Herreshoff #190401es [Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor]

"[Ingomar] did so well in Germany that the Emperor looked her over once or twice and admired her so much that he ordered a larger schooner from Captain Nat, which seems surprising as the Emperor's fine schooner 'Meteor III,' one hundred and twenty feet water line, designed by A. Cary Smith and built in the United States of America, was only two years old. [Meteor III was actually slow and continuously beaten.] Captain Nat started to design the new schooner for the Kaiser with much enthusiasm for she was to be a large vessel and the Kaiser had plenty of money in his own right, which was not the case of some other monarchs and princes of that day, but soon after the model was made the Kaiser cablegrammed to know what dimensions Captain Nat had chosen for the new yacht. On receiving the reply, the Kaiser ordered some of them to be changed, whereupon Captain Nat cabled back what amounted to the following: If you want the yacht as I designed her you can have her, but I will not design a yacht for anyone of dimensions my experience shows are not suitable. Here was a case of two men of stubborn natures coming up against each other and, as neither of them was used to being dictated to, work on the new yacht stopped at once. Later, however, I believe the Kaiser tried again to have Captain Nat design him a schooner but to no avail. I think the principal thing that the Kaiser and Captain Nat disagreed about was draft, but at that time Captain Nat thought considerable draft was necessary for consistent winning with the large sail areas then in vogue." (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. 258-259.)

"Kaiser Wilhelm took great interest in [#590s] Ingomar and visited her twice, looking her over very carefully. He tried to order a large schooner from the designer of Ingomar, but after the first preliminaries and some disagreement about dimensions, Mr. Herreshoff refused the commission." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. An Introduction to Yachting. New York, 1963, p. 160.)

"KIEL, Germany, July 9 [1904] --- Emperor William has decided to order a schooner yacht of the model of the racing schooner yacht Ingomar, owned by Morton V. Plant of New York." (Source: Anon. "Like The Ingomar. Emperor William Has Decided to Order a Yacht Built for Himself on Her Model." Boston Globe, July 10, 1904, p. 11.)

"Kiel, July 11 [1904]. --- The Herreshoffs of Bristol, R. I., will get the contract to build for Emperor William a duplicate of the American racing schooner yacht Ingomar, owned by Morton F. Plant, of New-York.
The Emperor has taken great interest in the Ingomar's performances. He has sailed his schooner, Meteor III against the American yacht on several occasions, and was always beaten by her. The Ingomar is regarded by British yachtsmen as a wonder for fast sailing.... Yachtsmen here feel that the Emperor's order is a great compliment to American naval architecture." (Source: Anon. "Honor For Herreshoffs. German Emperor Will Order Another Ingomar." New York Tribune, July 12, 1904, p. 5.)

"It is stated on good authority that the German Emperor has ordered a schooner from the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. This vessel will be very similar to Ingomar, now racing in German and British waters." (Source: Anon. "Herreshoffs to Build Schooner for Emperor William." Forest and Stream, July 16, 1904, p. 58.)

"Providence, R. I., July 16. ... It is understood in Bristol that matters are shaped to a degree where there is no doubt that the Herreshoffs will build a new schooner-yacht for the German Emperor that will be a duplicate of Ingomar. The craft will be begun next December, and is to be finished in season to cross the Atlantic early in the spring. The construction material is all that is needed to begin work after the order is placed, as all the molds and patterns of Ingomar were preserved at the shop when that schooner was built last year." (Source: Anon. "Rhode Island Letter." Forest and Stream, July 23, 1904, p. 80.)

"Flagship Ingomar
Ryde, I. W. 9th Aug. 1904
N. G. Herreshoff, Esq.
Dear Sir,
I have just received your letter regarding the "Ingomar," and am very much pleased to hear that you are likely to build the Emperor a schooner. She will be a fine ship.
...
With best regards, I remain
Yours respectfully
CHARLES BARR." (Source: Barr, Charles. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff. August 9, 1904. Cited in: 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. 259.)

