Herreshoff #185602es Julia III

"Julia [#185602es]: 22ft 2in Length on deck. 21ft 6in Length on water. 8ft 10in Breadth extreme. 3ft 3 1/2in Depth. 4 3/8in Deadrise per foot. 6ft 4in Width of stern. 9in Sheer. 2ft 11in Freeboard [at] bow. 1ft 10in Freeboard [at] stern. 1ft 5 1/2in Freeboard [at] lowest place. No centreboard. 1ft 8in Centre of mast from woodends. 27ft 4in Mainsail foot. 25ft 3in Mainsail hoist. 9ft 3in Mainsail head. 34ft 8in Mainsail leech. 500sqft Mainsail area. 9ft 9in Jib foot. 27ft Jib hoist. No gafftopsail. No jibtopsail." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. and/or other Herreshoff family members. Handwritten table listing early Herreshoff-built boats and their dimensions up to 1870. No date (1870 or later). Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, MRDE03.)

"The following winter, [my father] made the model for and had built JULIA No. 3, which was finished in [the] spring of 1856, and she was a great improvement on the preceding boat. I can remember sailing in her often and do well remember the first time I had to steer her.
In August of 1858, JULIA was stolen one night together with a rowboat John had just built. This, of course, caused great excitement in the neighborhood. [The] theft of the boat was reported by wire to the near seaports and Major Jacob Babbitt [Served in the Civil War, Bristol's Grand Army of the Republic Post was named in his honor.] loaned his yacht TALULA to my father to hunt for his boat.
TALULA left toward Newport before noon and word came to our house soon after that JULIA had been seen aground with sail partly lowered off Pawtuxet. So John, Lewis, and I started off in a fresh southerly breeze in John's little twelve foot boat METEOR to get JULIA. We found JULIA where reported, but laying at anchor, as some Pawtuxet fisherman had seen her before the tide had risen and dropped her anchor and secured her sail.
We soon had her under way with METEOR in tow and sailed home and to her moorings, arriving before night. The steering and making the home moorings devolved on me at age ten, as both John and Lewis were without sight.
The amusing part of the incident followed - Both [of] my oldest brother[s], James and Charles, arrived home in the late afternoon, and they planned to go in JULIA to inform my father of JULIA's recovery. They left immediately after supper and had a bright moonlight night. They found Newport Harbor full of yachts of [the] New York Yacht Club on their annual cruise. They decided to have some fun, so [they] sailed around among the fleet, but avoided TALULA. They soon found TALULA's small boat was following and trying to board them, and they continued to play "hide and seek" among the fleet. They were finally caught when passing the stem of a yacht, and the row boat shot out from behind her. My father and his men jumped aboard, well armed, to arrest JULIA's crew, when they found they were his own sons." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Some of the Boats I Have Sailed In." Written 1934. In: Pinheiro, Carlton J. (ed.). Recollections and Other Writings by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Bristol, 1998, p. 36.)

"In those days [the late 1850s or about 1860] there was great rivalry between the owners of boats in Bristol in keeping them in fine order and spick-and-span in every way. Before going aboard my father's boat Julia (and all his boats were named Julia from 1833 until his death in 1888), each shoe or boot had to be examined to see if any nails were protruding from the bottom; if there were, they had to come off, and the same happened if they had boot-blacking on them that might come off onto the paint work. The sail was kept clean and white and held from ever touching the deck by lazyjacks. Only washed hands were used in furling it. Any boat coming alongside must be held clear and not touch Julia for fear of leaving a mark. Both air and water were clean in those days and all these particulars were possible. It may be unnecessary to add that painting was done with the greatest care and only after thorough sand papering till the surface was faultlessly smooth. At each full and change of the moon Julia was laid ashore and the bottom scrubbed so as to keep her in racing condition and ready for an afternoon scrap with four or five other Bristol boats that were kept in the same condition." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Discussion of W. P. Stephens' "Yacht Measurement - Origin and Development." In: SNAME (The Society Of Naval Architects And Marine Engineers). Transactions. Volume 43, 1935, p. 34-36. New York, 1936.)

