Herreshoff #187504es Amaryllis [Model Yacht]

"[1875-02-25] Thu 25: ... At the shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in [the] evening, making model of twin boat [#187504es Amaryllis (Model Yacht)]. ...
[1875-03-03] Wed 3: ... Took tea with George [Phillips] after working on model [probably #187504es Amaryllis (Model Yacht)] a while and passed the night with him.
[1875-03-05] Fri 5: At shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in [the] evening working on ice boat problem [a polar plot of iceboat performance taking into account apparent wind] and on paper double boat [#187504es Amaryllis (Model Yacht)]." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1875. Manuscript (excerpts). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection.)

"... In the fall of 1875 I was thinking and thinking how to get great speed out of single hulled boats, of the kind in common use. ...
Having arrived, as have before stated, at a position where I viewed in my fancy the double boat I made a working model. The little hulls were three feet long and made of paper and connected together in the manner before described. I had an odd rig for this tiny craft. There were two masts, one resting over each boat on a little triangular frame. The masts met and were joined together at the top, thus making a sort of shears. Between these the sail was spread, being four-sided in form, having a yard at the bottom and the top. The upper yard was peaked up like a gaff, so the luff was about half the length of leach. The sail projected one-third of its area in front of the mast and was stretched very tightly; so it set perfectly flat. At the stern corner of the triangular frame (the masts resting on the two forward corners) I placed a balanced rudder, which was governed by a little vane at the top of the mast in such a manner that when she turned toward the wind it would up the helm a little and so keep her straight. The first time I put her in the water I was astonished. I had all [???] could do to catch her in a twelve-foot rowboat, rowing with all my strength. I immediately drafted the Amaryllis and copied the little model in all its essential particulars." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael Greene. "The Amaryllis. How the Yachting Wonder of 1876 was Conceived and Built." New York Herald, April 16, 1877, p. 5.)

"Dear Sirs:
I have been much interested in reading the article in your October number entitled 'A Novel Automatic Steering Gear for Model Yachts,' as I have had quite an experience with devises for steering sailing models directly by angle of wind movement to the course desired for the model, and I consider it the best principle, when the details are properly worked out. Way back in 1875 when I was working on double-hulled sailing craft --- the details of which I had patents and I also constructed many --- I made a model of the contrivance about 33 inches long. This I sailed, but could not keep it on a course until I added a wind vane that controlled the rudder, and it did the trick perfectly. ...
Yours Truly,
Nathanael G. Herreshoff." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. [Letter to the Editor.] The Model Yachtsman, England, December 1932. Quoted in: Boebert, Earl. "Nathanael Herreshoff's Vane Gears." The Model Yacht. Newsletter of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Fall 1999, p. 3-7.)

"Reminiscences of A. Griswold Herreshoff
Editor's Note: During recent conversations with Gid Herreshoff in Defray Beach, Florida, he provided the following accounts about facets of the Herreshoff tradition.
CATAMARANS
My father, N. G. Herreshoff, built his first catamaran, AMARYLLIS in 1873 [sic, i.e. 1876] when he was 25 [sic, i.e. 28] years old. It was, I believe, the first catamaran sail boat in America. U.S. patent office records still in existence include N. G. H's patent application for the catamaran concept including a small demonstration model. Pa was then living in Providence, employed by the Corliss Engine Company as a draftsman and designer.
His interest in the twin hulled sailboat had previously led him to construct a working model with hulls of paper and shellac. This was fitted with an "A" frame double wooden mast supported on each of the hulls. A single gaff sail was suspended between. There was an automatic steering linkage controlled from a gull feather vane at the top of the mast. Thus, Pa could set a chosen apparent wind angle and the model would sail on the set course. This model now 112 years old exists in good condition at the Museum. This model like future full size catamarans had a very high sail area to displacement ratio with ample stability owing to the wide spread between the hulls. The model sailed fast and well, thus becoming the prototype for the 30 ft AMARYLLIS.
However, the "A" frame mast was structurally inadequate in the full size boat and was replaced with a single mast supported by a truss system from the hulls. Another very interesting feature (later shown to be unnecessary) in my father's catamarans was provision to allow the two hulls to move in a seaway independently in pitch. This was accomplished by cast ball and socket joints at connections (steel balls in cast bronze sockets) ..." (Source: Herreshoff, A. Griswold. "Reminiscences of A. Griswold Herreshoff." Herreshoff Marine Museum Chronicle, Spring 1985, p. 2.)

