HMCo #616s Bambino

"The building of new crafts and the preparation of stored boats to go overboard makes busy times these days at the Herreshoffs shops and yards. Two new 30 foot racing sloops [apparently sister ships #618s Chewink IV and #619s Wasaka] are being constructed in the south shop, and another [probably #616s Bambino] is in frame in the boat shop at the corner of Burnside and Hope streets. ..." (Source: Anon. "Busy at Herreshoff's." Bristol Phoenix, May 3, 1904, p. 3.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 27:]
Bambino, sloop yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1904.
6.02 tons; 28.2 ft. x 9.8 ft. x 4.9 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) June 25, 1904. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol.
Surrendered [license] Aug. 31, 1905 at New Bedford. ([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. Bambino.)

"New Bedford, July 23, 1904 In a race off the Dartmouth Yacht Club station, this afternoon, the Bourbino [sic, i.e. apparently Bambino] won against three competing boats. The Bourbino is a new Herreshoff boat this year. Sloop Alpha was second and sloop Garilan third." (Source: Anon. "Herreshoff Boat First." Boston Herald, July 24, 1904, p. ?.)

"BRISTOL, R. I., July 25 [1907] --- ... An interesting yacht race was sailed here today from the Bristol yacht club in which two large boats competed. The race was arranged after a heated discussion in regard to the speed of the two boats and it was decided by the owners to race for a $50 cup, the course being through the east passage to Conanicut island and return to the yacht club, a distance of 36 miles.
The boats were the Duchess, [#566s ex-Arria] owned by Joseph E. Fletcher Jr of this town, and the Bambino [#616s], owned by Lawrence Grinnell of New Bedford. The latter won by 4m 6s. The summary:
Name and Owner, Finish h m s.
Bambino, Lawrence Grinnell, 4:40:34
Duchess, J E Fletcher Jr., 4:43:06." (Source: Anon. "Bambino The Faster. Her Owner and That of the Duchess Settle an Argument by Racing 36 Miles." Boston Globe, July 26, 1907, p. 4.)

"No. 9045 --- For Sale --- Herreshoff 30-ft. w. 1. cruising sloop, 41 ft. 9 in. o. a., 9 ft. 9 in. beam, 6 ft. 6 in. draught. Built in 1904 and has not been used since 1910. Two suits of sails, one by Ratsey in 1907. Standing rigging used only one season. Four berths in cabin and two in forecastle. Toilet room and cooking space. Cabin and galley are fully furnished. 10,000 lb of outside lead ballast. Watertight cockpit, Hull and sails are in perfect condition. Complete outfit, including 12-ft. dinghy. This is one of the best small cruisers ever turned out by Herreshoff. Inspcctable at Bristol, R. I. Price $2,500. Apply to Hollis Burgess Yacht Agency, 15 Exchange Street, Boston, Mass. [Though not explicitly identified, only Bambino can fit the description.]" (Source: Rudder, March 1913, p. 222.)

"... The Hollis Burgess Yacht Agency has sold for the estate of Edward S. Stone of New Bedford the Herreshoff 30-footer Bambino II to Lewis E. Manley of New York ..." (Source: Anon. "Notes from the Week's Log." Boston Globe, June 18, 1916, p. 58.)

"Lou Manley's Bambino looks so handsome under her new jib-headed rig that Lou never uses his engine any more --- well, hardly ever." (Source: Anon. [Davy Jones] "Long Island Soundings." Rudder, Vol 47, 1931, p. x.)

