HMCo #228p Express

"Sept[ember] 15, 1902.
44ft Gasoline Launch No 228
Express, built for Morton Plant.
Is built on moulds of Our Mary [#148p], Squib [#188p] &c. except with stern[?] rounded in shape[?]. Frame spaces [blank].
Has 25hp Standard Motor,
28in 4 bl[ade] screw, [blank] pitch.
On 1/2 mile course in harbor with about 1 doz[en people] on board. Wind NW 6[mph].
[Followed by tabulated trial run data with mean speed being 10.55mph = 9.2kn]
Sept[ember] 30, 1902.
Express No 228
Screw has been changed to one of courser pitch, being 28in x 51in, 4 blade pattern. It was found on hauling out that the original had one blade bent over forward and I now believe it was done at launching.
Preliminary trial, after dark, from NW corner shop wharf to SW corner of VanWinkle wharf & return, 3900ft. Flood tide.
[Followed by tabulated trial run data with mean speed being 11.07mph]." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. Handwritten note in Trials Booklet '1898 - 1909' under date of September 15, 1902 and September 30, 1902. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

"The first [NGH-designed powerboat] was the double-ended fifty foot launch 'Express' [#228p] built for Morton F. Plant in 1903. I think J. B. took the order for her when Captain Nat was away on a cruise; otherwise they may not have built a gasoline launch for some time to come. This launch was built on the molds originally made for the steam launches 'Our Mary' [#148p] and 'Jersey Lily' [#149p] built in 1888, also Captain Nat's own steamer 'Squib' [#188p] built in 1898, but whereas these earlier steamers had plumb bows and square sterns, the 'Express' was built with a slightly over-hanging bow and a canoe stern. 'Express' had a four-cylinder heavy duty Standard engine and was a great success in every way so that eventually there were four of these launches built:
[#228p] 'Express'; 1903; Morton F. Plant
[#231p] 'Helvetia II'; 1903; C. O. Iselin
[#232p] 'Adrienne'; 1903; Adrian Iselin
[#264p] 'Sarah Webb'; 1908; G. H. Webb
One or two of these launches, I believe, are still running. [#231p Helvetia II was still extant in 1953.]" (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. 248.)

"Express, gas screw yacht, of [blank].
Built at [blank] [sic, i.e. Bristol at HMCo].
11.71 gross tons, 7.96 net tons; 44 ft. x 10.5 ft. x 5.2 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
Plain head, pointed stern.
Surveyed and measured, Sept. 13, 1902." (Source: U.S. Customs Department, Bristol, R.I. Custom House Record Book, 1870s to 1904 (Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum), s.v. Express.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 79:]
Express, gas screw yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1902.
7.96 tons; 44 ft. x 10.5 ft. x 5.2 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) Sept. 24, 1902. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff.
Surrendered [license] Oct. 7, 1902 at New London. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence]).
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) Sept. 1, 1903. Owner: same. Master: John B. Herreshoff, Bristol. ([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. Express.)

"YACHTS RACE TO-MORROW. ... The new schooner yacht [Ingomar #590s] for Morton T. Plant of the Larchmont and New York Yacht Clubs is all plated at the Herreshoff shops and doubtless will be ready to go into the water about the first part of next month. Mr. Plant, who is Vice Commodore of the Larchmont Yacht Club, has had quite a number of pleasure craft constructed at the Herresboff shops in the past two years. He has now in his possession a respectable sized fleet of boats, and more are under construction. Within a year he has had built the steam yacht Parthenia [#222p], about to be placed in commission, a thirty-four-foot cruising sloop [Nellie #586s], two launches [Express #228p and ?], and a new schooner yacht [#590s Ingomar], soon to be finished. The new schooner is to be named Ingomar, after a schooner yacht he owned years ago. Another of his boats which is nearly ready to be taken away is named Nellie, and resembles Harold Vanderbilt's cruiser Trivia [#580s]. Capt. Holmes of the Parthenia will take Mr. Plant's steam yacht Parthenia to New London the latter part of next week, and will tow the Nellie away to that port at the same time. ..." (Source: Anon. "YACHTS RACE TO-MORROW." New York Times, May 25, 1903, p. 7.)

"At the Herreshoff's shops, Tuesday [August 25, 1903], a new 90 footer steam yacht, named Express, was launched. Her owner is M. T. Plant of New York, who has had a number of boats built at Herreshoff's the past season. ... This is the second boat named Express that Mr. Plant has had built at Herreshoff's this season. The other [#228p] was a launch which was used for a short time and then taken in trade for the 90 foot steamer just launched. ..." (Source: Anon. "Express Launched. New and Swift Ninety Footer Steamer Launched at Herreshoff's for M. T. Plant of New York." Bristol Phoenix, August 28, 1903, p. 3.)

"The following transfers have been made by Mr. A. J. McIntosh: ... steam yacht Augusta [#146p], Mr. John B. Herreshoff, [chartered] to Mr. Robert Murray. The motor boat Express [#228p], formerly owned by Mr. Morton F. Plant, has been sold to Mr. George B. Wilson; ..." (Source: Anon. "Yachting News Notes. Sales and Charters." Forest & Stream, September 17, 1904, p. 246.)

"With the twentieth century came gasoline engines which, although noisy and smelly compared to steam, were compact, nearly self-contained, and easy to operate. Their advantages so outweighed their disadvantages, especially as power plants for the smaller launch-type boats, that designers, builders, and owners shifted nearly unanimously from steam to gasoline within only a few years' time. Having enjoyed astonishing success with steam engines, NGH made the transition to internal combustion with considerable reluctance.
Express was created to fill an order from Morton F. Plant, who at about the same time, commissioned the designing and building of another first-of-type for the Herreshoffs: the big steel schooner Ingomar [#590s]. Other Herreshoff motorboats were designed and built as orders were received, but their gasoline engines were generally purchased from independent manufacturers, and not, as had been the custom with steam plants, manufactured by the Herreshoff Mfg. Co. to NGH's designs. ..." (Source: Bray, Maynard and Carlton Pinheiro. Herreshoff of Bristol. Brooklin, Maine, 1989, p. 106-107, 118.)

"[Item Description:] Penciled sketch on tracing paper of a motor outline marked 'Standard 20-24'. Marked 'Sc[ale] 1/2] in lower margin. (A table in MotorBoat Magazine of March 1914 shows the Standard 20-24 to have been a four cycle gasoline engine with 20 to 24hp, a weight of 1600lbs, 5in bore and 6 1/2in stroke and a normal RPM of 400-500. HMCo is believed to have used the motor for #228p EXPRESS, #231p ADRIENNE and #232p HELVETIA II, built in 1902 and 1903.)" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_07000. Folder [no #]. No date (1902 / 1903 ?).)
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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:
§26: #228p EXPRESS Trial Run mean speed 11.07mph (1902-09-15 & 1902-09-30)." (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 #228p Express even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Express (HMCo-made index card)
• Express (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: Express
Type: Gasoline
Length: 49'6"
Owner: Plant, M. F.

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

• Express
• 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: Express
Type: 89' steamer
Owner: Morton F. Plant
Year: 1902
Row No.: 212

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: 1902
E/P/S: P
No.: 228
Name: Express
OA: 49' 6"
LW: 43' 6"

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.