"NEW LONDON. Conn, Aug 14 [1904] --- ... The interesting news came that the order for the German emperor to Herreshoff for the construction of a big schooner is not rumor alone, but that the order has actually been placed once, and is now being held up because of a disagreement.
It is said that the emperor proposed a yacht of 20 feet more waterline length than the Ingomar, [#590s] or 110 feet. The order was sent by cable, and sketch plans followed. Capt Nat Herreshoff, who has a penchant for having his own way, wanted to build a flush deck yacht with a draft of 18 feet 6 inches.
Right here is where the emperor butted in to the designing department. He did not want a flush deck, but he did want an 18-inch rail, and he wanted a brass rail above that. He also did not want any draft in excess of 16 feet. Capt Nat has some well defined ideas of his own in regard to what is what on yachts that may be called upon to race, and does not want to be handicapped before the start by carrying weight for age or anything else. Emperors, as a rule, have a fondness for having their own way, however, and the report is that the transatlantic cables have been in a somewhat heated state for some days, it is understood here.
Furthermore, the personal advisers of the emperor were generally loath to have a yacht built for him without the regulation German styled gunwale, about 18 inches high, in contrast to the style of the modern racing yacht on this side of the Atlantic with a rail of but an inch. They do not want to have him slip overboard and so they advise for a yacht of the high gunwale pattern." (Source: Killeen, John B. "Kaiser Balks. Wants His Yacht Built His Own Way. Herreshoff Thinks It Ought to Be His Way." Boston Globe, August 15, 1904, p. 3.)

"Providence, R. I., August 13. --- The Herreshoff shops at Bristol, which have been closed several weeks, are to be started up again in full operation next Monday, and it is learned that orders for a number of new boats of small size are to be filled. A full set of drawings for a new schooner yacht on the model of Ingomar were forwarded to the German Emperor several weeks ago for his inspection and approval." (Source: Anon. "Rhode Island Letter." Forest and Stream, August 20, 1904, p. 162.)

"Emperor William may not have an American yacht, after all, although he has given his yacht Meteor to the Crown Prince, as foretold in this magazine last month. After Ingomar signally defeated Meteor and the other yacht at the Kiel regatta in June, the Emperor ordered the drawings of a yacht on Ingomar's lines from Herreshoff. These were made and forwarded to Berlin, but it is said that they have proved unsatisfactory to the Emperor and he has decided to wait a while before placing an order. Meantime Meteor will be rebuilt by the German ship builder, Mueller." (Source: Anon. "Emperor Rejects Plans For A New Schooner." Sail and Sweep, September 1904, p. 398.)

"Kaiser A Jolly Tar. Ambitious to Become the King of Yachtsmen. He Prefers American Boats. ... Why He Chose American Yacht.
Meanwhile, the superiority of American over English designed boats had been demonstrated in German as well as in English waters. The Kaiser's brother, Prince Henry, had purchased the Wenonah [#415s], a Herreshoff boat about thirty feet on the water line, that had defeated everything in her class in England. Rechristened the Gudruda, with Prince Henry at the holm, she showed her heels to everything of her size in Germany. The Niagara [#451s], a larger finkeel racing craft built by Herreshoff, after decisively defeating every twenty-rater opposed to her in England had been sold by her owner, Howard Gould, to a German yachtsman, and had repeated her triumphs in Germany. In the schooner Yampa, a magnificent sea craft of the cruiser type, which he bought from William Suydam Palmer, the Kaiser was already the owner of an American boat. But she had not been especially designed for speed, and was not big enough to meet the Hamburg, on equal terms. So when he had determined to regain his yachting supremacy, he presented the Yampa, which he had renamed the Iduna, to the Empress, and gave an order for a bigger boat to her designer, A. Cary Smith.
He chose a schooner because he recognized that the day of the big single-stick racers is over, and he insisted on a vessel of wholesome type that should be far from a mere racing machine like the cup challengers and defenders of recent years. All the plans were submitted to him before they were carried out. The interior arrangements were largely of his own devising. His minute attention to details, which is characteristic of him is shown by the fact that the supplementary mushroom ventilators were made from designs drawn by himself.
With this third Meteor he again defeated the best boats in Germany and was entirely satisfied with her until Commodore Plant's Ingomar, fresh from America, defeated her so signally and frequently at Kiel. It was natural, therefore, that he should have given the order for a fourth Meteor to the designer of the Ingomar --- the great Herreshoff.
Hitch with Herreshoff.
Recently, however, it is reported that a serious hitch has occurred. It is said that Herreshoff submitted plans of which the Kaiser did not entirely approve. The Kaiser, so the story goes, made suggestions, alterations, and returned the plans for Herreshoff to carry out his imperial recommendations. Herreshoff declared that if he built a yacht for the Kaiser at all he must build according to his own ideas exclusively, and that he could tolerate interference from no one, not even an Emperor. It is stated that on receipt of this communication the Kaiser said that he would cancel the order given to Herreshoff to build him a yacht.
The Lokal Anzeiger, a semi-official journal, published this story, and added that the Kaiser has decided to have the Meteor reconstructed. He summoned Germany's best yacht builder, Herr Muller, of Kiel, to submit suggestions, which he will revise and supplement. A reconstructed Meteor would thus be the joint product of the shipbuilding talent of the Kaiser and Herr Muller. It may be, however, that the differences with Herreshoff will be adjusted. As soon as the Kaiser has a new yacht he intends to make a present of Meteor III to the crown prince." (Source: Anon. "Kaiser A Jolly Tar. Ambitious to Become the King of Yachtsmen. He Prefers American Boats." Washington Post, October 9, 1904, p. B1.)

