HMCo #251p Lang Syne

"L. FRANCIS HERRESHOFF Yacht Designer 20 LEE STREET MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS ... September 20, 1935. {1935/09/20} Dear Father: ... This fall I bought on speculation the 48' power boat Lang Syne, which was built for Mr. Dock some twenty-eight years ago. This boat is in very nearly a new condition and is by far the best preserved boat for her age I have ever seen or heard of. She has been layed up most of her life in a boat house especially made for her and today I believe she could not be duplicated as far as workmanship and material are concerned, and I hope to sell her at a good profit when times are better in a few years. Hoping you are enjoying the pleasant fall weather and are still feeling well. Yours very affectionately Francis" (Source: Mystic Seaport Museum, L. Francis Herreshoff Collection, Box 17, Folder 11: Letter from L. F. Herreshoff to N. G. Herreshoff.)

"The Castle. Marblehead, Massachusetts.
August 28, 1947
Dear Sidney: ... It will be fine if you can take a trip south this winter and I am happy that you have gotten so much use and pleasure out of the Lang Syne. I imagine, in spite of her age, that she is good for forty years more. ... Yours very sincerely, " (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. [Letter to A. Sidney deW. Herreshoff.] August 28, 1947. Mystic Seaport Museum, L. Francis Herreshoff Collection, Coll. 138, Box 3, Folder 2, Page 158.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 142:]
Lang Syne, gas screw yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1906.
13 tons; 45 ft. x 9.5 ft. x 5 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) May 7, 1906. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. 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. Lang Syne.)

"This morning the 56 foot naphtha launch 'Lang Syne,' lately built at Herreshoff's for Mr. Dock, a prominent New Hampshire yachtsman, was shipped to Laconia, N. H., by rail. The 'Lang Syne' was brought up to the Franklin street freight yards slung on the side of the derrick boat Archer. The derrick boat Useful [#190402es] brought up the cradle and landed it on a long flat car after which the 'Lang Syne' was hoisted on to the car by the Archer.
The loading was under the supervision of Rufus E.Murray and was skillfully done. The Lang Syne is a very handsome craft, elegantly fitted out for cruising and will be used on Lake Winnipiseogee." (Source: Anon. "The Lang Syne Shipped." Bristol Phoenix, July 10, 1906, p. 1.)

"Charles A MacDonald, tuba player in Herreshoffs Marine band, and George S Marshall returned yesterday from Lake Winnepesaukee, N. H., where they were sent by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company to repair a racer built by the company. [Note: Is this a reference to Lang Syne? It is not known if other Herreshoff-built vessels were on this lake.]" (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, July 23, 1907, p. 2.)

"The first boat launched at Herreshoff's was Sid Herreshoff's cruiser Lang Syne. Sid had bought her at Marblehead and got her around to Bristol the day before the hurricane last September, just in time to have the wave drop her in his yard. ..." (Source: Anon. [Title?]. Yachting, 1939, vol. 65, [p. 104?].)

"Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Herreshoff and son Halsey, are on a cruise aboard the Auld Lang Syne." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, August 6, 1940, p. 2.)

"Members of the Bristol Red Cross Motor Corps were guests of Lt. Rebecca Herreshoff aboard the 'Lange Syne' Saturday afternoon. They cruised around Narragansett Bay with Sidney DeW. Herreshoff at the wheel. Appetites were satisfied with individual picnic lunches packed by members of the corps." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, September 26, 1944, p. 2.)

"... The Sidney Herreshoff's on 'Lang Syne' returned home from a cruise to Edgartown, Marthas Vineyard. On the way home they stopped at Woods Hole and Marion, Mass. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, July 22, 1947, p. 1.)

"... Sid Herreshoff has his 'Lang Syne' over and at this writing he and his family and some friends are on their annual cruise to New York City, stopping over at Fishers Island, City Island, New York, and Greenwich, Conn. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, June 16, 1950, p. 3.)

"... Hurricane Carol has come and and gone. ... At least the equal of the 1938 Hurricane, the '54 storm will go down on the records of Bristol as the worse because a life was lost. ... Where Bristol Harbor had been one of the prettiest sites in years on Sunday during the yacht club's regatta, it was a day in Hell Tuesday. The toughest feature of the storm was the lack of warning of the storm's approach. It was not until after 10 o'clock Tuesday [August 31, 1954] morning that it was, known that we were in for the worst. ... Radio and weather bureau reports were so blase at 8 a. m. that the storm was somewhat like a country cousin coming for visit --- something new to talk about. Power went out at 9:05 and it isn't back at this writing. ... At the old Herreshoff yards ... The faithful Herreshoff 'Lang Syne' began breaking up, caught in a coffin of pilings. ..." (Source: Anon. "CD Works as Town Staggers to Feet. Hurricane Havoc After Placid Regatta Sunday." Bristol Phoenix, September 3, 1954, p. 1.)

"... The house owned by Sidney Herreshoff was in direct path of the hurricane and felt its full force. ...The speedboat Bubble [#285p] is a wreck and the new boat Lang Syne [#251p] which Mr. Herreshoff had just bought is resting on top of it very close to the garage, or what was the garage. ..." (Source: Bristol Phoenix, September 23, 1938. Quoted in: Simpson, Richard, V. "The Great Hurricane and Tidal Wave of 1938: Scenes of the Disaster in Rhode Island's East Bay." Roger Williams University, Bristol, 2012. http://docs.rwu.edu/hurricane_1938/1, retrieved April 12, 2014.)

