HMCo #582s Electra [Electra II]

"[1902-04-23] Wed 23: Launched ... 27' wl #582 Electra
[1904-01-06] Wed 6: Fair [with] W to SW [wind &] mostly cloudy. 1deg. in night rising to 27deg. by afternoon. Finished work on Electra [#582s Electra II] laying teak deck &c.
[1904-01-08] Fri 8: Light snow [with] light NE wind. Cold fog last night with temp[erature] 9deg. Electra [#582s] towed to Newport." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1902 to 1904. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"No. 582.
21ft c[enter] b[oard].
Frame spaces 11 1/4".
Use scale 15" to a foot (15/12) or 1/15 full size in making moulds.
Deduct for planking 15/16".
Deduct for timbers 1 3/8" except nos 13 to 28 inclusive, 1 1/8" at head and increase 1/8" per foot, for full length.
Measurements marked S (sheer) to be the under side of deck.
2 1/4 Keel.
Timbers sided 1 1/4"." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.127.] Undated, ca. January 1902. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

"... A small beamy sloop named Electra, was launched Wednesday [April 23, 1902] from Herreshoffs' shop. The new boat is 21 feet on the water line and she was rigged yesterday. A trial trip will be given the yacht today. ..." (Source: Anon. "Yachting Notes." Bristol Phoenix, April 25, 1902, p. 2.)

"BRISTOL, R. I. , April 26 [1902]. --- ... Another new centreboard sloop just launched for T. R. Havemeyer, of New York, was rigged Friday [April 25, 1902], and had a couple of trial spins. She will be sent to Great South Bay by the Herreshoffs. Her name is Electra. The newest feature in the craft is a cabin trunk with open sides and an open afterend. Canvas coverings will be put on when the weather demands it. The cabin roof is supported by finely turned stanchions on sides and ends. In the afterend of the roof there is a slide to admit of easy entrance to the cabin from the cockpit.
Electra is somewhat similar in design to former boats of that name built here for Mr. Havemeyer, only that she is shorter on the waterline a matter of 25 feet. She is wide and shallow, with a low freeboard, and is adopted in build for inside water courses where there are smoother conditions. ..." (Source: Anon. "Navahoe To Fly The German Flag." New York Sunday Telegraph, April 27, 1902, p. 7.)

"The racing season of 1902 will go down in history as one of the best ever experienced by the Penataquit-Corinthian Y. C of Bay Shore, L. I. Interest of the year was centered in the competition for the Lighthouse cup donated in 1901 by J. Campbell Smith for a series of special races in class N.
In accordance with the conditions of the trophy, six contests were sailed, in which seven crack yachts entered. Mr. H. O. Havemeyer's new Herreshoff creation, Electra, carried off the honors of the year with a total of 71 points. ...
By winning the series of this year, Electra scores a leg on the trophy, and the privilege of having her name and that of her owner engraved upon it. The cup becomes the personal property of the member who succeeds in winning the yearly series three times, not necessarily consecutive. ...
Two new craft were built for the races of this year --- Electra, the winner, and Arrow, belonging to Mr. John R. Suydam, of New York city. The latter entered only the first two contests, but in the second defeated Electra, an honor which has come to no other boat in the series. Arrow was designed by Mr. Clinton H. Crane, ...
Electra was launched from the Herreshoff shops early in the season, and, it will be remembered, showed her heels to Quakeress II. [#565s], one of the Buzzard's Bay thirties, in an impromptu scrap in Bristol Harbor. Electra is 42ft. 5in. over all, 27ft. 9in. on the waterline, 12ft. 3m. beam and draws 2ft. 11 1/2 in. ..." (Source: Anon. "Penataquit-Corinthian Y. C." Forest and Stream, October 4, 1902, p. 274.)

"No. 4041 --- For Sale --- (See illustration). Centerboard shoal-draught cruiser, built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co., 1902. 43 ft. o.a., 28 ft. w.l., 12 ft. 3 in. beam, 3 ft. 6 in. draught; about 6.000 lb lead on keel. Good-sized cabin will accommodate two or four people; large cockpit. Thoroughly well built, in first-class condition throughout. Suitable for racing. Will be sold very reasonable. Seen near New York. Address Stanley M. Seaman, 220 Broadway, New York. [Though not explicitly identified, the dimensions clearly point to Electra #582.]" (Source: Rudder, March 1908, p. 269.)

"The following transfers of yachts are reported through the agency of Stanley M. Seaman: ... The sloop yacht Electra has been sold for Horace Havemeyer to E. C. Dickerson. Mr. Dickerson has renamed her Adventuress, and will race her in Barnegat Bay this summer." (Source: Anon. "Yachts Change Hands." Forest and Stream, May 8, 1909 p. 745.)

