Herreshoff #187001es Bessie
Particulars
Later Name(s): Dolphin
Type: Catboat
Designed by: JBH
Launch: 1870
Construction: Wood
LOA: 18' 8" (5.69m)
LWL: 16' 10" (5.13m)
Beam: 7' 6" (2.29m)
Draft: 2' 6" (0.76m)
Rig: Cat
Centerboard: yes
Built for: N/A [W. F. Whitney owner in 1872]
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.
Documents
Nathanael G. Herreshoff
"[In 1866 the] Company also built several small catboats, from John's own model, that went to the Burgess boys, Charles F. Adams, and others. These were very successful, and were followed by several more in the succeeding three or four years, so that the growing generation of North Shore men were brought up in Bristol built catboats, all modeled by John." (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. 22.)
Other Contemporary Text Source(s)
"[Dolphin (Sail, C. B.) owned by Royal Robbins, Port: Marblehead; LOA 18.8ft; LWL 16.10ft; Beam 7.6ft; Draft 2.6ft; designed by J. B. Herreshoff and built by J. B. Herreshoff.]" (Source: Stebbins 1888 Yachtsmen's Souvenir, p. 48.)
Other Modern Text Source(s)
"The catboat on the right is the Dolphin [formerly Bessie (CvdL)], owned by Royal Robbins of Marblehead. It was designed and built by J. B. Herreshoff [in 1870 (CvdL)] and was 18.8 feet overall, 16.10 feet on the waterline. Its beam was 7.6 feet and its draft was 2.6 feet. Because the Eastern Yacht Club ol Marblehead refused to run races for boats under 10 feet in length, the Beverly Yacht Club provided about all the good and official small-boat racing that there was. This culminated in Marhlehead in August 1883 when 176 boats crossed the starting line, a world's record that stood for 40 years. (Source: Photo caption for Stebbins Yachtsmen's Souvenir p. 48 photo neg. no. 1948, taken August 25, 1888. In: Rosbe, Judith Westlund. The Beverly Yacht Club. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH and San Francisco CA, 2006, p. 22.)
Archival Documents
"[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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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #187001es Bessie even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.
Images
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Further Image Information
Created by: Stebbins, Nathaniel L.
Image Caption: "1948." [Dolphin, ex-Bessie, to the right].
Negative Number: 1948
Image Date: 1888-8-25
Published in: Stebbins, N. L. The Yachtsmen's Souvenir. Boston, 1888, p. 48.
Collection: Historic New England (SPNEA) Collection, GUSN 277342. (Also in: Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass., acc. no. 29-020.)
Image is copyrighted: No
Registers
1872 Fox Yachting Annual (#41)
Name: Bessie
Owner: W. F. Whitney; Club(s): 21 [Beverly YC]; Port: Beverly
Type & Rig C. B. Cat
LWL 16-6; Extr. Beam 7; Draught 1-6
Sailmaker I. Foster
Builder Herreshoff; Built when 1870
Note: Private Signal: White triangle, blue tails; No. of Men: 4; Captain: Owner
1874 Olsen's American Yacht List (#43)
Name: Bessie
Owner: W. W. Lewis; Club(s): 8 [Dorchester YC], 11 [Beverly YC]; Port: Dorchester
Type & Rig C. B. Cat
LOA 18-4; LWL 16-6; Extr. Beam 7-6; Draught 1-6
Builder J. B. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R. I.
Note: Number of Men: Three
1875 Manning's Yachting Annual (#4)
Name: Bessie
Owner: George P. Upham, Jr.
Type & Rig Cat, Open
LWL 16.9; Extr. Beam 7.6; Draught 1.6
Builder 66 [J. B. Herreshoff]
Note: Beverly YC; No. of Sails Allowed on Regulation 1; No. of Men allowed on Regulation 3
1881 Olsen's American Yacht List (#58)
Name: Bessie
Owner: George P. Upham, Jr.; Club(s): 11 [Beverly]; Port: Nahant
Type & Rig CB Cat.
LOA 18.4; LWL 16.6; Extr. Beam 7.6; Draught 1.6
Builder J. B. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.
1890-91 Manning's American Yacht List (#699)
Name; Former Name(s): Dolphin; Bessie
Owner: Royal Robbins; Club(s): 30 [Beverly], 81 [Corinthian, Mass.]; Port: Marblehead, Mass.
Type & Rig CB. Cat
LOA 18.5; LWL 16.9; Extr. Beam 7.6; Draught 1.8
Builder J. B. Herreshoff; Designer J. B. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol
Source: Various Yacht Lists and Registers. For complete biographical information see the Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné under Data Sources. Note that this section shows only snapshots in time and should not be considered a provenance, although it can help creating one.
Note
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