"Julia No. 3, in 1864, was fitted by my father with a shifting ballast box, running on thwart-ship tracks from bilge to bilge amidships; the car or box carried a total weight of 550 pounds, the same box and gear being used in three successive boats without change. The box was amidship in a light breeze, but was always used when there was wind enough to heel the boat to an appreciable amount. In a freshening wind, and wishing to get the box to windward, it was not hauled there, but a half-board was taken, and just before the helm was put up the trigger was released and the box would run to leeward by momentum and would lock itself. It certainly made the Julias pleasanter to sail and also safer and faster; I do not recall any accident by it getting adrift. My brother John put a ballast box in his first Kelpie (1863), a 25 1/2-foot water-line sloop weighing over 1000 pounds, but it proved rather an elephant to control, and too heavy for single-hand sailing." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Discussion of W. P. Stephens' "Yacht Measurement - Origin and Development." In: SNAME (The Society Of Naval Architects And Marine Engineers). Transactions. Volume 43, 1935, p. 34-36. New York, 1936.)

"By about 1855 Charles Frederick built 'Julia II' [sic, i.e. Julia III, Julia II having been unsatisfactory and sold soon after her delivery] for the keen racing in the bay, and after 1864, when she was fitted with a shifting ballast box running athwartships and carrying a weight of about five hundred and fifty pounds, seemed to have beaten all other boats of her size in the bay. My father, Captain Nat, in describing this gear says: The ballast box was amidships in light weather but was always used when there was wind enough to heel the boat to any appreciable amount. In a freshening wind and wishing to get the box to windward, it was not hauled there, but by luffing up into the wind suddenly and releasing the trigger or ratchet at the right time the box would roll to windward from the momentum of the boat's turnng when the helm was suddenly put up to bring her back on her course. It certainly made 'Julia' pleasanter to sail and also safer and faster. Although this ballast box and similar ones were used in four different boats I do not recall any accident by its getting adrift." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Wizard of Bristol. The Life and Achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with An Account of Some of the Yachts he Designed. New York, 1953, p. 41.)

"One of the most severe gales of wind over our town on Wednesday last [September 8, 1869]. The morning was pleasant with a breeze, from the south-east which continued to increase in violence until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when it culminated into a complete hurricane, continuing about two hours, sweeping everything before it. ...
Nearly every sailboat and fishing smack that was in the harbor is either ashore, gone to pieces, or sunk; the masts of several sunk are seen in different parts of the harbor. The beautiful sailboat Julia, belonging to Charles F. Herreshoff, Esq., is a total wreck, and her materials, together with those of several other boats are strewed along the shores. ...
We believe no lives wore lost, although it was currently reported that a man was drowned from a boat sunk in the harbor. ... Mr. Charles F. Herreshoff, Jr , we regret to learn, was severely injured, while attempting to secure his boats on the shore of Poppasquash." (Source: Anon. "Severe Hurricane." Bristol Phoenix, September 11, 1869, p. 2.)

"... At the south end of Hope street the ship yard, boat builder's shop and wharf of Mr. John B. Herreshoff were damaged to the amount of about $1000.
Charles F. Herreshoff, Esq., sustained a large loss in boats, among them his beautiful yacht Julia which was completely broken up. His loss is estimated at $2000. ... [According to Wikipedia this storm 'was one of four hurricanes, along with the 1938 New England hurricane, the 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane, and Hurricane Carol in 1954, to strike New England as a major hurricane, or Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale.']" (Source: Anon. "Local Tintypes." Bristol Phoenix, September 18, 1869, p. 2.)