"... The 42-foot over-all sloop Adventuress, built by Herreshoff in 1902, 28 feet on the water line, has been sold by Henry E. M. Norner to Douglas C. Kiernan of New York. ..." (Source: Anon. "Yachts and Yachtsmen." Boston Globe, February 19, 1928, p. B15.)

"[In 1900], for the Massachusetts Bay 21-class sloop Radiant [#548], NGH made the half model that was reused in building Electra. New and larger molds were needed, however, because there was a change in scale, meaning that the offsets (taken from the #548 model and recorded in a notebook) would all be increased by fifteen-twelfths. Because NGH reconfigured Electro's keel profile, making it proportionally longer and less deep, she drew only 3 feet of water --- some 8 inches less than the smaller Radiant.
Happy Princess [#644], which came out in 1905, rigged as an open catboat, was built over the same molds as those used for Electra. For Happy Princess, a larger rudder and additional bronze hull strapping were called for as compensation against the balance and stress problems inherent in the cat rig. NGH frequently reused half models, even though changes in scale, deck layout, and rig disguised the fact." (Source: Bray, Maynard and Carlton Pinheiro. Herreshoff of Bristol. Brooklin, Maine, 1989, p. 72.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled 'No. 548 [#548s RADIANT]. 21ft c.b. for Buzzards Bay. Oct[ober] 26, 1900. Also #582s [ELECTRA II]. M[ar]ch 3, 1902'. With calculations and note 'No. 548. ... 4060lbs lead. Out for [centerboard] slot 1060. [Result] 3000[lbs]'. With note 'No. 574 [#574s ARETHUSA]. Keel for Buzzards Bay Class. Use mould for #548 with slot filled and about 1200[?] cuin[?] removed from bottom'. With further calculations and note '#582. Lead required 6500 lbs = 9.5cuft. Cut for c.b. slot = 1.16[cuft]. [Result] 10.36 = 17750cuin] and concluding with '5900lbs at 24.525 frame space'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08930. Folder [no #]. 1900-10-26.)
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"[Item Description:] ARROW designed by Crane appears to be modeled after #490s WANDA, 25ft larger than #582s ELECTRA, can you suggest anything that would improve ELECTRA's sailing in light air" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17550. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1902-07-05.)
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"[Item Description:] #582s ELECTRA won against ARROW in violent wind, #490s WANDA did well" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17570. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1902-09-09.)
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"[Item Description:] #582s ELECTRA won a great victory, light weather 30 footer, Boston 21 footer LITTLE HASTE" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17600. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1902-09-16.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten (carbon copy) letter marked 'Copy':] 117 Wall St.,
New York.
Jan. 19, 1903.
Mr. Nath'l G. Herreshoff,
Bristol, R. I.
Dear Sir,
Yours of the 16th at hand, I am going to avail of your kind offices and have you build a boat [#607s FLIGHT]. I fear from the nature of the boat I want she will come more or less in the category of freaks, a style I know that you have little interest in, but at the same time, for use in the Great South Bay, an indispensable style to meet the competition that exists there, and probably always will exist on account of the poor depth of water.
She is to be in the 30ft class, i.e., length of water line, plus square root of sail area divided by two, and her water line will be determined when her crew of 750 pounds is aboard. She is to be essentially a light weather boat.
I enclose something taken out of the paper this morning, which will give an idea of what is going on with 25ft water line boats in the way of square feet of sail.
The draft of the boat must not exceed 3ft. All the boats that you have built for me appear to suck the bottom when under way, even at that draft. The less draft this boat has, that will enable her to carry her sail, the better. The ELECTRA [#582s] last year beat the WANDA [#490s] as she did the ARROW, on account of the heavy wind and sea. I doubt very much if the ELECTRA could beat the WANDA in ordinary weather, i.e., when the WANDA could carry her full sail, on time allowance. [p. 2]
I am sure she could not beat the ARROW, Although the ARROW does not point quite as high as the ELECTRA, of course I mean when she is carrying her full sail. The ARROW outfoots her enough to make up the difference, and off the wind she can beat the ELECTRA close to half a minute in a mile.
I should like her cabin to be open --- nothing in front whatever, and her cockpit to be down on the flooring. It may be that where the cockpit ends you may have to step down a foot to get in the cabin. These details I suppose could be referred to me later.
I should like to have her ready on the 1st of May; would take her earlier. The skippers in the Bay think that wooden blocks would be light, and run much easier in the rigging. This refers particularly to the main sheet blocks. The top of the cabin is to be covered with canvas, and to be open at the sides, the same as the ELECTRA, and the deck is to be covered with canvas. She is likewise to have a bowsprit, which you will recollect the PLEASURE [#545s] did not have.
It all comes down to what my boy answered when I spoke to him if he had anything to suggest about the detail of the boat --- 'Leave the matter entirely to Mr. Herreshoff, merely stating that she must be a boat to sail in light airs.'
Yours truly, ...
H. O. Havemeyer." (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_02530. Folder [no #]. 1903-01-19.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Typewritten letter on '117 Wall Street, New York' stationery:] I have your letter of Jan. 20th [1903], and am glad to learn of your interest in the new boat [#607s FLIGHT]. I thought I would call your attention again about the draft. I presume it is the model of the hull of the boat that occasions the suction, and with that much flatter than the present ELECTRA [#582s], it seems to me that the lead might be extended, so that the draft of the boat would be 3ft.
I might add that I would build her the limit. 25ft water line would entitle her to 1225 sq. feet of sail. However, you are the last man I would care to make any suggestions to.
The first ELECTRA [#530s] was all right, except that she might have been made a little stronger where she entered the water forward, so that her pounding would not raise her up.
Yours truly, ..." (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDW02_02560. Folder [no #]. 1903-01-22.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH. Relevant contents:
§31: Work Order '[For] 582 [#582s ELECTRA II] Rigging loft. [When wanted] April 10. Running rigging …' (1902-02-28)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Order Book. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_01320. Folder [no #]. 1897-01 to 1905.)
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 ㉖ ㉗ ㉘ ㉙ ㉚ ㉛ ㉜ ㉝ ㉞ ㉟ ㊱ ㊲ ㊳ ㊴ ㊵

