Herreshoff #185601es Meteor

"Coconut Grove Feb 10 1926. {1926/02/10} N. G. Herreshoff Bristol, R. I. Dear Francis, ... In the spring of 1855 when your Uncle John lost his sight, he was building a 12' Tadpole, which was named "Meteor" She was finished in 1856, and I began to sail with John, - all over the bay - and kept it up till fall of 1859, when "Sprite" was started." (Source: Mystic Seaport Museum, L. Francis Herreshoff Collection, Box 17, Folder 2: Letter from N. G. Herreshoff to L. F. Herreshoff.)

"Boats and Yachts that I have been especially interested in by sailing and some of which I have owned.
METEOR. Designed and built by my brother John at 14 (1855-56), before losing his sight at [the] beginning of [his] 15[th year]. [Her] type [was] "skipjack in which chine and bottom [were] planked crosswise. Length 12', breadth about 5', centerboard, inside ballasted and part for shifting. Full rig "jib and mainsail." By memory - mainsail 12' or 13' foot, 9' hoist, and 6' head. Jib 9' foot, 9' leech. The boat was used but little with both sails, but generally "cat rigged" with mainsail only. [METEOR] was completed in the winter of 1856-57, after the family moved to the south end of Bristol. I became John's companion to aid him in all his activities. I thus became an expert sailor at an early age. The boat was capsized in Usher's Cove [Bristol Harbor] in front of the church picnic. After that, my father built in airtanks under the side seats. She was capsized a second time in the harbor, with a jib and mainsail rig, in a light, but puffy, N.W. wind. She floated and soon righted with my father's help in his boat JULIA. The third summer (1859), she was rerigged with a larger cat rigged sail. As I look back, [she] was a very mean boat having a boom fifteen or sixteen feet long." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Boats and Yachts that I have been Especially Interested in by Sailing and Some of Which I Have Owned." Bristol, April 1932. In: Pinheiro, Carlton J. (ed.). Recollections and Other Writings by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Bristol, 1998, p. 99.)

"John was born April 24, 1841, and was seven years older than I. ... In the winter of 1855-56, he was building a sail boat and had her nearly completed, when he had the accident at just past fifteen [years of age].
Losing one's sight at this age, of course, is a most serious affliction, and John was broken up by it and would sit still in the house for hours. At last, his determination to do things conquered, and he began to show activity. ...
... in the winter of 1856-57, my father helped John finish the twelve foot boat METEOR, that he (John) was building when he lost his sight. ...
All through the summers of 1857, '58, and '59, John had his little twelve foot sailboat METEOR, and I always sailed with him for eyesight. We sailed to all parts of the bay and in any day [when] there was a breeze, we would get thoroughly wet. It was a bad experience for me, as being frail, I would very often get chilled through. No one had waterproof coats in those days.
In the fall of 1859, John thought he wanted a larger boat, and he, with my father's help and advice, made a very perfectly formed model for a twenty foot boat which was destined to be named SPRITE. ...
I also remember well going to Fall River (Massachusetts) in METEOR, with John, and walking out to a sawmill that was near a cedar swamp some three or four miles east of Fall River and ordering the cedar boards to be sawed for planking etc. ...
A trip in METEOR was made to Warren (Rhode Island) and we brought back from the shipyard there some oak for the centerboard logs on [METEOR's] deck and [more oak for] the keel in tow. ..." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "The Old Tannery and My Brother John." Written July 28, 1933. In: Pinheiro, Carlton J. (ed.). Recollections and Other Writings by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Bristol, 1998, p. 5, 8, 9-10.)

