Herreshoff #187002es Ianthe

"F. W. Wilson assistant Editor Ap-27, [19]26. ... The notable designs by John B. Herreshoff were Sprite 1860-61 built by himself and father ... Kelpie, 1864 - Sadie 1867 and Orion 1869. Ianthe 1870 and Fostine [sic, i.e. Faustine] 1873." (Source: Mystic Seaport Museum, L. Francis Herreshoff Collection, Box 16, Folder 13: Letter from N. G. Herreshoff to F. W. Wilson, Assistant Editor of the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, April 27, 1926.)

"Letter from N. G. Herreshoff to Mr. Foster
In reply to your valued letter of 18th instant, I am afraid I cannot give you much that will be of interest to the members of the Eastern Yacht Club. Being behind the Cape I have had little to do with the E. Y. C., ...
Some of the old timers of my design which were probably sailed in the E. Y. C. races may be mentioned. Fanchon, designed and built in 1865, owned by Edward Burgess from about 1869 for several years. Violet, 1866, Eben Denton. Clytie, 1867. Sadie, 1867 (first a schooner but changed to a sloop in 1868, and owned by Franklin Burgess 1870-71. Her model was made by John B. Herreshoff). Ianthe, schooner, 49' w. l., 1870, W. D. Pickman owner. (Model by John B. Herreshoff.) Latona, schooner, 55 1/2' w. l., 1871, W. D. Pickman owner. Faustine, schooner, 74' w. l., 1873, built for George Peabody Russell, and taken to England in 1874.
... Sincerely yours,
Nathanael G. Herreshoff" (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael Greene. Letter to Charles H. W. Foster, ca. 1931. Quoted in Foster, Charles H. W. The Eastern Yacht Club Ditty Box, 1870-1900. Norwood, Mass., 1932, p. 39-41.)

"IANTHE. In the winter of 1869-70, John built the keel schooner IANTHE on the molds of ORION, a very fine model by John, but 1/12 longer than ORION. IANTHE was about 52' o.a. and 49' w.l. After a year, John took IANTHE back in part payment for a larger keel schooner yacht named LATONA that I [had] made [the] model and sail plan for. In the summer of 1871 and early 1872, I sailed IANTHE for John in several races and she was very successful. With the exception of sailing GLORIANA for Mr. E.D. Morgan in 1891 and VIGILANT for C. Oliver Iselin in 1893, this was the last of my yacht racing, for others." (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. 107.)

"I also sailed my brother John's yachts in races in New York Bay from 1863 to 1871 and nearly always won, which is something the New Yorkers do not like to remember." (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.)

"In [the] winter of 1869-70, John built for Mr. Pickman of Beverly, the keel schooner yacht IANTHE, on [the] molds of ORION, but longer, adding two or two and one half-feet aft. This gave her a very sweet form and she proved a good sailer. In the spring of 1870, I got leave from Mr. Corliss, where I was then employed, and sailed her to Boston for delivery, and the following year, Mr. Pickman ordered from John a larger schooner LATONA, which I modeled and made [a] complete sail plan [for] and John took back IANTHE in part payment.
I sailed IANTHE a good deal and very successfully and once beat the New York Yacht Club fleet in their spring regatta. She certainly was a fast yacht, and by carefully trimming sails could about hold the best sloop yacht to windward and beat them reaching. This was about my last yacht racing for many years in John's yachts, although I did sail TRITON..." (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. 48-49.)

"The yachts or boats modeled by J. B. are as follows:
... 'Ianthe,' 1870." (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. 57.)

"A schooner yacht fifty-two-feet long, fifteen feet three inches beam, and forty tons burthen was launched from the yard of Mr. J. B. Herreshoff last Tuesday afternoon [January 25, 1870]. She was built for Mr. Pickham [sic] of Boston, is a fine looking craft, of handsome model, and will no doubt prove a smart sailer. ..." (Source: Anon. "Launch. Boat Building." Bristol Phoenix, January 29, 1870, p. 2.)

"For Sale --- By John B. Herreshoff, Bristol, R. I., the well known Sloop Yacht Sadie [#186704es] and the Schooner Yacht lanthe [#187002es], each 50 tons old measurement." (Source: Anon. [Classified ad.] New York Herald, November 3, 1872, p. 2.)

"The yacht Ianthe has been sold, on private terms, to a Boston gentleman. This vessel was built at Herreshoff's yard about one year ago." (Source: Anon. "Launch." Bristol Phoenix, June 21, 1873, p. 2.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 106:]
Ianthe, schooner, of Bristol.
Built at [blank] [Herreshoff].
19.68 tons; 49.3ft. x 14.8 ft. x 4.8 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Previously licensed June 28, 1871 at Salem.
Lic[ensed] ([for] C[oastal] T[rade]) June 4, 1872. Owner: Sarah L. Herreshoff of Bristol. Master: John B. Herreshoff, Bristol. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence]).
Lic[ensed] ([for] C[oastal] T[rade]) May 31, 1873. Owner: same. Master: same.
Surrendered [license] June 23, 1873 at Boston. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence])." (Source: Survey of Federal Archives, Work Projects Administration. Ships Documents of Rhode Island. Bristol. Ship Registers and Enrollments of the Port of Bristol - Warren Rhode Island, 1941, s.v. Ianthe.)