"... [During the hurricane of 1938 the boat shed between Sid’s and his father’s (Capt Nat) house collapsed, and of the seven boats stored in it, the Velita [#193301es] was the only one not completely destroyed. Sid’s dinghy, the Glory B [#193602es] was washed onto the piazza of the senior Herreshoff’s house, resting there in perfect repose. Sid’s little sloop, the speedboat Bubble [#285p] was feared lost, until she was dug out from a heap of kindling wood wreckage of several small waterfront cottages. The newest addition to Sid’s fleet, the 46-foot cabin launch, the Lang Syne [#251p], recently brought around from Marblehead, accommodatingly came ashore in his yard, so he had his whole flotilla stranded within a dozen feet of his shop door. ...[Also among the destroyed boats was #187406es Riviera. Two other boats that were probably in the boat shed and thus destroyed were #192101es Lantana which NGH reported to have been stored there as late as 1933 and #404s Coquina which was last reported to be in existence in 1932.]" (Source: Simpson, Richard, V. "The Great Hurricane and Tidal Wave of 1938: Scenes of the Disaster in Rhode Island's East Bay." Roger Williams University, Bristol, 2012. http://docs.rwu.edu/hurricane_1938/1, retrieved April 12, 2014.)

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections titled 'No 251 [#251p]. 46ft Power boat for H. Duck. Scale 3/4[in]. Dec[ember] 23, 1905. LANG SYNE'. With calculations dated 'Feb[ruary] 24, 1956 [i.e. by A. Sidney deW. Herreshoff) arriving at a total displacement of 309cuft = 19800lbs." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator) and Herreshoff, A. Sidney deW. Herreshoff (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_01740. Folder [no #]. 1905-12-23.)
①

"[Item Description:] Penciled dimensioned sketch titled '#251. Propeller hub for LANG SYNE. Sketch about 1/2 size'. On verso a penciled note 'Iralito [IROLITA ?]. Boom details. Gaff (spars)[?]. Topsail spar. Sections[?]'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE03_02800. Folder [no #]. 1906-12-31.)
① ②

"[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).)
① ② ③ ④

"[Item Description:] Hulls, anchors and pipe berth cut-out models and diagrams. Among others deckline cut-outs for BETTY ANN, #300p SHADOW III, NOMAD, Fishers Island 31-footer, Fishers Island 23-footer, Sub Chaser 110ft x 18ft, 11ft-6in Boat [built from Plan] 76-17 [now named Plan 28-21] (76-33 [now named Plan 28-23]) for Mr Tiffany's #934 [HARLEQUIN] [this may be a reference to #191901es], 18ft-9in Launch [#191002ep] used on #692 [WESTWARD], 14ft Rowboat [#190912es] [built from Plan] 76-14 698 [#698s WESTWARD], 19ft-4 1/2in x 5ft-4in Launch [#191304ep] for #719 [VAGRANT II], 14ft-8in Gasoline Launch [#190307ep] for 590 [#590s INGOMAR], 10ft-3in Boat [# ?] for 376 [#376p ESLOMA], 18ft Dories [#191729es] for #323 [SP-2840], #293 [Power Launch for #215p ROAMER], Vosper [Torpedo Boats built from 1943 - 1944), AMC Minesweeper [#411p, #412p, #413p, #414p], 16ft-10in x 5ft-1in [#191307es Colonia Sailing Cutter] for #719 [VAGRANT II], 711 Class [New York 50s], [dinghies #191308es and #191309es] for #722 [KATOURA], 12ft [dinghy #191106es ?] for 698 [#698s WESTWARD], 25ft-10in x 6ft-1in [built from Plan] 2-83 [#191301ep Owner Launch for #722s Katoura], 11ft-0in Rowboat [# ?] between davits on #251 [LANG SYNE] Feb [19]06, 23ft-4in x 6ft-4in [#287p Stock launch later Crew Launch for #722s KATOURA]. Generally undated, the last vessels referred to appear to date from 1944." (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.130. Cut-out Models and Diagrams. Box HAFH.6.4B, Folder Models and Diagrams. No date (1944 and earlier).)
① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥ ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ ⑩ ⑪ ⑫ ⑬ ⑭ ⑮ ⑯ ⑰ ⑱ ⑲ ⑳ ㉑ ㉒ ㉓ ㉔ ㉕

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #251p Lang Syne even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Lang Syne (HMCo-made index card)
• Lang Syne (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: Lang Syne
Type: Steam [sic, i.e. gasoline]
Length: 46'
Owner: Dock, Herman

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

• Lang Syne
• 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: Lang Syne
Type: 46' gasoline
Owner: Herman Dock
Row No.: 368

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: 1905
E/P/S: P
No.: 251
Name: Lang Syne
OA: 46'
LW: 46'

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.

"Internet research suggests that Herman Dock, Lang Syne's first owner, was a mechanical engineer from Philadelphia, Pa. who summered at Watch Hill, R.I." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. April 15, 2014.)

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