"[Item Description:] my son [Horace Havemeyer (1886–1956)] has awakened some interest in Great South Bay in form of a class boat of 21 foot water line not so tender as the #607s FLIGHT and not quite so able[?] as the #582s ELECTRA, let me know what you recommend, incl. NG reply: 33 oa., 21 wl, 9-10' beam, 2' draft, 550 or 600sq ft sail" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. (incl NGH reply). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17640. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1906-08-23.)
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"[Item Description:] have your lines about the proposed 21' boats, the 2nd ELECTRA [#582s] is a splendid boat, most satisfactory, before you decide about cost of boat the 21' w.l. boat may have 3' draft not 2' as you have written" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17660. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1906-08-29.)
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"[Item Description:] [almost unreadable], #582s ELECTRA, #490s WANDA, incl. NGH reply: in regard of proposed new class, since advent of Universal Rule yachts have very much improved, much abler craft and pleasanter to sail, you can get this statement verified by anyone who owns a boat built under the new rule who formerly had experience in the flat ended scow formed boats, I am sure the type will sooner or later be seen in Great South Bay and if you start it it will develop and give your young people a good type of boat, [next two sentences crossed out:] I consider all the boats we have built for you excepting #545s PLEASURE and #582s ELECTRA II, freaks to beat the waterline measurement rule and WANDA is the most extreme being built to sail under the same rule in L.I. Sound, she is one of the fastest and also meanest boat I ever designed, I would like to see a better type spring up in your waters as well as elsewhere along the coast, however if you prefer the old type we can build them as well as any and I think will still be able to turn out successful ones, I cannot agree with you that WANDA, #607s FLIGHT & #530s ELECTRA I are a better type than ELECTRA II, but admit fully that comparing by waterline length when measured lying still they are much faster, they were designed to beat that way of measuring and do it successfully, they are larger boats for the waterline length and get the advantage of the size in racing but are a poor type of boat for any use but racing in your shallow water bay where moderate breezes and smooth waters prevail, ordinarily the enjoyment of yacht racing comes from sailing the yacht to wit out against your antagonist and showing greater ability in the art of sailing a yacht, there are very few who look upon it as you do and prefer a yacht that is like a race horse and of little use except for racing, when you proposed to get up a new class it seemed to me it would be better to make it a type that would be popular with the ordinary yachtsman and that in view submitted the draft of rules and restrictions that should produce a good wholesome and fast boat, probably faster than any you now have on the Bay providing they were all measured and sailed under the Universal Rule which does not use water line length as a measurement at all, I will state that I don't like the flat scow type of boats and much prefer to design and built a type of more general use, but if you desire [I] will try my hand at any type you will decide on as I have heretofore with fair success" (Source: Havemeyer, H.O. (incl NGH reply). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_17680. Correspondence, Folder 47. 1907-09-07.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #582s Electra [Electra II] even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Electra (HMCo-made index card)
• Electra (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: Electra
Type: J & M
Length: 27'6"
Owner: Havemeyer, H. O.

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

• Electra
• Adventuress ex-Electra
• 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: Electra II
Type: 27' 5" sloop
Owner: H. O. Havemeyer
Year: 1902
Row No.: 193

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.

Month: Jan.
Day: 27? [sic, i. e. 24]
Year: 1902
E/P/S: S
No.: 0582
Name: Electra
LW: 27' 6"
B: 12' 3"
D: 3'
Rig: J & M
CB: y
Ballast: Lead O.
Amount: $5250.00
Last Name: Havermeyer
First Name: H. O.

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.

"Built in 89 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $59/day, 149 lbs displacement/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.