"The 56-year-old Herreshoff sloop Bambino, subject of the article 'Long Time Love Affair' in the August, 1960, issue [of Yachting Magazine], is going back home. Following the death in September of Lou Manley, who owned and sailed Bambino for 45 years, she came on the market. Early in November she was purchased by William R. Johnson, of Bristol, R.I., and from now on her home port will be Bristol harbor, on the shore of which she was built in 1904. Mr. Johnson, who acquired the 42' sloop from Mr. Manley's widow, is a friend and neighbor of Halsey and Sidney Herreshoff and other descendants in Bristol of Nathanael G. Herreshoff, Bambino's builder. And old Herreshoff boats are nothing new to him. He formerly owned one of the famous old New York 30-footers [#647s Blue Moon ex-Anemone II] --- built there the year after Bambino --- which was wrecked last fall by hurricane Donna. He likes Bambino even better, he confided to Mrs. Manley." (Source: Taylor, William H. "Bambino Goes Home." Yachting Magazine, Vol. 109, 1961, p. 452?)

"Seventeen youngsters from the YMCA sailing class recently held as part of the Camp Hess program, attended one of the America Cup Trial races aboard the Bambino, a sailing vessel owned by Mr and Mrs William Johnson of Poppasquash Rd.
The group cruised to the racing grounds and pointers were given the young sailors in the course of the event. Each of the Y members noted that the event was the highlight of the season.
The Johnson boat is a 1904 Herreshoff Sloop. The completely original vessel is 42 feet in length and from all reports, one of the most impressive features of the sloop is its shining brass which 17 young sailors helped polish, recently." (Source: Anon. "Y Youngsters See Cup Trials." Bristol Phoenix, September 4, 1964, p. 24.)

"The A. Sydney DeW. Herreshoff Room at the Herreshoff Marine Museum was formally dedicated Sunday afternoon, marking another important milestone in the history and tradition of Herreshoff boat-building in this town. Also, an important part of the program was the acceptance by the museum of the 30-foot sloop Bambino, donated by Louis B. Off, of Linwood, N.J. ..." (Source: Anon. "Herreshoff Mueseum Dedicated." Bristol Phoenix, August 18, 1977, p. 4.)

"Bambino, an almost 80-year-old sloop owned by the Herreshoff Marine Museum, sailed away with the coveted Sappho Trophy in Saturday's Classic Yacht Regatta in Newport. Sailed by Halsey C Herreshoff, 18 Burnside St, and a crew made up of mostly museum members, the sloop Bambino beat a fleet of nearly 80 boats and recorded the best corrected time at 2:09:42.
The 45-foot sloop also took Class D honors with an elapsed time of 2:48:48 --- faster than any boats in the two classes above Bambino.
Bambino, built in 1902, was owned for many years by William Johnson of this town, and was kept in Bristol Harbor during the 1960s Johnson then donated the sloop to a Florida university.
Bambino was wrecked on a sandbar off the New Jersey coast, but Lou Off of New Jersey, bought the sloop and restored her to her present condition.
Mr Off donated Bambino to the Herreshoff Museum located on Hope St in 1977. The sloop, an example of quality turn-of-the-century design, is an attraction at the museum because of its ability to sail and win in the historic fleet (composed of boats 25 years and older.) Bambino also regularly beats new yachts of its size and larger." (Source: Anon. "Bambino wins Sappho Trophy in Newport." Bristol Phoenix, September 11, 1981, p. 14.)

