HMCo #441s Acis [Asis, Avis]

"[1894-01-08] Mon 8: ... Have order for #441 [Acis], 18' cat.
[1894-05-31] Thu 31: Houri [#442s] & Acis [#441s] towed to N.Y. by Viva [#102p ex-Gov. Hamilton]. ..." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1894. Manuscript (excerpts). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection.)

"The Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., launched a small craft on Thursday [May 17, 1894] of about 20 feet water line, and named the Acic [sic]. She is built to run in shoal water, for Lewis J. Francke of New York." (Source: Anon. "Home News." Bristol Phoenix, May 19, 1894, p. 2.)

"Mr. John B. Herreshoff and family left on Thursday [May 31, 1894] for New York in the Steam Yacht Viva [#102p ex-Gov. Hamilton]." (Source: Anon. "Home News." Bristol Phoenix, June 2, 1894, p. 2.)

"The Viva [#102p ex-Gov. Hamilton] took in tow the Honira [sic, i.e. #442s Houri], the new boat built for Mr. Duncan of New York, and also the racing boat Acis [#441s], built for Mr. Francke, who will sail in the Far Rockaway Regatta the coming season." (Source: Anon. "Yachts and Yachting." Bristol Phoenix, June 2, 1894, p. 2.)

"Capt. Wm. Torrey and Capt. Chas F Bickford had a narrow escape while going through Long Island Sound on Friday evening last [June 1, 1894], in trying to reach the catboat Acis, which was being towed to New York by the steam yacht Viva and had parted her hawser. They attempted to reach the cat-boat in a small boat which was capsized, but they were rescued by the crew of the Viva. The Acis was secured and the yacht with J. B Herreshoff on board reached New York in safety and the boats were delivered." (Source: Anon. "Local Affairs." Bristol Phoenix, June 9, 1894, p. 2.)

"NEW-LONDON, Conn., June 1 [1894]. --- The trim little steam yacht Avis, with John B. Herreshoff and family on board, came in here this forenoon about 10 o'clock with a fresh breeze against her and a strong tide running. She ran up near the steamer Chelsea's pier, but before she came to an anchor a Block Island catboat in charge of Manuel Allen, her owner, ran across the bow of the Avis and lost her sheet as a result. The Avis's bowsprit ran through it and tore it the entire length from gaff to boom. Skipper Allen said he did not notice that the yacht was under steam.
The Avis is on her way to New-York with William Butler Duncan's new sloop Houri [#442s], just built by the Herreshoff Company, and the catboat Acis [#441s], built for Lewis C. Francke of New-York. ... The Avis is to be a competitor in the races at Far Rockaway this season. Both boats will be delivered to their owners to-morrow, for the Avis left here before sundown on her way to New-York. [Note: The article apparently confuses the names of steamyacht and catboat. The catboat's name was Acis or Avis, while J. B. Herreshoff used the steamyacht #102p Viva ex-Gov. Hamilton.]" (Source: Anon. "The Houri A Fast One. Outsailed Every Yacht She Encountered at Bristol and Fall River." New York Times, June 2, 1894, p. 3.)

• Acis (HMCo-made index card)
• Acis (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: Acis
Type: Cat
Length: 18'
Owner: Franke, F. L.

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

• Acis
• 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: Acis
Type: 18' cat
Owner: F. L. Franke
Row No.: 1

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.

"Built in 129 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $6/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

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