"Inspired by the success of TADPOLE, John, at only fourteen years, began building a sailboat for himself. He made the model and did most of the work, being helped by my father. When the boat was nearly completed by the spring of 1856, in frolicking with Charles, John had the misfortune of knocking out his good eye with a stick, having lost the sight of one eye when he was seven.
The following summer, the family vacated the home farm, 'Point Pleasant' at Poppasquash, and moved to the old Lemuel Richmond place in Bristol [Now Herreshoff House, 142 Hope Street, part of the Herreshoff Marine Museum]. John's unfinished boat was brought over to the 'Old Tannery' and completed by my father the following winter, John assisting. ...
METEOR was launched in the spring of 1857, and partly through my compassion [for his lack of sight] and the consent of our parents, and partly by John's will, I became his companion to lead him about and direct him where to steer METEOR, watch the water for approaching flaws, and other dangers. I was thus put in a responsible and very trying position at nine years of age. Instead of playing with other children, my entire time out of school was taken up in attending to John. I did become proficient in many things, as sailing boats, [the] use of tools and also in hardening them that other children knew nothing of.
METEOR was but twelve feet long and about five feet wide and had too much dead-rise and flaring top streaks [a form of strokes, a line of planks running the length of the vessel] to make her carry her sails well. She was decked about one third length forward and about three inches at sides and aft with a coaming about three inches high. [METEOR] had a large centerboard and a very large rudder. The original sail plan was for [a] jib and mainsail rig, in which, if I remember correctly, [the] mast [was] aft [the] stem three feet; bowsprit outboard six feet; main boom fifteen feet; gaff six feet; hoist of sail nine feet. The bowsprit and jib were used but little and there was another mast hole close up in the bow. The mainsail alone was quite area enough for the boat, and as I look back, the whole contraption was a poor one and made an unsafe boat.
Our first capsize was lucky to be in shallow water. We were attracted into Usher's Cove, one afternoon in [the] summer of 1857, by the Annual Clambake of the Episcopal Church, being held in the juniper grove to the west. There is a big rock in [the] middle of [the] cove that is submerged at high water. John wanted to make the boat go slow[ly] so that I would have time to avoid it, if sighted ahead. So, he pulled the mainsheet hard in, instead of lowering the sail, for there was a fair breeze right astern. The boat unexpectedly jibed and over we went, much to the excitement of the picnickers. METEOR carried so much ballast, she would sink like a stone. The following winter, my father built, with much care, wooden tanks to fit under the seats of METEOR, and the following fall, when John had the boat rigged with both mainsail and jib, a sudden flow of wind capsized us again and the boat floated. My father, in JULIA, picked us up and righted the boat. Getting a wetting was nothing new to us, for after every afternoon sail, when there was a good breeze, we would come home soaking wet. The following winter, John wanted to have a larger cat rig in METEOR, so he made new, longer spars and necessary fittings, even laying up cotton rope in his rope walk and turning ivory fairleads for the jack-ropes [the lacing rope that bends a sail to its spars] on [the] foot and luff of [the] sail. The new sail was made by a Providence sailmaker by the name of Pease. The new boom was of outrageous length, and when there was a breeze, it was difficult to get the boat going, she would gripe [turn to face the wind in spite of the helm] so much.
In the three years [John had her], METEOR was sailed to nearly every part of the Bay. Providence had been visited several times and also Warren, East Greenwich, Wickford, Newport, and Fall River. In the fall, John felt he wanted a larger boat and he, with our father's assistance, made the model for a twenty foot boat [Sprite]. Some of the last sails in METEOR were to get material for the new boat. A trip [was made] to a Warren shipyard for oak, and we actually took home some pieces, one or two on deck and a piece in tow, but this over-rigged boat was entirely unfit and unsafe for such work. A trip to Wickford was made to order oak for timbers, knees, etc., which was brought home in Cousin John Francis' twenty foot boat GOVERNOR, which John had borrowed for the purpose, and this must have been the second time I had charge of steering a boat larger than METEOR, the first time being described in recovering the stolen JULIA. About the last sail in METEOR was to Fall River to order cedar for planking and deck. It must have been in late October and a very brisk nor'wester [was] blowing and METEOR had [a] double reef[ed] sail. We got to Fall River wet through and chilled. We then walked three miles or more, way beyond the Watuppa Pond toward New Bedford, and off on a side road to [the] south, where we found the saw mill and ordered the cedar, which was delivered to the Steamer BRADFORD DURFEE, to be put off at Bristol. This walk dried us off. I don't remember if we had anything to eat, but probably took a light lunch with us. The walk back to Fall River and another thorough wetting going home, was quite enough of a day for me." (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. 38-40.)

