HMCo #611s Illusion

"No. 611 [#611s]. Oct[ober] 1903.
21' w.l. c[enter]b[oard] Buzzards Bay Class.
Frame spaces 9".
Centreboard all in keel.
Deduct in making moulds
for timbers 1 1/8"
for planking 3/8 + 3/8= 3/4
[Total] 1 7/8".
Sheer height given is to under side of deck.
Crown [of] deck 3 5/8 - 8' - 3" - 0.
Crown [of] house 3 7/8 - 5' - 2" - 0.
Keel 1 5/8" thick." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.142.] October 1903. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

"... Like A. C. Harrison, [Charles] Baker [a resident of Chapoquoit and member of the Woods Hole Yacht Club] was a prolific patron of Herreshoff. In 1895 he bought Edith [#456s] which had a 17' waterline, then in 1897 another Edith [#486s], a 21 footer. Also in 1897 he bought Alpha [#488s], a catboat that was a sister to Omega [#489s] owned by Mr. King, the developer of Chapoquoit. Baker bought Blazing Star [#515s], a 25 footer, in 1899, followed by three more 21 footers: Radiant [#548s] in 1900, Arethusa [#574s] in 1901, and Illusion [#611s] in 1903. ..." (Source: Littell, Browne. "Early Days of Racing in Woods Hole." In: Woods Hole Historical Collection (Publisher). Spritsail, Volume 10, Number 2, Summer 1996, p. 23-24. http://www.woodsholemuseum.org/woodspages/sprtsl/v10n2-EarlyRace.pdf, retrieved February 10, 2011.)

"[Item Description:] Printed leaflet titled 'Beverly Yacht Club. Cruising Class (25 Footers)' and providing regulations, dimensions, and scantlings for this class. Undated, annotated in pencil by NGH with 'Re[ceive]d fr[o]m C. M. Baker. Jan 28 '98'. [Charles M. Baker was the owner of the Beverly YC 21ft raceabout #486s EDITH (1897) and would subsequently contract for the BYC 25ft raceabout #515s BLAZING STAR (1899) and the Beverly YC 21ft raceabouts #548s RADIANT (1901), #574s ARETHUSA (1902), and #611s ILLUSION (1903).]" (Source: Beverly YC (creator). Leaflet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_76170. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 2), Folder B2F18, formerly MRDE15. No date (ca1898-01-28).)
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"[Item Description:] Printed leaflet titled 'Beverly Yacht Club. Cruising Class (21 Footers)' and providing regulations, dimensions, and scantlings for this class. Undated, annotated in pencil by NGH with 'Re[ceive]d fr[o]m C. M. Baker. Jan 28 '98'. [Charles M. Baker was the owner of the Beverly YC 21ft raceabout #486s EDITH (1897) and would subsequently contract for the BYC 25ft raceabout #515s BLAZING STAR (1899) and the Beverly YC 21ft raceabouts #548s RADIANT (1901), #574s ARETHUSA (1902), and #611s ILLUSION (1903).]" (Source: Beverly YC (creator). Leaflet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_76180. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 2), Folder B2F18, formerly MRDE15. No date (ca1898-01-28).)
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"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled '611 [#611s] ILLUSION'. With calculations and note 'No. 611. Required 3500lbs lead with c.g. at .54 of w.l. ...' and note 'Trial … w[ei]g[h]t = … 3090[lbs]'. Undated (ILLUSION was contracted for on September 28, 1903)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08890. Folder [no #]. No date (1903-10 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections titled '# 511 [sic, i.e. #611 ILLUSION]. Final. Oct[ober] 2nd 1903. Buzzards Bay 21ft. [Charles M.] Baker'. With calculations arriving at a displacement of 109.5cuft = 7010lbs." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_03980. Folder [no #]. 1903-10-02.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH. Relevant contents:
§35: Work Order '[For] 611 [#611s ILLUSION] Rigging loft. [When wanted] In spring. Running rigging …' (1903-12-06)." (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 Transcription:] [Penciled note of what appears to be a note from HMCo to NGH:] Mr. C. M. Baker wishes you to have a ballon jib made considerably longer on the foot with shorter hoist, triangle measure the same as present one or what the rule allows and a bowsprit 3ft or 4ft long (or what you think is right) to set it from. The other boats have it and beat the ILLUSION [#611s] running and Mr. Baker thinks wholly on that account to windward the boat balances perfectly and he thinks a great surprise to him as well as others. Would like an answer by this [p. 2] afternoon mail what we advise doing and if we will make what is necessary and send it to West Falmouth with a man to put it on.
Want it for next Saturday" (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (?). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_67840. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 1), Folder B1F01, formerly MRDE15. No date (1906-06 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Mr. Baker orders a # 1 jib for #611s ILLUSION" (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (re: Baker, Charles M.). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_67860. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 1), Folder B1F01, formerly MRDE15. No date (1906-06 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] re rules about ballon jib & spinnaker, #611s ILLUSION has done better since we changed the mast ... won the last race of the season in 1905 and was never headed" (Source: Baker, Charles M. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_67820. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 1), Folder B1F01, formerly MRDE15. 1906-06-20.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #611s Illusion even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Illusion (HMCo-made index card)
• Illusion (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: Illusion
Type: J & M
Length: 21'
Owner: Baker, C. M.

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

• Illusion
• 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: Illusion
Type: 21' J & M
Owner: C. M. Baker
Row No.: 294

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: Sep
Day: 28
Year: 1903
E/P/S: S
No.: 0611
Name: Illusion
LW: 21'
B: 8' 3"
D: 3' 9"
Rig: J & M
K: y
CB: y
Ballast: Lead O.
Amount: 2750.00
Last Name: Baker
First Name: C. M.

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.

"[Note on construction plan:] Change to keel boat May 1908. Job # 4767. Lead to be recast to pattern of #46a and aft end stopped off about 3 1/2in at heel to conform to line of rudder axis. Make new deadwood. Long bolt through lead & 4 straps each side 1 3/8in x 3/16in x 4ft long, new rudderblade on old stock, shim up rudder tube to right angle. [With penciled addition:] Raise top of lead about 5/16in." (Source: Construction Plan HH.5.05509 (076-050). Racing Craft for Buzzard's Bay. October 19, 1903.)

"Charles M. Baker of Brookline was a Boston banker who in 1894/1895 had bought from Chapoquoit's developer Franklin King several lots in Chapoquoit on one of which he eventually built a large summer home complete with boathouse. For more information see Jenkins, Candace. The Development of Falmouth as a Summer Resort. 1850 - 1900. In: Woods Hole Historical Collection (Publisher). Spritsail, Volume 6, Number 1, Winter 1992, p. 23-24. www.woodsholemuseum.org/woodspages/sprtsl/v6n1-SummerRes.pdf, retrieved February 13, 2011." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 13, 2011.)

"Last owned by Steve Ballentine of Ballentine's Boat Shop in Cataumet, Mass., who had bought her from a Mass Maritime auction for $500 and thought that she was in Wickford, R.I. before that. He had her broken up in the boatyard in what is believed to have been the 1980s. [Her builder's plate has survived.]" (Source: Ballentine, Amy. Email to Claas van der Linde. April 15, 2014.)

"Built in 216 days (contract to delivered; equivalent to $13/day, 32 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"[Displacement 109.5cuft = 7010lbs.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. Penciled note on pantograph hull sections taken for #611s Illusion off the original model. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum.)

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