureau of Construction and Repair, Navy Dept. (incl NGH reply). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_00520. Correspondence, Folder 1_14, formerly (84). 1905-11-08.)


Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #190304ep [Electric Launch for #224p Eugenia IV] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.


Supplement

Research Note(s)

"Electric launch. 17'-3" o.a., 15'-7 1/2" w. l., 4'-8" beam. Boat to be built on molds of 'Columbia's' life boat. Sheer to be raised 6 1/4" forward, 4" [?] + 4 1/2 aft. Stern carried 4 1/8". Frame spaces 8 3/4". Extreme length 17'-3". Motor of 1/2[?] H.P., made by the Holtzer-Cabot Electric Company. [No. built] 1, [Order No. or Yacht] 224 [Eugenia], [Date] Jan 12, 1903, [Finish] Bright[?], [Bulkheads] Mahogany + cedar, [Deck] Mahogany + cedar, [Seats] [unreadable], mahogany, butternut. [Remarks] Hangings[?] as for #215 [Roamer]. Without tr[unreadable] [as per notes on drawing 2-23]." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)

"This vessel's contract date was determined from notes on the original plan. Plan 2-23 from which this boat was built was drawn 1902-05-01. #224p Eugenia IV (for which this vessel was built) was contracted for 1902-07. This boat's contract or building date is about 6 months after #224p Eugenia IV was contracted for." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)

"Displacement 800lbs is estimated interpolated from data in penciled draft reply note written shortly after November 8, 1905 by N. G. Herreshoff to Admiral W.L. Capps of the Navy Departments Bureau of Construction and Repair (in Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Correspondence, Folder 1_14, formerly (84).)" (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 20, 2019.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.

Note

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Citation: Herreshoff #190304ep [Electric Launch for #224p Eugenia IV]. Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné. https://herreshoff.info/Docs/EP190304_for_P00224_Eugenia_IV.htm.