HMCo #206p Iona

"[1900-01-23] Tue 23: Very fine & mild. Strong SW [wind]. Began setting up frames on #206 [Iona]. ...
[1900-01-27] Sat 27: Heavy W to NW [wind] moderating in evening. Began planking #206 [Scout-class steam yacht Iona].
[1900-02-10] Sat 10: NE [wind]. Mild & overcast. ... Finished planking #206 [Iona].
[1900-02-14] Wed 14: Fair [with] fresh NW [wind] & clear. Turned over #206, 80 ft st[eame]r [Iona].
[1900-05-18] Fri 18: S [wind] with fog in AM. Made trial of Iona #206 in PM. Speed 20.09 miles [per hour].
[1900-05-19] Sat 19: NE [wind] & rain about all day. ... Getting Altair [#539s] & Iona [#206p] ready to leave.
[1900-05-20] Sun 20: Fair [with] light variable [wind]. Altair [#539s] & Iona [#206p] both sailed." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1900. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"May 12th, 1900
Preliminary run of Florence #206.
Towed Mineola [#529s] 4 1/2 miles in about 30m[inutes].
On 3 k[not] course, up, wind light astern, tide 3/4 ebb. Vessel light ... some vibration to forward end of engine.
Time 11m-18s = 15.94k[n] = 18.35miles.
Approx[imate] tide 1 1/4 miles ... = 19.6 miles.
Engine 7 - 10 & 16 x 9, being same as 203 & 207 [#203p SCOUT & #207p MIRAGE] except high pressure cyl[inder] is 3/4in larger and boiler pressure limited to 224lbs.
May 19, 1900
Official Trial of Iona (#206)
On 3 knot course, Bristol Ferry to Sandy Pt., 9 on board, all equipment except chain cable.
Cross creek Lehigh coal. Wind SSW, 16miles. Tide, low water, slack.
[Followed by tabulated trial run data with mean speed being 17.458kn = 20.09mph]
Has a lighter drum to boiler than others of this class and is limited to 224lbs. The engine has cylinders 7 - 10 & 16in x 9, instead of 6 1/4 - 10 & 16 as usual." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Trials Booklet '1898 - 1909' under date of May 12, 1900 and May 19, 1900. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"This same year Captain Nat designed a quite remarkable small steam yacht for August Belmont to act as a tender to the 'Mineola.' She was named 'Scout,' and eventually the Herreshoff Company built seven [sic, i.e. 9] of these fast steamers which were generally referred to as the Scout Class. They were all built on the same molds and had the same power plants but varied in length some fourteen feet, and, as I recall it, varied in speed from about twenty to twenty-one and a half miles per hour.
These were extremely smooth running yachts that were fine sea boats and economical in fuel consumption. Some of them lasted quite a long time and they were the forerunners in construction and general arrangement of many gasoline launches built by several builders." (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. 218, 220.)

"A small steam yacht was launched at Herreshoffs' yesterday. She is named the Iona, and is the property of a yachtsman in Detroit, Mich. She will be used on the great lakes. The Iona is a counterpart of the steam yachts built for Mr. Morgan [#207p Mirage] and Mr. Belmont [#203p Scout] as tender for their 70-footers." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, March 27, 1900, p. 2.)

"Iona, steam yacht 206, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, RI, by Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.
30.44 gross tons, 21 net tons; 75.7 ft. x 10.6 ft. x 7.6 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
One deck, one mast, overhanging head, overhanging stern.
Surveyed and measured, March 31, 1900." (Source: U.S. Customs Department, Bristol, R.I. Custom House Record Book, 1870s to 1904 (Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum), s.v. Iona.)

"BRISTOL, R. I., April 21 [1900]. --- ... The 80-foot steamers Mirage [#207p] and Iona, the former the tender to the Rainbow [#532s], and the latter for a Detroit man, are being finished up at the [Walkers] Cove. ..." (Source: Anon. "Yachts and Yachtsmen. Waiting for her Crew" Boston Globe, April 22, 1900, p. 26.)

"BRISTOL, R. I., May 12, [1900] ... One of the steam tenders, built for the owners of the seventy-footers, was launched from the Walker's Cove Yard Wednesday [May 9, 1900]. She had her boilers and machinery installed there. She is named lona, and was given a dock trial Thursday." (Source: Anon. "In The Bristol Yards. Work on the Seventy-Footers Progressing Rapidly. New Small Craft." New York Times, May 13, 1900, p. ?)

"[Abstract of register or enrollment. Pos. 464:]
Iona, steam yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1900.
30.44 gross tons, 21 net tons; 75.7 ft. x 10.6 ft. x 7.6 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
One deck, one mast, overhanging head [bow].
Enr[olled] and Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) May 14, 1900. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol.
Surrendered [license] June 3, 1901 at St. Louis, Mo. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence])." (Source: Survey of Federal Archives, Work Projects Administration. Ships Documents of Rhode Island. Bristol. Ship Registers and Enrollments of the Port of Bristol - Warren Rhode Island, 1941, s.v. Iona.)

"BRISTOL, R. I., May 19 [1900]. --- ... Yesterday a trial trip was given the new 80-foot steamer Iona, built on the same lines as the tenders to the 70-footers. The Iona is to go to the great lakes, her owner being a resident of Detroit, Mich. She made 22 knots an hour over the measured course.
The 80-footer steamer Mirage [#207p], companion and tender to the Rainbow, made the same speed in her trials. ..." (Source: Anon. "Rainbow Ready for Trial." Boston Globe, May 20, 1900, p. 25.)