"If the report contained in a telegram received from Berlin be true the German emperor's new schooner will not after all be built by Herreshoff. It is stated that the emperor demanded a number of alterations to the plans submitted by Messrs. Herreshoff which the firm could not see their way to make. The emperor has therefore cancelled the order and requested Herr Muller, of Kiel, to submit designs." (Source: Cooke, Francis B. "The Triumph of Ingomar." Sail and Sweep, October 1904, p. 469.)

"NEW YORK, March 10 [1905]. --- Morton F. Plant placed his famous schooner-yacht Ingomar on the market that she might be entered in the race for the Kaiser's cup. He immediately had an offer for her, but after a conference placed the figure so high that her purchase and entry were out of the question.
A rumor was started in yachting circles, today that the Herreshoffs do not want to have a boat of their build in the race. The conferee with Mr. Plant was said to be John B. Herreshoff, president of the great yacht-building firm at Bristol, R. I., and the reason was said to be the alleged trouble between members of that firm and Emperor William.
The Emperor for years has wanted a Herreshoff boat, but never had one. The Herreshoffs have gone out of their way to beat the Kaiser's boats.
The incidents which led to the reported differences are of long standing. [A nice rumor that cannot be corroborated elsewhere.]" (Source: Anon. "Row With Kaiser Stops Yacht Sale. Herreshoffs Reported to Object to Their Boats Entering in Emperor's Cup Race." St. Louis Post - Dispatch, March 10, 1905, p. 15.)

"Reports from Bristol the past week bring out the interesting facts that three large schooners are building in the Herreshoff shops. Two of the boats [#657s Queen and #658s Irolita II (a cutter)] are for American owners and the third is for H. I. M. the German Emperor. ...
Particulars of the boat for the German Emperor are lacking, and everything pertaining to her is guarded with the greatest secrecy. However, whatever her size or whatever her type, she will give our foreign friends some absorbing racing next season. Handling has much to do with the succes of the modern racing boat. In order to make as good a showing as Ingomar did in 1904 the Emperor's new schooner must be handled better than Meteor has been up to the present time." (Source: Anon. "The New Herreshoff Schooners." Forest and Stream, January 20, 1906, p. 102.)

"The report that this firm was building a schooner for the German Emperor was erroneous." (Source: Anon. "New Boats Building at Bristol." Forest and Stream, February 17, 1906, p. 274.)

