HMCo #23p Wasp

"N/A"

"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten signed letter on 'Herreshoff Yachts. Design - Construction - Service' stationery:] It is difficult to describe the damage and destruction to the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company's property, caused by the recent hurricane and tidal wave.
The tidal wave was responsible for 90% of this damage, for before that swept up Bristol Harbor, the wind damage amounted only to a few shingles and some tar-and-gravel roofing. The water reached a depth of from eight to ten feet above mean high water - sufficient to float a Herreshoff Fisher's Island 31ft sloop [#1165s SKIDOO] up on to Hope Street and leave her there --- high and dry, as well as to send a 90-footer out of the shed and across the highway. The wave battered our docks and our construction buildings, wrenching and racking them and completely demolished the south end of our South construction shop.
The total estimated cost of reconditioning the mill, cabinet shops, North construction shop, and rehabilitating 55' of the South shop, replacing wharf decking, repairing damaged locker buildings, etc., etc., is about $16,000.00.
We were more fortunate, however, at our recently improved Cove property. Whereas the water was ten to twelve feet deep in spots in our storage Yachtdrome, with the exception of considerable siding and a few doors, the structures themselves were little harmed, and the estimated cost of reconditioning the entire Cove property is estimated at $6,000.00.
The Directors of the Company held a conference the morning following the disaster to consider what the proper course should be from that point.
(1) Should they suggest liquidation to the Stockholders, and go out of business?
(2) In view of the obvious demand for repairs and replacements of Herreshoff Class boats, and the elimination [p. 2] of other boat yards in this vicinity, could the Company be rehabilitated and operate profitably?
Before these problems could be intelligently discussed, we first had to take into consideration, the estimate for rehabilitation, the estimate for partial rehabilitation, the resources available to effect these repairs and to provide working capital. Members of our organization were immediately dispatched to visit all yachting centres along the affected coast, to determine and immediately report the condition of yachts and of other yacht construction and service yards. These reports revealed that yards from Norwalk, Conn, to Falmouth on the Cape were about in as bad condition as we found ourselves --- if not worse; that there had been a general destruction of most yachts, either stored or afloat, and that the outlook for new business for any yard equipped to handle it was indeed more favorable than for many years heretofore.
Competitive figures were obtained from construction firms, both from Providence and Boston, and it was evident from their estimates that the cost for partially rehabilitating our properties and making it possible therefore for us to operate would run in the neighborhood of #23,000.00.
These two conditions were weighted against our Cash resources --- which at that time amounted to approximately $25,000.00 --- with Accounts Payable of $638.00.
In view of the foregoing, and because almost immediately we began to receive inquiries for salvage work, repairs to damaged yachts stored with us, orders for new one-design boats to be delivered next Spring, etc., etc., it seemed wise for us to restore our structures and equipment in order that we might take advantage of this work. This move was given further impetus by the fact that Mr. Albert Lemos and his son, formerly proprietors of the Lemos Boat Yard at Riverside, renowned for the high quality of their workmanship, and heartily endorsed by such designers as Sparkman & Stephens, John Alden, etc., were available to join our staff, because their yard was completely wiped out.
After carefully weighing these conditions, the Management decided to proceed rapidly, and contracts were let and arrangements were made so that now our yacht storage yards at the Cove are again in operation and our construction buildings, with the exception of the South shop, will be ready for occupancy within a fortnight.
The outlook for business this winter is encouraging, and we are fortunate in having available our entire staff of old craftsmen to put to work almost immediately on the repairs, replacements, and new construction. The question now arises whether the necessary working capital should be raised by an increase of stock issue or by some other method --- as our plant at the present time is free and clear of all encumbrances, although our loss in 1937 was $15,456.18, and for the current year to August 31, the loss is $21,142.65.
[p. 3] Your Management would greatly appreciate your advice, suggestions, and reaction to the foregoing matters, and any influence that you might exert in sending work to us will be greatly appreciated, and will have an important bearing on the future of your Company.
Thanking you for your many past favors, we are
Yours very truly ..." (Source: Haffenreffer, R.F. (Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.). Letter to Morgan, Junius S. Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection Acc. 98.24. Correspondence, Folder 33, formerly 176, 182. 1938-10-12.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #23p Wasp even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Wasp (HMCo-made index card)
• Wasp (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Type: Steam Tender
Length: 23'
Owner: U.S. Coast Survey

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Wasp
• 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: Wasp
Type: 23' steam
Owner: U.S. Coast Survey tender
Row No.: 744

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.

Year: 1876
E/P/S: P
No.: 023
Name: Wasp
OA: 23'

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.