"Watching BAMBINO'S pert transom grow ever smaller during the Classic Yacht Race at Newport in 1981, my wife and I recalled a trip aboard her in 1959 as guests and crew of her second owner, Louis Manley. At that time, BAMBINO'S sparkling bright work, seamless topsides and below-decks joiner work were pretty much as when she was built in 1904. The changes that I recall being told of were the marconi rig (mainsail cut without roach or battens in deference to Mr. Manley's age and predeliction for short handed sailing), the addition of a gasoline auxiliary where once had been the port quarter berth, and the painting of some of her hardware and fittings.
Lou Manley, whose youth included a tour or two aboard the New York School ship ST. MARY and the rigorous life of a cadet on a square rigger, loved BAMBINO more than anything. This affection was shared by the crew at Nevin's yard on City Island where she berthed in summer and hauled out in winter. Our cruise started at the Nevins yard, paused in Stamford to pick up my wife, and then proceeded to New London for a New York Yacht Club rendezvous. BAMBINO looked great (I can't find words to describe how superbly she sailed) but not great enough for Lou Manley who, because of failing health, expected this to be his last meeting with the NYYC fleet. All the metal that could be buffed, rubbed, cursed or caressed into a shine had to glisten before we joined the squadron. With an inexhaustable supply of rags and polish, we set to. Actually, I managed to find several other chores, and my persevering wife did the bulk of the job - from binnacle (pretty easy) to capstan (some tough dings and dents), to blocks, to every unpainted piece on deck. When she'd polished some 124 pieces, she began to see merit in dado brown - but the job was done and acknowledged by an appreciative audience when we slithered like a dingy through the anchorage at New London. BAMBINO did look great!
That evening we were invited to dinner aboard a most impressive motorsailer and during the first course, as the evening fog rolled in, it was remembered that we'd not set BAMBINO'S anchor light. As the fog grew thicker, I started out in the dinghy and shortly learned that I was going around in circles and was likely to never find the boat. After some exertion my navigation improved, but BAMBINO was not to be found. Then, over my shoulder about twenty feet away I saw a flash. BAMBINO'S polished, jewel-like binnacle had reflected a stray beam of light. I'm sure there's a moral to fit here somewhere, but all I could think was, 'Thank God for brass - well polished, of course, and Lou Manley's proud determination to have BAMBINO look her best for their last big party.' " (Source: Carpenter, Chuck. "Bambino Remembered." Herreshoff Marine Museum Chronicle, Fall 1982, p. 4.)

"... [Bambino] was to be sailed to Florida in 1976 [sic; i.e. 1969] by a young couple hired by her owner; she was blown ashore in a bad storm at Beach Haven, New Jersey; the couple was rescued from the surf and the hull left to batter itself to pieces. It somehow did not, and the following day a friend of Louis Off, a local orchid grower, told him of the boat and that he might be interested in it.
Off hired a helicopter to take a look, and seeing the hull sitting upright and apparently intact in still rough surf, resolved on the spot to restore her. The fin, ballast, and much of the backbone had been ripped out of the shell, but Off didn't know that until a few days later when he had the hulk lifted out of the slurry. He went ahead anyway --- decisions like his are seldom influenced by subsequent evidence of near folly --- and recruited one of the retired Jersey shore shipwrights who did a superb job on the boat. The complicated process occupied him for two years, and he said it exercised the main organizing principle of his life during that time. ('The motorcycle [read: boat] you're always working on is yourself,' said Mr. Pirsig.) He sailed the boat for only a year after she was launched; sailing the shallow Jersey bays was not the most convenient thing with six feet plus draft, but in any case, his interest had clearly been in the restoring, not the sailing. ..." (Source: Kiremidjian, David. "The Thirties Are Twice Fifty." Typescript, n. p., 2004, p. 3-4.)

