Herreshoff #190201ep [Electric Launch for #213p Quickstep]
Particulars
Type: Colonia Electric Launch
Designed by: NGH
Contract: 1902-1-24 ?
Construction: Wood
LOA: 18' 0" (5.49m)
Rig: Gaff Ketch(?)
Displ.: 850 lbs (386 kg)
Propulsion: Electric, Holtzer-Cabot, 0.5 h.p.
Built for: Grinnell, Russell & Frederick
See also:
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 location: H.M.M. Model Room East Wall
Vessels from this model:
36 built, modeled by NGH
Original text on model:
"Sailing dingy for COLONIA July 1901 1/12
Numbers 217 and 218 (1903) frame spaces 8 1/2" instead of 7 1/2" raised 1/2" stem 6" aft flared out to 5' 5" beam Model cut away forward and remeasured before #218 set up Dec. 1901
1923 (01?) sailing cutter for ROAMER 1925 sailing cutter for Rob. Tod 1926 sailing dinghy for Charles Goodwin." (Source: Original handwritten annotation on model. Undated.)
Model Description:
"#568 17'3" loa sailing dinghy of 1901 for the cutter Colonia. Also, with modifications, #217 Maisie and #218 Carmen, 20 loa electric launches of 1901, sailing cutter for the steam yacht Roamer, sailing cutter for the schooner Katoura, and sailing dinghy for Charles Goodwin." (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
List of drawings:
Drawings believed to have been first drawn for, or being first referenced to
Herreshoff #190201ep [Electric Launch for #213p Quickstep] are listed in bold.
Click on Dwg number for preview, on HH number to see at M.I.T. Museum.
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Dwg 002-021 (HH.5.00021): Construction Dwg > 18' Electric Launch for # 213 (1902-01-24)
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Dwg 130-081 (HH.5.10385): Sails > 213 Sail Plan for 18'-0" El. Launch Quickstep (1902-05-21)
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Dwg 081-013 (HH.5.06101): Spars for 18' and 17'-3" Electric Launches, for 14' Dinghie [sic] (1902-06-09)
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.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #190201ep [Electric Launch for #213p Quickstep] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.
Supplement
Research Note(s)
"Electric Motor 1/2 h.p. Holtzer-Cabot [as per note on plan 2-21]." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)
"Note, that this electric launch was able to carry a sailing rig with main, mizzen and bowsprit as per notes on spar plan HH.5.06101 (081-013): Spars for 17ft-3in & 18ft Electric & 14ft Dinghie dated 1902-06-09." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 20, 2019.)
"This vessel's contract date was estimated from the original plan date. Plan 2-21 from which this boat was built was drawn 1902-01-24. #213p Quickstep (for which this vessel was built) was contracted for 1901-08. This boat's contract or building date is about 6 months after #213p Quickstep was contracted for." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)
"Displacement 850lbs 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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