"[Item Description:] Catamaran sketch with plan and dimensioned and sailplan (possibly #187504es AMARYLLIS paper mache model yacht or very similar), girder or reinforcement sketches and steam machinery calculations on part of backside." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_47990. Subject Files, Folder [no #], formerly MRRT Box. No date (1875-03 ??).)
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"[Item Description:] Diagram in pencil with annotations titled 'Ice Boat Speed' showing speed polars at 10, 15, and 20mph wind speed. Undated, but note that NGH recorded in his diary on March 5, 1875 'At shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in evening working on ice boat problem and on paper double boat [#187504es]'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Diagram. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_58800. Subject Files, Folder 92. No date (1875-03-05 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] On verso: Pencil drawing of an ice yacht. On recto: Numerous trigonometric formulas and calculations to determine ice boat speed and apparent wind. Undated, but note that NGH recorded in his diary on March 5, 1875 'At shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in evening working on ice boat problem and on paper double boat [#187504es]'. Also compare this with leaflet 'Ice Yachting' explaining faster-than-wind-sailing and apparent wind sailing which is believed to have been sent as an enclosure with 1876-08-26 Irving Grinnell letter." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Sketch / Calculations. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_58810. Subject Files, Folder 92. No date (1875-03-05 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Diagram in pencil with annotations titled 'Ice Boat' showing speed polars at 10, 15, 20 and 30mph wind speed. Undated, but note that NGH recorded in his diary on March 5, 1875 'At shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in evening working on ice boat problem and on paper double boat [#187504es]'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Diagram. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_58830. Subject Files, Folder 92. No date (1875-03-05 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled derivation of triginometric formulas to determine iceboat performance taking into account wind speed and angle, boat resistance to load and wind and runner side pressure, titled 'Ice Boat Problem', on verso sketched diagram of what appears to be a speed polar. Undated, but note that NGH recorded in his diary on March 5, 1875 'At shop [Corliss Steam Engine Co.] in evening working on ice boat problem and on paper double boat [#187504es]'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Calculations. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_58850. Subject Files, Folder 92. No date (1875-03-05 ?).)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) letter on 'N.G. Herreshoffm Bristol, R.I.' stationery:] Coconut Grove, Fla.
April 27, [19]30
Dear Francis,
Just a few lines to say the model [#192901es ROBIE] appeared to sail very well, tried twice in a light breeze only.
After getting home I expect to fit a larger rudder with a little skeg in front of it.
The present rudder blade was all the proper sheet brass I had and put it in as temporary!
The weather vane steerer which I call 'Windy Jim' was very satisfactory. It is practically to same as I put on model of my first catamaran [#187504es AMARYLLIS Model Yacht] in 1875 (55 years ago)!
Your affect[ionate]
Uncle Nat" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Letter to Herreshoff, Francis Lee. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE03_03430. Folder [no #]. 1930-04-27.)
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"[Item Description:] Photograph of the East side of NGH's model room at Love Rocks. NGH's recording anemoter installed in front of the fireplace. [America's] Cup Defenders from top to bottom shown: DEFENDER [#452s], COLUMBIA [#499s], CONSTITUTION [#551s], RESOLUTE [#725s], RELIANCE [#605s], KATOURA [#722s], possibly one designed for Kaiser Wilhelm. [The list of models is correct, the photo does not show a model designed for Kaiser Wilhelm. Visible in the backgrond is also #187504es Amaryllis Model Yacht (made from paper mache).]" (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.206. Photograph. Box HAFH.6.7B, Folder Photograph. No date (after 1938 ???).)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #187504es Amaryllis [Model Yacht] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

"This paper mache model is believed to be the model yacht on which in 1876 N. G. Herreshoff based the design of Amaryllis, the first modern Western catamaran." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 13, 2009.)

"This model is ca. 35.5" long but note that it's fine ends are somewhat damaged which may suggest that its original length was actually 36" or 3ft." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. arch 24, 2021.)

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