"Aus erhaltenen Korrespondenzen geht hervor, dass am 6. Juli 1904, direkt nach der Kieler Woche, Kaiser Wilhelm II. sich persoenlich mit der Frage an Nathanael G. Herreshoff wandte, ob er fuer ihn eine schnelle Yacht in der Groesse seiner Meteor III entwerfen koenne. Herreshoff, der sich gerade in Swinemuende aufhielt, antwortete sogleich, dass er mit Freude einen schnellen Kreuzer-Schoner fuer den Kaiser bauen wuerde (er sah in dem Kaiser einen erfreulich zahlungskraeftigen Kunden!) und schickte kurz darauf die ersten vorlaeufigen Konstruktionsplaene. Kaiser Wilhelm II. studierte die Plaene und unterrichtete Herreshoff, dass mit einem Tiefgang von ueber 15 Fuss der Besuch von Ostseehaefen ausgeschlossen sei. Er moege doch bitte den Tiefgang der Yacht reduzieren. Der Konstrukteur akzeptierte dies und schickte Plaene mit geringerem Tiefgang. Am 3. August 1904 liess der Kaiser ueber Freiherr von Senden-Bibran Herreshoff mitteilen, dass aufgrund der Tatsache, dass der Tiefgang nun um 1 m von dem ersten Plan abweiche, der Konstrukteur komplett neue Zeichnungen, Spezifikationen und Vertraege vorlegen muesse. Ausserdem muesse er garantieren, dass die neue Meteor in der Lage sein werde, Ingomar zu schlagen. Daraufhin antwortete Herreshoff ueber einen Angestellten, dass eine drastische Verringerung des Tiefgangs die guten Amwind-Leistungen der neuen Yacht unmoeglich machen wuerde und schlug statt dessen ein voellig neues Design vor. Am 4. August 1904 beendete Wilhelm 'der Ploetzliche' die Korrespondenz mit dem Hinweis, offensichtlich koenne Herreshoff keine Yacht mit guten Amwind-Eigenschaften bei einem maximalen Tiefgang von 15 Fuss konstruieren. Bissig bemerkte der Kaiser, ein Auftrag koenne wohl erst dann an Herreshoff vergeben werden, wenn Seine Majestaet, der deutsche Kaiser in Vorleistung getreten sei und alle Ostseehaefen vertieft habe. ueber Freiherr v. Senden-Bibran liess Kaiser Wilhelm II. dem amerikanischen Konstrukteur seinen Dank fuer dessen Bemuehungen ausrichten. Alle Unterlagen wurden mit kaiserlichem Gruss zurueckgesandt.
Ein Freund des Kaisers, der Marinemaler Willy Stoewer, schrieb in seinem Buch 'Der deutsche Segelsport' noch im November 1904, dass Seine Majestaet der Herreshoff-Werft in Amerika einen Auftrag fuer einen Yachtneubau erteilt habe. Die Yacht sollte sich angeblich schon 1905 an Wettfahrten beteiligen. Sicherlich hat der Kaiser im Sommer enthusiastisch mit seinen Segelfreunden die Ideen zum Bau einer schnellen Herreshoff-Yacht diskutiert. Stoewer hatte etwas voreilig ueber die Plaene in seinem Buch berichtet. Spaeter hat Kaiser Wilhelm II. diesen kurzen, gescheiterten Versuch bereut. Angeblich soll er nochmals versucht haben, Herreshoff fuer einen Vertrag zu gewinnen. Doch es war vergeblich, zwei aeusserst dickkoepfige Herren waren aufeinander getroffen, von denen keiner es gewohnt war, dass man ihm Vorschriften machte. Nathanael G. Herreshoff baute weiterhin aeusserst erfolgreich Yachten, die eine schwere Konkurrenz fuer die Yachten des Kaisers darstellten. Offiziell gab man damals die Parole aus, Herreshoff waere nur bereit gewesen, nach einer amerikanischen Formel zu bauen, die sich bei Rennen in Europa als aeusserst nachteilig erwiesen haette. Vielleicht liess der Bau der Meteor IV deshalb so lange auf sich warten, weil ausser Herreshoff scheinbar noch kein anderer Stern am Himmel des Yachtdesigns aufgegangen war." [Rough translation: [Surviving correspondence shows that on July 6, 1904, immediately after the Kiel Racing Week, Kaiser Wilhelm II personally approached Nathanael G. Herreshoff with the question if he could design him a speedy yacht size of his Meteor III. Herreshoff, who then just stayed in Swinoujscie, immediately replied that would be delighted to build a fast cruising schooner for the Emperor (he considered the Emperor a welcome affluent customer!) and shortly afterwards sent the first preliminary construction plans. Kaiser Wilhelm II studied the plans and advised Herreshoff that a 15 feet draft would preclude his visiting the Baltic ports. Would he please reduce the draft of the yacht? The designer accepted this and sent plans with less draft. On August 3, 1904 the Emperor announced via Freiherr von Send Bibran Herreshoff that due to the fact that the draft now differed around 1 m from the first plan, the designer was to present completely new drawings, specifications and contracts. Moreover, he must guarantee that the new Meteor be able to beat Ingomar. Herreshoff replied through an employee that a drastic reduction of the draft would severely limit the new yacht's upwind abilities and suggested a completely new design instead. On August 4, 1904 Wilhelm 'The Sudden' ended the correspondence, noticing that apparently Herreshoff was unable to design a yacht with a maximum draft of 15 feet and good upwind capabilities. The Kaiser scathingly added that a contract could probably only be awarded to Herreshoff, after His Majesty, the German Emperor, had deepened all Baltic ports. Via Freiherr von Send Bibran Kaiser Wilhelm II sent the American designer his gratitude for his efforts. All documents were returned with imperial greetings.
As late as November 1904 a friend of the Emperor, the Navy painter Willy Stöwer, wrote in his book 'The German Sailing Sport' that His Majesty had issued an order to the Herreshoff shipyard in America to build a new yacht. The yacht was supposed to participate in the races by 1905. Certainly during the summer the Emperor had enthusiastically discussed with his sailing friends the ideas to build a fast Herreshoff yacht. But Stöwer had been a little premature to report the plans in his book. Later Emperor Wilhelm II regretted this brief and failed attempt. Supposedly, he once again tried to win Herreshoff for a contract. But it was futile, two extremely stubborn men had met and none of them was accustomed to take orders. Nathanael G. Herreshoff continued to build extremely successful yachts which were a serious competition for the Emperor's yachts. Officially, the slogan was spread that Herreshoff was only willing to build after an American formula which would would have been extremely detrimental in the races in Europe. Perhaps the construction of Meteor IV was so long in coming because besides Herreshoff there was no other star in the sky of yacht designs."] (Source: Lammerting, Kristin. Meteor - Die Kaiserlichen Segelyachten. Cologne, 1999, p. 104.)