"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink and pencil) table providing what amounts to be the earliest Herreshoff construction record with detailed dimensional data (Name, Owner, Length on deck, Length on water, Breadth extreme, Depth, Deadrise per foot, Width of stern, Sheer, Freeboard at bow, stern and lowest place, Centreboard length, Centreboard from woodends, Centre of mast from woodends, Bowsprit out board, Mainsail foot, hoist, head, leech, and area, Foresail foot, hoist, head, leech, and area, Jib foot, hoist, leech, and area, Gafftopsail foot, luff, leech, and area, Fore-gafftopsail foot, luff, leech, and area, Jibtopsail foot, hoist, leech, and area and Notes ) for Julia [#185602es], Sprite [#186001es], Kelpie 1st [#186301es], Magic [#186404es], Toad [#186411es], Prudence [#186406es], Patience [#186405es], Hope [#186402es], Faith [#186401es], Qui Vive [#186407es], Kelpie 2nd [#186403es], Teazer [#186410es], Secret [#186408es], Fish Boats [#186505es, #186506es, #186507es, #186508es, #186509es, #186510es, #186511es, #186512es], Fish Boats [#186513es, #186514es, #186515es, #186516es, #186517es, #186518es], Fanchon [#186501es], Angie [#186503es], Haidee [#186604es], Ariel [#186601es], Psyche [#186605es], Fannie 1st [#186603es], Violet [#186606es], Fish Boats [#186607es, #186608es], Fish Boats [#186609es, #186610es, #186611es, #186612es, #186613es, #186614es], Lively Whale [later Daisy ???] [#186707es ???], Fannie 2nd [#186702es], Hartford [later Polly ???] [#186703es ???], Sadie [#186704es], Clytie [#186701es], Waterfall [N/A], Bristol [#186801es], Ione [#187003es], Poppasquash [#186502es], Etta [N/A], Oysterboats [#186710es, #186711es], Spring Green [#186709es], Pellican [#186708es], Henrietta [N/A], Meteor [N/A], Fatter[?] [N/A], Annie Moies [#1p], Charlotte [#186803es], Annie [#186905es], Hildegard [#186808es], Thetis [#186705es], Clio [#187101es], Fleetwing [N/A], White Straw[?] [N/A], [Mignone] [#186904es], Fish Boats [square stern, 1868] [N/A], Sadie [#N/A (dupl. listing)], Fannie [N/A], Bunsby [#186802es], Orion [#186903es], Breeze [N/A], Nimbus [#186805es], Alice [crossed out, this MIGHT be Bessie] [#187001es], Viking [#187008es], [Ianthe] [#187002es], [Surf] [#187007es], [Georgie Miller] [#187011es], and [Pink] [#187010es]. Undated, the latest vessel on the list was built in 1870." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator) or other Herreshoff family members (?) (creator). Construction Record. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE03_01410. Folder [no #]. No date (ca 1870).)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten memorandum:] Model Boat [#186201es] made by N. G. Herreshoff in 1861-62.
This rather queer shaped model was made by Nat Herreshoff when a boy of about thirteen years old, and perhaps her hard bilge, or resemblance to a V-bottom boat, can be traced to Nat's first racing experience in J. B.'s METEOR [#185601es], a V-bottom boat which was built by J. B. and his father between 1855 and 1857. Also Nat's father, Charles Frederick H., was at the time interested in models which gained stability or sail carrying ability by the action of the low bow wave. (In other words, the leeward bilge was supposed to rise up, or plane, on the lee bow wave).
J. B. once described these early bows to me by saying 'they were like the mold board of a plow which cuts into the sod, turns it over and throws it down.'
It is also interesting that C.F.H.'s later JULIAs [#185602es Julia III and #187004es Julia IV] had bows of this type, particularly those which used shifting ballast cars, so at the time that Nat made this model boat there may have been much talk about gaining sail carrying ability through hull shape. It is interesting, too, that Captain Nat did not use tumble-home sides after 1875, but earlier models like SADIE [#186704es (designed by JBH)], and SHADOW [#187106es] had tumble home. Apparently after stability was gained by deeper ballast he decided the slack bilges made an easier driven model.
A± any rate, it is interesting that this toy boat, or model boat, was owned by five boys without being seriously damaged. She was rigged at various times as both cat and sloop. The model probably has had several coats of paint, but is all original but the stem which L. F. H. made before the last painting. The stem is about 1/2in too high and was intended to be cut down after the flat bowsprit was fitted. The rudder is original and shows the stopper which went against the transom and prevented the rudder from swinging far enough to jam the rudder hangings.
