Herreshoff #187505es [Unbuilt Open Cockpit Boat with Sliding Gunter Rig]

"[Item Description:] Penciled profile drawing of a what appears to be a dinghy with large open cockpit and a sliding Gunter mainsail of 270sqft area and a balanced jib with 136sqft sail area [#187505es]. Undated, on verso of Atlantic Yacht Club August 4, 1869 circular. Compare with the extremely wide Model 1209 whose overlaid profile shows a perfect match with this drawing. The sail areas are suggestive of a Bermuda Fitted Dinghy but note that neither the extreme width of the model nor the sliding gunter mainsail are typical for Bermuda dinghies which were of regular width and carried Bermudian (Marconi) rigs." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G.? (creator). Drawing. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_47770. Subject Files, Folder [no #], formerly MRRT Box. No date (1869 or later).)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Penciled comparative notes:] Model Oct[ober] 1881; Length 40f; Sail Base 76f; Sail Perp. 76f Large sail; Sail Perp. 61f Small sail; S[ailing]-L[ength] 42 1/2 [large]; 40 1/2 [small]
MADGE [English cutter]; Length 40f; Sail Base 71f; Sail Perp. 75f Large sail; Sail Perp. 56f Small sail; S[ailing]-L[ength] 42 [large]; 39 [small]
Schooner design; Length 76f; Sail Base 133f; Sail Perp. 102f Large sail; Sail Perp. 84f Small sail; S[ailing]-L[ength] 73 [large]; 70 1/2 [small]
Phil[?] race boat; Length 15f 3in; Base 22f; Perp. 27f; S[ailing]-L[ength] 15
DARE DEVIL [sandbagger]; Length 27f; Base 73f; Perp. 45; S[ailing]-L[ength] 31.2
SADIE Sch[ooner] [#186704es]; Length 48f; Base 87f; Perp. 67f; S[ailing]-L[ength] 47
ARROW; Length 63; Base 112; Perp. 110; S[ailing]-L[ength] 65
SAPPHO [Poillon, New York, 1867]; Length 126f; Base 208f; Perp. 140f Large s[ail]; Perp. 118f Small s[ail]; S[ailing]-L[ength] 112
GUINEVERE; L 126f; B 200f; P 132f Large s[ail]; P 114f Small s[ail]
FLYING CLOUD; L 74f; B 118f; P 94f Large s[ail]; P 72f Small s[ail]
MOSQUITO; L 64; B 114; P 82 Small sail
Design in 1875. Sliding gunter sail [#187505es ?]; L 16f; B 114; P 82 Small sail
SPRING GREEN [#186709es]; Length 16f; Base 22f; P 24f
NORA [#187802es ?]; L 16; B 19; P 21
AMARYLLIS [#187601es]; L 25; B 41; P 26
JULIA [#187004es]; L 22; B 27; P 33
GLEAM [#187702es]; L 25; B 33; P 38
J[OHN] GILPIN [#187703es]; L 29; B 57; P 33.
RIVIERA [#187406es]; L 16 1/2; B 15 1/2; P 21.
Pentagonal[sp?] Design; L 25f; B 32; P 37. [On verso half-sections and displacement calculations arriving at 97.3 tons]. [Undated (the latest design listed appears to be from 1881]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. (creator). Comparative Notes and Half-Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0571. WRDT08, Folder 44. 1881 ?.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #187505es [Unbuilt Open Cockpit Boat with Sliding Gunter Rig] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

"Document WRDT08_06800 in the Halsey Herreshoff Collection in the Model Room of the Herreshoff Marine Museum list a 16ft 'Design in 1875, sliding gunter sail' boat'. Nothing is known about this design but overlaying the profile and sailplan of the sliding gunter rigged boat on MR_47770 (also in the Halsey Herreshoff Collection) with Model 1209 provides a perfect fit and measurements taken off the sailplan after having scaled it to match the recorded sail areas shows a 16ft boat length and a 35 1/2ft overall sparred length which in turn matches the WRDT08_06800 data. The sliding gunter rig on the sail plan shows a strong similarity to the gunter-rigged Houari race boats of Marseille which NGH must have seen during his 1875 voyage with Riviera. But note that NGH's design is very wide and apparently meant to be fitted with a centerboard wheras the French Houaris were keel boats. Did he contemplate a French rig on a small sandbagger?" (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 13, 2021.)

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