"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten cablegram notice:] Sassnotz [Sassnitz].
Herreshoff.
Inspected Ingomar [#590s]. Her performance to windward quite unprecedented. Lightness combined with utmost power of resistance and efficiency are the main features in her build and rig. The skylight arrangement most ingenious. She created a general stir in yachting circles. Is considered the fastest schooner afloat in the world and quite a new departure in this class. Would you undertake to build a fast cruiser for me about the size of METEOR [#190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor], i.e., not exceeding 32 Segellaengen German yacht measurement. INGOMAR measures 27.
William I. R.
8:35 A. M.
7/6/04." (Source: William, I.R. (German Emperor). Correspondence (cablegram notice) to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_09640. Correspondence, Folder 28, formerly 149. 1904-06-07.)
① ②

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections of a large sailing yacht. Untitled. With list of particulars 'German Yacht Rule. w.l. 110ft. B 28.2ft. … S 18045[sqft] …' and list 'Lloyd's Rule. L 142ft. B 28-2ft. D 18-0 fr. 1/2G 25-0 ft. N = 13-10ft'. Also list 'By Lloyds requirement 'Spacing of frames 22in' and other scantlings. With tabulated displacement calculations arriving at 'Disp[lacement] = ... 10362.9cuft = 665000lbs = 296 1/2 gross tons' and detailed weight calculations. Though untitled, this is clearly for #190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor. Clipped together with a half-section for the same design and a sketch titled 'Block for reduced draft design. Aug. 5 [1904]' which quite certainly is also for the same design." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item WRDT06_00290. Folder [no #]. No date (1904-07 ?).)
① ②

"[Item Description:] Penciled half-hull sections of a large sailing yacht titled 'Preliminary 110[ft] w.l. schooner [#190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor]. With list of particulars in ft and meters 'Length on deck 160[ft] 48.5[m]. Length on water 110[ft] 33.4[m]. Beam 27.0[ft] 8.2[m]. Freeboard at [center] 5ft 6in 1.57[m]. Draft 18.0[ft] 5.45[m]. ...'. Clipped together with a complete set of penciled pantograph hull sections for the same design and a sketch titled 'Block for reduced draft design. Aug. 5 [1904]' which quite certainly is also for the same design." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item WRDT06_00310. Folder [no #]. No date (1904-07 ?).)
①

"[Item Description:] Penciled sketch titled ''Block for reduced draft design. Aug. 5 [1904]'. Apparently for #190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor. Was clipped together with a complete set of penciled pantograph hull sections for the same design and penciled half-hull sections of the same design." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item WRDT06_00320. Folder [no #]. No date (1904-07 ?).)
① ②

