Herreshoff #188404es Inezita [Inizita]

"[1890-06-25] Wed 25: Launched canoe Inezita.
[1890-06-26] Thu 26: Tried Inezita under sail.
[1914-10-24] Sat 24: Rowed to Pt. Pl[easant] in afternoon in Inezita." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1890. Manuscript (excerpts). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection. Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1914. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"INEZITA was built in 1884, as stock, and N.G.H. took her in about 1889." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Penciled note on papermount of #151p Ballymena under construction in the South Shop with Inezita stored in the background. December 1913.)

"[Item Description:] Photograph showing a steel steam yacht in frame with a group of seven workmen together with their foreman (identified in pencil in margin as Thomas Grant) in the foreground. Titled in print on paper attached to papermount 'Herreshoff MfG. Co. Bristol, Ri.I. Steamer No. 151 [#151p BALLYMENA]. May 21, 1888'. With further penciled notes on papermount 'CUSHING[sic]', 'South Shop' and, in NGH's hand, 'Agnes' canoe INEZITA [#188404es] is shown over roboat. INEZITA was built in 1884, as stock, and N.G.H. took her in about 1889. (N.G.H. Dec 1936)'. Photo is marked on papermount in upper right corner UB53781." (Source: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE14_01840. Photograph. Folder [no #]. 1881-05-21.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled sailplan titled 'INEZITA [#188404es]'. Undated, INEZITA was built in 1884 but this may well be a later sailplan." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0361. WRDT04, Folder 32, formerly MRDE09. 1884 or later.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten signed original letter in ink:] I was just thinking of writing you to learn how you ware progressing with the little boat [#193303es SKYLARK], when your interesting letter of 3rd came and I thank you for the photostat copy of the pencil drawing of which I did not have copy. If you bent the stem & keel you must he fitted out with a very efficient steaming outfit and I supposed you would get [Rufus] Murray (of Nevins) to bend the stem for you. The amount of bend in the keel could easily he done with hot water applied when setting up.
We generally fit centre-board casings coming up only to level of thwart stringer, and it appears sufficient until the boat is towed at high speed, --- then you get in a peck of trouble. As it is so common now to tow behind a power boat of considerable speed, I indicated on your sketch a closed in casing for a c-board of ample width. Certainly, a narrower board of 13in width will do very well, and this width you can get by raising the middle length of seat-stringer a little and bring the two sections of covering board to casing snug up to the thwart. But with my experience I would not think of using a metal centreboard again. It better be of either mahogany, yellow-bark oak, or white oak, and be sure the stock is not slash-cut but has [Page 2] the grain rings running very nearly across the board. It can be in one piece, but is just as well or perhaps better in 2 or 3, and edge bolted, and in any case will need an insertion of lead to sink it. I think a pennant to lift would be more satisfactory, and I would have it close aft the thwart, and away from aft end of cover-board.
In writing the above, I was thinking of the mid-thwart being fixed, but I really would prefer having it removable all in one piece and in this case the cover-board of casing would be in one piece and the thwart a little higher, --- where the thwart stringers could be put in pairs and short rest-pieces over it for receiving thwart. This thwart, being supported in middle, need be only 7/16in thick.
Your mentioning of Ichabod T. Williams & Sons brings back pleasant memories of the past, when we used to get much fine lumber from them. My brother John did all the purchasing, so I had no personal contact with them, but when we wanted nice mahogany it always came from I. T. Williams & Sons and our negotiations began in the late [18]70s. I joined my brother John in business in 1878, but I did all his drafting for many years before when I was connected with the Corliss Steam Engine Co. While there I had charge of starting up the great Corliss Engine that drove the machinery of Machinery Hall of the Centennial Exposition of 1876.
[Page 3] In I. T. Williams exhibit, there were some enormous Spanish cedar boards that were not only a wonder by their breadth, but of being sawed to that breadth. As time went on Williams could not sell these boards and they were in the way. They were offered to my brother at a reduced price, and we finally worked them up, I now have a great drafting board made from this lumber that is 53in long x 41in wide without any seam or glueing. There is also in my boathouse a lap-streaked double-ended canoe [ #188404es INEZITA from 1884?] that was built in about 1883, and planked of this same stock, and she is still in perfect condition. This may interest your friend Mr. Williams.
I consider white cedar the very best wood for planking for a small boat. It is 'leathery' and will stand more knocks and abuse than any other wood, excepting perhaps white oak, but it is very much lighter and for that reason preferable. Spanish cedar is much lighter than Mexican mahogany and is good but splits easier than white cedar. Mexican mahogany would be my next choice in utility, but perhaps w'ld be No 1 for appearance of finished job if to be varnished. But I would not have a varnished boat to use anyway. If you take the boat out of water much you will find a great advantage by having cedar planking, and I would be willing to pay a higher price for it than for mahogany. The dry weights are about:- White cedar 24 lbs. per cu.ft. Spanish cedar [Page 3] 33 lbs. Mexican mahogany 36 lbs. White cedar will water-soak less than Spanish cedar or mahogany. If Nevins could furnish you with the fine cleat spruce now obtainable and what they use for making spars, it would be almost as good as white cedar for planking, although it has not been used much for that purpose. It weighs about 31 lbs per cu. ft. but being so strong & tough could be worked thinner. Perhaps Williams could furnish it.
From our experience, I do not think you will have any trouble by the mast-partner being only about 13-1/2in above the mast-step. It is a short hold, but the masts do not complain and it is a great convenience having the partner down below the thwart level. I think I wrote you to have 'strong-backs' to secure the thwart beside being double-kneed, and the partner piece glued as well as screwed to thwart. Also particular attention to have mast step well fastened and snugly fitted in floor board so that will help hold it.
