HMCo #509s Go Bye

"[1899-02-27] Mon 27: Very heavy SE gale last night. Moderate out of NW[?]. Ice nearly all broken up and some[?] dissolving[?]. ... Turned over #509 [Go Bye].
[1899-06-03] Sat 3: Very fine & warm. L[igh]t NE [wind in] AM. L[igh]t SSW [wind in] PM. ... Launched three 15 footers. [A total of seven BB15s were launched on June 3 and June 7, 1899 and they were probably these boats: #503s Vim, #504s Flickamaroo, #505s Peacock, #506s Eaglet, #507s Compress, #509s Go Bye and #519s Next]
[1899-06-04] Sun 4: Very fine. Went to Newport in Kildee [#460s] with boys in company of five 15 footers. [Six of the first ten BB15s had been launched by this day and the five BB15s that were sailed on this day must have come from the following group of boats: #503s Vim, #504s Flickamaroo, #505s Peacock, #506s Eaglet, #507s Compress, #508s Teaser, #509s Go Bye, #511s Uarda, #518s Sis, and #519s Next.]
[1899-06-07] Wed 7 Very hot last night with (?). Lowest [temperature] in night 72° and 80° in forenoon. Wind fresh E in PM with falling temp[erature], 57° in evening. [Illegible]. Launched #502 Cyrilla and 4 15 footers. [A total of seven BB15s were launched on June 3 and June 7, 1899 and they were probably these boats: #503s Vim, #504s Flickamaroo, #505s Peacock, #506s Eaglet, #507s Compress, #509s Go Bye and #519s Next.]
[1899-06-11] Sun 11: Very fine. ... Delivered 10 15 footers [probably #503 Vim, #504 Flickamaroo, #505 Peacock, #506 Eaglet, #507 Compress, #508 Teaser, #509 Go Bye, #511 Uarda, #518 Sis and #519 Next]; Cyrilla [#502s], 21 ft, Nautilus [#?s] & Widgeon [#?s]." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1899. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"... Buzzards Bay 15 [Name], 503+ [Building Number], 16.8 [Rating], 15 [Waterline], 16.56 [L = length at 1/4 beam as for Universal Rule], 5.98 [B = breadth of waterline as for Universal Rule], 2.4 [d = draft of water as for Universal Rule], 38 [D = displacement in cubic foot as for Universal Rule (= 2,432 lbs or 1.1 long tons)], 352.5 [Sail Area], 500 [Sail limit Present rule], -147.5 [Diff.], 326 [Sail limit Proposed rule], 26.5 [Diff.], Requires crew to windward [Notes] ..." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

"Also in 1899, the Buzzards Bay Fifteen Footers started, first with an order of seven, but augmented to seventeen. This class has been added to for thirty-one years, so there have been about eighty built." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Some of the Boats I Have Sailed In." Written 1934. In: Pinheiro, Carlton J. (ed.). Recollections and Other Writings by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Bristol, 1998, p. 67.)

"... Herreshoff has the one-design 15-footers for the Buzzards bay racing of the Beverly yacht club all completed except the last one ordered [#521s Kirstie], which is for N. F. Emmons. There are now 11 of these boats, and they promise some lively racing. ... [Note: The 11 boats were: #503s Vim, #504s Flickermaru, #505s Peacock, #506s Eaglet, #507s Compress, #508s Teaser, #509s Go Bye, #511s Uarda, #518s Sis, #519s Next, and #521s Kirstie.]" (Source: Robinson, W. E. "Yachts and Yachtsmen." Boston Globe, April 23, 1899, p. 27.)

"... The Herreshofft are also constructing 16 boats for members of the Beverly Yacht Club of Beverly, Mass. Most of these will be used in Buzzard's Bay. Thirteen of these boats are 15 feet on the water line and have centreboards [Buzzards Bay 15]. They are exactly alike and will be drawn for by their owners by number as were the famous Herreshof 30-footers in '97 [Newport 30s]. Two [#501s Quakeress and #502s Cyrilla] of the 16 are to be 21 feet on the water line and the other is a 25-footer [#514s May Queen]. ..." (Source: Anon. "Hustling At Herreshoff's." Bristol Phoenix, April 28, 1899, p. 1.)

"No. 926 --- For Sale --- Herreshoff Buzzards Bay one-design class Beverly Y. C. 15-footer, 24 ft. o. a., 15 ft. w. l., 5 ft. 10 in. beam, 2 ft. 3 in. draught. 1,000 lb outside lead ballast with centerboard running through keel. Two suits of sails, made by Herreshoff, 320 sq. ft. in area. Complete equipment including anchor and cable, oars, life-preservers, etc. This boat is an ideal craft for a boy or girl, as she is absolutely safe, being uncapsizable and having water-tight compartments forward and aft. These boats are seldom offered for sale. Exceptional opportunity. Apply to Hollis Burgess Yacht Agency, 15 Exchange Street, Boston, Mass. [Though not identified by name, Jub-Jub ex Go Bye can be identified by her sail number E-5 on the accompanying photograph.]" (Source: Anon. "For Sale." Rudder, March 1910, p. 229.)