"List of Schooners enrolled in the Massachusetts Yacht Club. ... Ianthe [Name]. Chas. L. Davenport [Owner]. 105 [No. of Seniority]. Boston, Mass. [Homeport]. K [Keel]. 52 [Extreme Length]. 49 [Waterline]. 15 [Beam]. 7 [Depth]. 8 [Draft]. 1870, Bristol, R. I. [When and where built]. Rebuilt 1878 [Alterations]. J. B. Herreshoff [Designer]. J. B. Herreshoff [Builder]." (Source: Massachusetts Yacht Club (formerly Dorchester Yacht Club). Yearbook 1892. Boston, 1892, p. 16-17.)

"The regatta of the New York Yacht Club, this year, on June 20 [1872], was remarkable from the fact that the flying start was adopted --- the fairest way of starting yachts which has yet been tried --- and it was also remarkable from the fact that in an exceptionally fine lot of schooners, the little Ianthe, the very slowest of the lot, beat all of them without allowance of time, When all except her had been out around the light-ship and were returning, they met her at the bar buoy going out. They all got becalmed in the bay, and with a strong flood drifted away to the westward, while the Ianthe, with a cracking breeze, went out to the light-ship and returned, and keeping in a little cat’s-paw of wind, luffed over close to Coney Island Point, and went on up to the finish-line, distancing the lot." (Source: Coffin, R. F. The History of American Yachting. Outing, September 1886, p. 606.)

"[lanthe (Sail, K.) owned by Chas. L. Davenport, Port: Boston; LOA 52ft; LWL 49ft; Beam 15ft; Draft 8ft; designed by J. B. Herreshoff and built by J. B. Herreshoff in 1870.9" (Source: Stebbins 1888 Yachtsmen's Souvenir, p. 15. Also in: Foster, Charles H. W. The Eastern Yacht Club Ditty Box, 1870-1900. Norwood, Mass., 1932, p. 251.)

"On one occasion [during the New York Yacht Club regatta on June 20, 1872, Nat Herreshoff] was steering the Ianthe in a race in the vicinity of New York, when the breeze almost deserted the boats and left them idly moving in the direction of home, but at a snail's pace. There were two or more classes of yachts in the fleet, but the skipper of the Ianthe, steering wide of his comrades, ran into a little breeze he had seen far to starboard, and beat all the classes over the finish line. It is by carefully observing the possibilities open to the wideawake helmsman in every race that he has won his great reputation as a sailor." (Source: Palmer, Henry Robinson. The Herreshoffs and their Boats. New England Magazine, 1895, p. 522.)

"The old schooner Ianthe, 52 feet over-all, built by John B. Herreshoff in 1870, will be fitted with a motor and become a fishing vessel. She belongs to G. C. Fitzpatrick, of East Boston." (Source: Anon. "Ticks from the Ship's Clock." Forest and Stream, October 28, 1911, p. 653.)

"A moderate sou'wester and calm spots prevailed during the Annual Regatta on June 20, 1872, when ten schooners and four sloops made a 'flying start' in the Narrows to compete around the usual Club course, Southwest Spit-Sandy Hook Lightship. ... There were four prizes, each valued at $250, of which lanthe, 1,700 cubic feet, 40 tons, 52 feet overall, designed and owned by John B. Herreshoff, won the prize for the best elapsed time in the schooner class, while Peerless, a much bigger yacht, 2,732 cubic feet, 59 tons, 68 feet overall, J. Rogers Maxwell, won the schooner prize for the best corrected time. Ianthe had no handicap rating and was evidently not racing for the latter prize." (Source: Parkinson, John. The History of the New York Yacht Club. New York, 1975, p. 75-76.)

"[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 #187002es Ianthe even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Taglang, Jacques. Mariette and the Herreshoff Schooners. Two vols. Eynesse, 2010.
  Vessel biographies, large-scale sail and lines plans reproduced from original HMCo plans. The definitive book on Herreshoff schooners.

• Ianthe
• Ianthe
• 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: Ianthe
Type: 49' schooner
Owner: Charles L. Davenport [sic, Davenport was owner in 1890 as per 1890/91 American Yacht List]
Year: 1870
Row No.: 289

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.

"Built on the molds of Orion but with added length forward and aft as per NGH recollections." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 7, 2009.)

"In the absence of better available data displacement was estimated by using the figure for New Measurement Tons (22) from the 1872 Fox Yachting Annual (Old Measurement Tons were reported as 35) and converting to lbs by dividing through 2000 (short tons). Note that this figure can only be a rough estimate because register tons as reported in Yacht Registers correlate only loosely with actual displacement figures." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 17, 2015.)

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