Strong-back 3in wide.
With kind regards -
Sincerely yours, ..." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Letter to Greenough, William. MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.052. Box HAFH.6.2B, Folder Dinghy - 12 & 14 Foot for William Greenough. 1934-01-05.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Unsigned carbon copy of a typewritten copy of NGH's handwritten letter of the same date. Marked in upper margin in pencil (probably by Hart Natutical Collections curator) 'this is extra copy. attached MS Xeroxed (2 pages) of page 2 thus typed copy. copied from material at Hart Nautical Museum MIT, a collection of letters on b[ui]ld]in]g a small boat for Mr Greenough'.] I was just thinking of writing you to learn how you ware progressing with the little boat [#193303es SKYLARK], when your interesting letter of 3rd came and I thank you for the photostat copy of the pencil drawing of which I did not have copy. If you bent the stem & keel you must he fitted out with a very efficient steaming outfit and I supposed you would get [Rufus] Murray (of Nevins) to bend the stem for you. The amount of bend in the keel could easily he done with hot water applied when setting up.
We generally fit centre-board casings coming up only to level of thwart stringer, and it appears sufficient until the boat is towed at high speed, --- then you get in a peck of trouble. As it is so common now to tow behind a power boat of considerable speed, I indicated on your sketch a closed in casing for a c-board of ample width. Certainly, a narrower board of 13in width will do very well, and this width you can get by raising the middle length of seat-stringer a little and bring the two sections of covering board to casing snug up to the thwart. But with my experience I would not think of using a metal centreboard again. It better be of either mahogany, yellow-bark oak, or white oak, and be sure the stock is not slash-cut but has the grain rings running very nearly across the board. It can be in one piece, but is just as well or perhaps better in 2 or 3, and edge bolted, and in any case will need an insertion of lead to sink it. I think a pennant to lift would be more satisfactory, and I would have it close aft the thwart, and away from aft end of cover-board.
In writing the above, I was thinking of the mid-thwart being fixed, but I really would prefer having it removable all in one piece and in this case the cover-board of casing would be in one piece and the thwart a little higher, --- where the thwart stringers could be put in pairs and short rest-pieces over it for receiving thwart. This thwart, being supported in middle, need be only 7/16in thick.
Your mentioning of Ichabod T. Williams & Sons brings back pleasant memories of the past, when we used to get much fine lumber from them. My brother John did all the purchasing, so I had no personal contact with them, but when we wanted nice mahogany it always came from I. T. Williams & Sons and our negotiations began in the late [18]70s. I joined my brother John in business in 1878, but I did all his drafting for many years before when I was connected with the Corliss Steam Engine Co. While there I had charge of starting up the great Corliss Engine that drove the machinery of Machinery Hall of the Centennial Exposition of 1876.
[Page 2] In I. T. Williams exhibit, there were some enormous Spanish cedar boards that were not only a wonder by their breadth, but of being sawed to that breadth. As time went on Williams could not sell these boards and they were in the way. They were offered to my brother at a reduced price, and we finally worked them up, I now have a great drafting board made from this lumber that is 53in long x 41in wide without any seam or glueing. There is also in my boathouse a lap-streaked double-ended canoe [ #188404es INEZITA from 1884?] that was built in about 1883, and planked of this same stock, and she is still in perfect condition. This may interest your friend Mr. Williams.
I consider white cedar the very best wood for planking for a small boat. It is 'leathery' and will stand more knocks and abuse than any other wood, excepting perhaps white oak, but it is very much lighter and for that reason preferable. Spanish cedar is much lighter than Mexican mahogany and is good but splits easier than white cedar. Mexican mahogany would be my next choice in utility, but perhaps w'ld be No 1 for appearance of finished job if to be varnished. But I would not have a varnished boat to use anyway. If you take the boat out of water much you will find a great advantage by having cedar planking, and I would be willing to pay a higher price for it than for mahogany. The dry weights are about:- White cedar 24 lbs. per cu.ft. Spanish cedar 33 lbs. Mexican mahogany 36 lbs. White cedar will water-soak less than Spanish cedar or mahogany. If Nevins could furnish you with the fine cleat spruce now obtainable and what they use for making spars, it would be almost as good as white cedar for planking, although it has not been used much for that purpose. It weighs about 31 lbs per cu. ft. but being so strong & tough could be worked thinner. Perhaps Williams could furnish it.
From our experience, I do not think you will have any trouble by the mast-partner being only about 13-1/2in above the mast-step. It is a short hold, but the masts do not complain and it is a great convenience having the partner down below the thwart level. I think I wrote you to have 'strong-backs' to secure the thwart beside being double-kneed, and the partner piece glued as well as screwed to thwart. Also particular attention to have mast step well fastened and snugly fitted in floor board so that will help hold it.
Strong-back 3in wide.
With kind regards -
Sincerely yours, ..." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Letter to Greenough, William. MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.052. Box HAFH.6.2B, Folder Dinghy - 12 & 14 Foot for William Greenough. 1934-01-05.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #188404es Inezita [Inizita] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

"Inezita was a canoe for rowing and sailing which was used between 1890 and the early 1920s by the Herreshoff children. See also the offset booklet for #188601es Canoe for #123p Ladoga in Hart Nautical Collections, acc. no. HH.4.16. See also Herreshoff Marine Museum acc. no. 77.13: 'Centerboard. This bronze centerboard was part of the 15 ft. open lapstrake sailboat Inizita [sic], meaning Little Agnes in Spanish. This boat belonged to Nat Herreshoff's daughter, Agnes Muller Herreshoff.'" (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 23, 2011.)

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