"Official Number of Racing Yachts.
Herreshoff Fifteen-Foot One Design Class
E-0 Vim [#503s]
E-1 Anita [#672s]
E-2 Peacock [#505s]
E-3 Awahnee [#673s]
E-4 Tinker [#650s]
E-5 Jub Jub [#509s]
E-6 Uarda [#511s]
E-7 Fly [#518s]
E-8 Ranzo [#519s]
E-9 Seeps [#645s]
E-10 Hyassa [#726s]
E-11
E-12 Endeavour [#693s]
E-13
E-14
E-15 Yalu [#651s]
E-16 Jack [#653s]
E-17 Jill [#654s]
E-18 White Rabbit
E-19 Flickamaroo [#785s?]
E-20
E-21
E-22
E-23 Pheasant [#704s]
E-24 Pronto [#700s]
E-25 Polly [#680s]
E-26 Maribee [#731s]
E-27 Scoot [#730s]
E-28 Noanet [#735s]
E-29 Natella [#739s]." (Source: Beverly Yacht Club. Yearbook. 1915, p. 13.)

"[Item Transcription:] Typewritten (carbon copy) table titled 'Memorandum' with penciled additions listing boats built 1898/1899 with columns labeled 'No.', 'W.L.', 'Rig', 'To deliver', followed in some cases by penciled data for Boat Name and Actual Delivery Date. Relevant contents:
#503s to #509s [W.L.:] 15ft [Rig:] J.&.M. C.B. [To deliver:] About June 1st [1899]. [Note:] One design class." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.. (creator) and Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Memorandum. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_01300. Folder [no #]. No date (1898-04 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Two sets of penciled pantograph hull sections titled '# 503 to 509 inclusive [Buzzards Bay 15 class: #503s, #504s, #505s, #506s, #507s, #508s, #509s]. 15ft one design class. Dec[ember] 4, [19]98'. One set simply marked '1st Trial' with no further notes or calculations. The other marked '2nd [trial]' and with calculations arriving at a displacement of 2438lbs with 'Note, for finishing model have deducted 2% of disp[lacement] ...'. Also with rating-related calculations marked 'Dec[ember] 1901. Hyslop rule'. Also special displacement calculations for #559 [LITTLE ROBIN] (50cuft = 3200lbs body part) and specially marked waterline for this boat and a note 'sheer raised 4in in #559'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_04770. Folder [no #]. 1898-12-04.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled 'Lead Keel for # s 503 to 509 inclusive [Buzzards Bay 15 class: #503s, #504s, #505s, #506s, #507s, #508s, #509s]. Dec[ember] 25, [18]98. Scale 1/4in'. With calculations requiring two trials to arrive at a final result of 995lbs lead at 8.6ft aft of w.l. (unclear if this includes the centerboard slot which is subsequently calculated). With separate calculations for '#559 [LITTLE ROBIN (deep draft cruiser)]. June 22, 1901'" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_09160. Folder [no #]. 1898-12-25.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #509s Go Bye even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Cheever, David. "The Herreshoff Fifteens." The Log of Mystic Seaport, v. 24, No. 2., Summer 1972, p. 38-44. (106 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Short class history, detailed vessel description and appreciation and a thrilling account of a typical race of Buzzards Bay 15 at the Beverly Yacht Club. Special focus on #554s Fiddler ex-Nora, now in the collection of Mystic Seaport Museum.
• Brainerd, Alec with Bernard H. Gustin and Steven K. Nagy. "The Herreshoff 15 is Alive and Well." In: Herreshoff Marine Museum (Publisher). Proceedings. The Classic Yacht Symposium 2010. Bristol, R.I. 2010. (5,834 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Copyright holder: Alec Brainerd, Bernard H. Gustin, Steven K. Nagy / Herreshoff Marine Museum. Class history, construction and restoration comments, building and sailing a replica, detailed class register (including replicas). Photos, drawings.
• van der Linde, Claas. "Herreshoff 15-Footers: Building Dates and Model Variations." December 7, 2021. (380 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Claas van der Linde. Tabular summary of Herreshoff 15-footer construction dates and model variations. Together with information of BB15 sail numbers, boat names and boat owners from various year books of the Beverly Yacht Club.

• Go Bye (HMCo-made index card)
• Go Bye (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: Go Bye
Type: Knockabout
Length: 15'
Owner: Emmons, R. W.

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

Name: Go Bye
Type: 15' Buzzards Bay
Owner: R. W. Emmons
Row No.: 819

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: S
No.: 0509
Name: Go Bye
LW: 15'
B: 6' 9"
D: 2' 4"
Rig: Knockabout
K: y
CB: y
Ballast: lead o.
Amount: 666.66
Notes Constr. Record: 1 Design Class B.B.
Last Name: E. Mgr.
First Name: R. W.

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.

"Regular Buzzards Bay 15s had a 15-foot waterline, 6' 9" beam, 2' 3" draft plus a centerboard, gaff rig, and a coaming that curves around the front of the cockpit." (Source: Nagy, Steve. June 1, 2008.)

"[The Beverly Yacht Club] published a yearbook each year listing all the boats in the club, with the owner's name and other information. This book was published in the spring, so it was a list of the boats as they were the previous year, plus, I suppose, any that were purchased over the winter.
... of the first 11 boats, the sail numbers were assigned in the same order as their hull numbers, so with the [Beverly Yacht Club] records, it is possible to name all of them." (Source: Beardsley, Bill. Email to Claas van der Linde, September 16, 2008.)

"Sail no. E-5 until 1916, under the name of Jub-Jub." (Source: Nagy, Steve. HMC Sailing Vessel Registry, http://www.herreshoffregistry.org/get_detail.php?hull=509, retrieved April 4, 2009.)

"[Sail area 352.5 sq.ft.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

"[Displacement (38 cubic feet = 2432 lbs).]" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

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