"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten cablegram notice:] Swinenaembe [Swinemuende].
Herreshoff Mfg Co.
Please send plans and list of cost [for #190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor] as soon as available. Fitting up of interior is to be done by Waring, London, with whom you will communicate about weights. [I am attaching] Cabin plan of METEOR. Gunwhale [of the new boat to be] 50 c. m., height.
William I. R.
8:27 A. M. 7/7/04. [Also includes envelope annotated 'Cablegrams from Emperor William in 1904'.]" (Source: William, I.R. (Emperor William). Correspondence (cablegram notice) to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_09660. Correspondence, Folder 28, formerly 149. 1904-07-07.)
① ② ③ ④

"[Item Description:] HMCo Plan HH.5.12125 (146-013). Blueprint sailplan with folding creases marked 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. … July 13, 1904'. Stamped 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Bristol, R.I. Builders of Steam Vessels & Steam Machinery' on verso and marked ''3624/04'. Untitled, undated (the original plan at MIT is titled 'Design for Schooner For German Emperor [#190401es]' and dated July 13, 1904'. (Note: Folding creases and stamp on verso suggest that this plan may have been sent to Germany and returned by the Emperor after the contract failed to materialize.)" (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Blueprint. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item WRDT06_00340. Folder [no #]. 1904-07-13.)
① ② ③

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections and displacement curve titled 'Preliminary. 110ft w.l. schooner [#190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor]. July 24, 1904. Scale 3/8'. WIth calculations arriving at a displacement of 11381 = 729000lbs = 325 tons gross." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_03920. Folder [no #]. 1904-07-24.)
①

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections and calculations titled '2nd. preliminary 110ft wl schooner. July 26'. Length and date indicate this to be related to #190401es, the Unbuilt Schooner for the German Emperor. NGH worked on its design in July 1904. On verso of 'Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, R.I.' stationery." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0400. WRDT04, Folder 34, formerly MRDE08. 1904-07-26.)
① ② ③

"[Item Transcription:] [Handwritten (in ink) letter marked 'Copy' on sans-serif 'Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, R.I.' stationery, most likely in preparation for the design of #190401es Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor:] I want to ask a few questions about the yachting conditions you have found in German waters and also about the INGOMAR [#590s].
1st. Have you found INGOMAR a good type of cruising yacht?
2. Has she shown any weakness in any part?
3. In what ways did she not come up to the requirement of the German Lloyds or whatever inspection she had to stand (for Cruising Class)?
4. Has the type of steering gear in INGOMAR given any trouble either in the ocean voyages or in racing?
5. Would you recommend the same type of steering gear in this larger vessel with increase of power, or do you think a screw gear would be better? Of course you understand the screw would slower and part of the energy of the helmsman is absorbed in friction instead of turning the rudder, but has the important feature of not coming back on the helmsman.
6. Do you find winds much stronger than here? And is INGOMAR any too stiff for the sailing you have experienced in the German and English waters?
7. Have any suggestion about sails, particularly the light sails best suited there?
8. Have you used our sails or those ordered of Ratsey?" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Letter to Capt. Charlie Barr. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_12750. Correspondence, Folder 36, formerly 189. 1904-07-27.)
① ②

"[Item Description:] very many thanks for your kind letter, I am trying to persuade myself that it would be better to abandon the auxiliary feature altogether and go in for a straight sailing yacht [#722s KATOURA], my idea would be an enlarged #692s WESTWARD say 115ft WL and 160ft OA, could you turn out such a vessel by August 1st and would you recommend me to build such a vessel?, idea would be to have two rigs, I enclose rough sketch of accomodation, PS: I put 18 men in forecastle, incl. NGH reply: I think the cabin arrangement very good, like the idea of putting deck house aft, only it would have to be moved a little more aft, ..., that is as it was #590s INGOMAR and the plan made for the Emperor [#190401es], such a craft is very interesting to me and I would very much like to design and superintentend the construction of it, by 1st of August it would be too much for my brother and myself as both are feeling the wear of many years of work and find it necessary to be careful with ourselves, I was quite used up the spring after building #692s WESTWARD and again after building #706s ELENA, and last year I was fortunate in being able to go to a milder climate, I may have to leave again just when it would be necessary for me to be at home, we would like to do it and hope you can plan to allow more time before completion, do you think it possible?" (Source: Tod, Robert E. (incl NGH reply). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_16870. Correspondence, Folder 45, formerly 146. 1912-12-03.)
① ②

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #190401es [Unbuilt Schooner for German Emperor] 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.