"The new Herreshoff steam yacht Iona, which is of nearly the same torpedo boat pattern as Mr. Belmont's steam tender Scout [#203p], has just had her trial trip before being handed over to Frank Rice, of St. Louis. On a six mile course that had been accurately measured she travelled at the rate of twenty-one knots. ..." (Source: Anon. "The Craft And Those Who Sail Them." New York Tribune, June 10, 1900, p. A3.)

"Iona Steam Yacht. Official U. S. No. 100703. Built 1912, of 30 Gross Tons. On Aug. 1, 1920 Yacht burned at Port Huron, St. Clair River, and became a total loss. No lives were lost, all three persons on board rescued." (Source: Loss of U. S. Vessels Reported During the year 1921. In: http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/46779/data?n=1, retrieved May 24, 2011.)

"[Item Description:] Typewritten (carbon copy) specifications titled 'Specifications for Construction of High Speed Steam Yacht [#206p IONA] for day use, Attached to, and accompanying, Contract dated September 12th, 1899'." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.. (creator). Specifications. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_01160. Folder [no #]. 1899-09-12.)
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"[Item Description:] HMCo Plan. HH.5.00267.1 (005-032). Blueprint general arrangement plan with plan view and inboard profile titled 'Drawing to accompany specifications of steamer #206 [IONA]. 1/2in = 1ft. Sept[ember] 13 [18]99'. With note 'Length overall 81ft. Length L.W.L. 72ft. Beam 10ft 6 inches. Draft 3ft 3 inches'." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Blueprint. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0107. WRDT04, Folder O.S. 1, formerly MRDE02. 1899-09-13.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Typewritten (carbon copy) table with penciled additions listing boats built 1899/1900 with columns labeled 'Design [in pencil]', 'Shop. No.', 'Length', 'Planking', 'Delivery', 'Owner' followed by penciled data for Boat Name and Actual Delivery Date. Relevant contents:
#206p [Length:] 81ft [Planking:] Y[ellow] P[ine] [Delivery:] May 1 [1900] [Owner:] F.R. Rice [Act. Delivery:] May 19 [1900] (IONA)." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.. (creator) and Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Table. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_01290. Folder [no #]. No date (1900-02).)
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"[Item Description:] Four handwritten (in ink) pages with tabulated data listing 'Shop No', 'Name', '[Tons] Gross' and '[Tons] Net' for a total of 100 HMCo-built boats and classes. Tonnage data is usually precise to two digits behind the decimal. Random comparisons suggest source of tonnage data to be official Custom House data. Boats mentioned are: #664s, #663s, #625s, #665s, #634s, #658s, #657s, #646s, #641s, #617s, #626s Class, #624s, #621s, #616s, #619s, #590s, #591s, #586s, #592 Class, #618s, #605s, #578s, #560s Class, #580s, #553s, #551s, #552s, #546s, #541s, #545s, #538s, #534s, #533s, #532s, #529s, #534s, #530s, #531s, #435s, #437s, #452s, #499s, #429s, #426s, #424s, #481s, #422s, #417s, #414s, #451s, #215p, #213p, #222p, #235p, #230p, #229p, #236p, #224p, #244p, #247p, #249p, #231p, #232p, #228p, #252p, #250p, #251p, #248p, #168p, #164p, #118p, #142p, #174p, #173p, #194p, #189p, #193p, #183p, #178p, #179p, #181p, #182p, #175p, #163p, #148p, #149p, #172p, #155p, #170p, #186p, #188p, #206p, #207p, #205p, #208p, #209p, #210p, #211p, #212p, #216p. Undated (the latest boat listed, WINSOME, was launched in 1907)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Handwritten List. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00220. Folder [no #]. No date (1907 or later).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (mostly in pencil but also in ink) trials booklet titled '1898 - 1909'. Relevant contents:
§10: #206p IONA Trial Run mean speed 17.458kn = 20.09mph (1900-05-12 & 1900-05-19)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE09_00060. Folder [no #]. 1898-09 to 1911-04.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #206p Iona even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "Specifications for Construction of High Speed Steam Yacht [#206p IONA] for day use, Attached to, and accompanying, Contract dated September 12th, 1899." No place [Bristol], September 12, 1899. (1,030 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. Detailed vessel specifications for #206p Iona.

• Iona (HMCo-made index card)
• Iona (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.

Name: Iona
Type: Steam
Length: 81'
Owner: Rice, Capt. Frank R.

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

• Iona
• 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: Iona
Type: 82' power
Owner: Frank R. Rice
Year: 1910
Row No.: 300

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: 1899
E/P/S: P
No.: 206
Name: Iona
OA: 81'
LW: 72'

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.

"Steam engine rating 285hp from undated (1903 or later) diagram by N. G. Herreshoff titled 'Marine Engine. Weights and Prices' in the Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 24, 2019.)

"In the absence of better available data displacement was estimated by using the figure for Gross Register Tons (30) from the 1912 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (Net Register Tons were reported as 21) and converting to lbs by dividing through 2000 (short tons). Note that this figure can only be a rough estimate because register tons as reported in Yacht Registers correlate only loosely with actual displacement figures." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 17, 2015.)

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