"August 31 1935
Dear Mr. Stephens -
... At the age of nine years [here WPS inserts 8] I began to be my brother's companion to lead him about, or I should more properly say to be dragged about. He had lost his sight a year before when he was 15. At that time he had nearly finished a small sailboat having fitted up a workshop in which he had quite a complete chest of tools and a very fair foot-lathe for those days. These he had acquired by his own earning in raising peas & other garden crops, and in laying up ropes from cotton twine, for he had constructed a three-spindle rope laying machine a year before. After he lost his sight and our family moved from the "Point Pleasant Farm" at Popasquash [sic] to a residence in Bristol (1856), my father helped John finish his boat, METEOR, 12 ft. long. I then began my sailing career. John had the knowledge and will and I had the sight; which of course was absolutely, necessary in sailing, or going in the water. I was only a light puny boy and it was a tough job for me and real brutal at times, for John had violent temper when things did not go right. However, with this training I learned to do many things that were very useful while others of my age were playing games. ... After sailing three seasons in METEOR John wanted a larger boat, and he sold her for nearly enough to buy material for a larger boat [Sprite] ...
Very truly yours,
Nathanael Greene Herreshoff
Sept. 15 1935." (Source: Letter 13. From N. G. Herreshoff to W. P. Stephens, dated August 31, 1935 to September 15, 1935. In: Herreshoff, Nathanael Greene and William Picard Stephens. "Their Last Letters 1930-1938." Annotated by John W. Streeter. Bristol, R. I., ca. 1999, p. 67-80.)

"April 16, 1937
Dear Mr. Stephens-
... In 1859 John thought he wanted a larger sailboat. So with our father's aid the model for SPRITE was made and I at 11 1/2 was shown how to take off sections and make lists of full size measurements. After 3 seasons in which SPRITE proved invincible in all races in Narragansett Bay John aspired to having a larger craft fit for longer cruises and KELPIE 27 1/2 o.a. 25 ft. w.l. was built in the winter of 1862-3 in the Old Tannery, as was SPRITE. To gather material for SPRITE I went with John in the little METEOR, for oak, to the Warren Shipyard, coming back with a dangerous deck load and some in tow. For cedar to be sawed for planking, to Fall River, and walking about 1/3 way to New Bedford to a saw mill. This was a windy nor-wester day, and METEOR reefed, wet us through both ways. The clothing dried on as we walked. This was a hard day for me.
For the fine "Wickford oak" used for timbers, hoops, block shells, etc, we made two trips to Wickford in a larger borrowed boat. Material for KELPIE was gathered much in the same way, by trips in SPRITE and a larger boat.
Our father & John built SPRITE with my little help after school hours. For KELPIE, a Newport boat-builder named Joe Southwick was hired - and SPRITE'S builders helped. The success of KELPIE, as a cruiser & racer gave John his first order, (QUI VIVE [II] from Tom Clapham) and he started business. ...
With kind regards,
Yours truly,
Nathl. G. Herreshoff" (Source: Letter 29. From N. G. Herreshoff to W. P. Stephens, dated April 16, 1937. In: Herreshoff, Nathanael Greene and William Picard Stephens. "Their Last Letters 1930-1938." Annotated by John W. Streeter. Bristol, R. I., ca. 1999, p. 177-180.)

"Another brother, John, who was seven years older than Nat, started his first boat named 'Meteor' in 1855 when only fourteen, and as it happens that many people ask the author when John Brown Herreshoff started at boatbuilding, I will say again it was in 1855. Surely this small boat built by a boy may not be considered much of a beginning, but John Brown, whom we will afterward refer to as J. B. was continually at boatbuilding from that time until his death. 'Meteor' was designed by J. B. and started by him while the family was living at the Point Pleasant Farm on Popasquash. She was what was called a skip-jack in those days and now called a V-bottom boat. She was twelve feet long and five feet wide; her bottom planking was laid crosswise; she had an enormous sail plan and was later used as both cat, and jib and mainsail. When 'Meteor' was about half completed, J. B. lost his eyesight...
When he first lost his sight J. B. was very despondent for a few months but his energy to do things soon returned and he, with the help of his father, finished 'Meteor' in 1857. In spite of his blindness she was sailed and raced by J. B. with his younger brother, Nat, aged nine acting as his eyes. 'Meteor' was sailed by the boys for three years, capsizing twice, but each time their father in 'Julia' picked them up and righted 'Meteor.'" (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. 43.)

"[Item Description:] Profile and sailplan of #185601es METEOR together with envelope labeled 'Drawing by N.G. Herreshoff in 1857 when 9 years old'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Drawing. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_60010. Unidentif. / Non-Cataloged, Folder [no #], formerly 258?. 1857.)
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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 #185601es Meteor even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Meteor
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Meteor
Type: 12' centerboard; the first boat that J. B. Herreshoff built
Owner: J. B. Herreshoff
Year: 1856
Row No.: 431

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.