Herreshoff #190202ep [Electric Launch for #215p Roamer]

"May 30, 1903
Roamer's [#215p] El[ectric] Launch
17ft x 4ft 10[in]. 1/3hp H-C [Hotlzer-Cabot] motor.
An course of 394.5ft in cove. One [person] on board. Nearly calm. Trial of different screws.
[Followed by tabulated trial run data with best speed being 5.77mph with 7.5in x 8.5in propeller]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Trials Booklet '1898 - 1909' under date of May 30, 1903. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"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.)

"[Item Description:] Penciled notes booklet for #215p ROAMER titled 'No. 215 Roamer. 1901-1902'. Containing detailed dimensions, construction and fitting out notes as well as a complete log of cruises for the year 1902 (taking with them ROAMER's electric launch #190202ep and #404s COQUINA), including a voyage to New York City and Larchmont Race week in July 1902, the cruise of the New York Yacht Club in August 1902, a summer cruise to Bar Harbor, ME (with meetings and discussions preliminary to the design of the Bar Harbor 31 class), and an October 17, 1902 trip from Newport to Bristol during which the contract for #605s RELIANCE was signed. Also containing scrap paper notes about coal consumption, flags carried on board, a sketch for an electric capstan, a list of dishes and kitchenware carried on ROAMER." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Notes Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE02_00030. Folder [no #]. 1901-10 to 1903-03-16.)
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"[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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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (mostly in pencil but also in ink) trials booklet titled '1898 - 1909'. Relevant contents:
§30: #190202ep [ELECTRIC LAUNCH FOR #215p ROAMER] Trial Run best speed 5.77mph [5.01kn] (1903-05-30)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE09_00060. Folder [no #]. 1898-09 to 1911-04.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #190202ep [Electric Launch for #215p Roamer] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

"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] Roamer [#215p], [Date] May 1, 1902, [Finish] Bright[?], [Bulkheads] Mahogany + cedar, [Deck] Mahogany + cedar, [Seats] [unreadable], mahogany, butternut [as per notes on drawing 2-23]." (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 determined from notes on the original plan. Plan 2-23 from which this boat was built was drawn 1902-05-01. #215p Roamer (for which this vessel was built) was contracted for 1901-09. This boat's contract or building date is about 8 months after #215p Roamer 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.