This model is now presented to Norman F. Herreshoff by L. Francis Herreshoff who thinks it should be in the back part of the old Herreshoff house in Hope Street where it undoubtedly was made nearly a century ago.
The writing on the after deck is in Captain Nat's hand done after I returned the model to him in 1936." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis (creator). Memorandum. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_00590. Folder [no #]. 1956-12-27.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten copy of a memorandum, laminated in plastic:] Model Boat [#186201es] made by N. G. Herreshoff in 1861-62.
This rather queer shaped model was made by Nat Herreshoff when a boy of about thirteen years old, and perhaps her hard bilge, or resemblance to a V-bottom boat, can be traced to Nat's first racing experience in J. B.'s METEOR [#185601es], a V-bottom boat which was built by J. B. and his father between 1855 and 1857. Also Nat's father, Charles Frederick H., was at the time interested in models which gained stability or sail carrying ability by the action of the low bow wave. (In other words, the leeward bilge was supposed to rise up, or plane, on the lee bow wave).
J. B. once described these early bows to me by saying 'they were like the mold board of a plow which cuts into the sod, turns it over and throws it down.'
It is also interesting that C.F.H.'s later JULIAs [#185602es Julia III and #187004es Julia IV] had bows of this type, particularly those which used shifting ballast cars, so at the time that Nat made this model boat there may have been much talk about gaining sail carrying ability through hull shape. It is interesting, too, that Captain Nat did not use tumble-home sides after 1875, but earlier models like SADIE [#186704es (designed by JBH)], and SHADOW [#187106es] had tumble home. Apparently after stability was gained by deeper ballast he decided the slack bilges made an easier driven model.
A± any rate, it is interesting that this toy boat, or model boat, was owned by five boys without being seriously damaged. She was rigged at various times as both cat and sloop. The model probably has had several coats of paint, but is all original but the stem which L. F. H. made before the last painting. The stem is about 1/2in too high and was intended to be cut down after the flat bowsprit was fitted. The rudder is original and shows the stopper which went against the transom and prevented the rudder from swinging far enough to jam the rudder hangings.
This model is now presented to Norman F. Herreshoff by L. Francis Herreshoff who thinks it should be in the back part of the old Herreshoff house in Hope Street where it undoubtedly was made nearly a century ago.
The writing on the after deck is in Captain Nat's hand done after I returned the model to him in 1936. [Incl. envelope marked in red pencil 'Description of Model Boat Built By N.G. Herreshoff']." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis (creator). Memorandum. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_02970. Folder [no #]. 1956-12-27.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #185602es Julia III even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Grayson, Stan. Herreshoff Catboats. The Roots of a Boatbuilding Dynasty." Wooden Boat #289, November/December 2022, p. 58-67. (1,855 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Detailed, well-written story about Herreshoff catboats, from early boats such as Sprite and the four Julias which were all built before the founding off the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company to the numerous small catboats like Dandelion and Bluebell, many of which were delivered to Boston yachtsmen and most of which were also built before the founding of HMCo to the later, often very extreme and rule-beating catboats such as Wanda. With some minor errors, not all Julias were keelboats, Dexter Stone was from Philadelphia and not just a local yachtsman, Peri was not built for W. Starling Burgess, and Bluebell was built for Ed. Burgess with no proof that this was Edward Burgess.

"Not built by Herreshoffs." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 2, 2008.)

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