"Bambino. LOA 41ft 9in. LWL 30ft 0in. Beam 9ft 9in. Draft 6ft 6in. HMCo #616. Rig: Gaff Sloop, converted to Bermudan. Sail Area N/A Sq. Ft. Displacement approx. 27,000 Lbs. Ballast 10,000 Lbs. Built 1904. ...
Bambino was designed at a time of great advancements in design. She has a little more beam and slightly shorter overhangs then boats that followed such as the New York Yacht Club 30s.
Bambino was the third boat built from a 1902 half-model indicating Nat Herreshoff's (NGH's) approval of her form. Trivia, 1902 (LOA 45ft, LWL 33ft 6in), built for H. Vanderbilt on his 16th birthday and Nellie, 1903 (LOA 46ft 6in, LWL 34ft 6in) are the earlier boats of slightly different dimensions. Trivia is in the collection, stored nearby. Nellie was completely restored in 2010 and is sailed from her base in Stamford, CT.
The shapely hull was designed as NGH was thinking about the new Universal Rule which was to dominate yacht design for some 30 years.
It is interesting to view the hull in the context of the times. Reliance, amongst others of 1903 showed the extremes of overhang and how that development was beginning to be non-optimal in good seaboats.
The (then) new Universal Rule thinking would cause a balance between overhangs, their fullness, displacement and sail area. Initially it was considered as the Herreshoff Rule until adopted in 1905 as the Universal Rule. Here again we see the dominant influence of NGH on yacht design thinking.
The Bambino form was followed by the New York Yacht Club 30 class of which 18 were built. They were designed in 1905 to the new 'Rule' and were a very successful one design class for that Club.
The NYYC 30 Class yachts were a little less beamy and had slightly longer overhangs.
Bambino has, unusually, carried the same name since launched and has had six owners.
Originally built for Mr. Lawrence Grinnell of New Bedford. She spent most of her active life (1916-1959} cruising near and far under the care of Mr. Lou Manley.
Her most recent owner was Mr. Louis B. Off who purchased her as a wreck in New Jersey and undertook a major rebuild in the early 1970's before donating her to the museum in 1977.
Bambino sailed, with a bermudan rig, as the Museum's flagship until 2004, winning many races including Figawi races and the Opera House Cup." (Source: Herreshoff Marine Museum. [Plaque on display at the museum.] Bristol, RI, no date [ca. 2010].)

"N/A"

"[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).)
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"[Item Description:] [#616s] BAMBINO is too big for [son] David and so is [#581s] ALERT [ex-BOGEY], I hear E.D. Morgan will have charge of racing [#692s] WESTWARD, he & Barr make a good team, nothing doing as to any new NY65" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_42850. Correspondence, Folder 92, formerly 127. 1911-01-11.)
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"[Item Description:] The other day I ran into George Granberry and he told me of your recent letter to him. This reminded me that I had been intending to write you for some time in regard to the sloop [#580s] TRIVIA. You designed and constructed her a good many years ago for William Vanderbilt. I acquired her last spring from her more recent owner, Mr. Alvord. I thought you would be interested in knowing her latest berth. She has her original rig except for the fact that I took four feet off her boom and had the mainsail re cut accordingly. I find that this brings everything almost inboard --- which makes her very much handier to reef. Also, this change gives her a perfectly balanced helm. I think she is just about the finest combination of comfort and sailing ability I have ever experienced. Apparently she is just as sound as the day she was built, and I am looking forward to a number of years to enjoy her. I am wondering if you still have her lines, and if so, would I be asking too much to have you send these to me. I have bragged so much about her that many people have asked me detailed questions in regard to her exact measurements, and I would like to have the information if this is available; incl. penciled by NGH names, building numbers, owners and dimensions of #578s AZOR, #586s NELLIE, #580s TRIVIA, #608s RUGOSA, and #616s BAMBINO" (Source: Wallace, George N. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_20810. Correspondence, Folder 59. 1936-09-08.)
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"[Item Description:] (Postcard?) photo of early HMM wharf showing #616s BAMBINO, #580s TRIVIA, #599s INDIAN and #248p THANIA ex-TODDY WAX" (Source: Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection Item LIB_2150. Photograph. HMM Library Rare Books Room (Box 1), Folder [no #], formerly 178?. No date (1980s ?).)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #616s Bambino even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Taylor, William H. "Long Time Love Affair. One Man, One Boat, and 45 Years of Cruising." Yachting Magazine, August 1960, p. 74-75, 104. (1,858 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Vessel portrait and history. Lou Manley and his 45-year love affair with Bambino. Photos.

• Bambino (HMCo-made index card)
• Bambino (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: Bambino
Type: J & M
Length: 30'
Owner: Grinnell, Lawrence

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

• Bambino
• 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: Bambino
Type: 30' cutter
Owner: Lawrence Grinnell
Year: 1904
Row No.: 72

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: Dec
Day: 8
Year: 1903
E/P/S: S
No.: 0616
Name: Bambino
LW: 30'
B: 9' 9"
D: 6' 6"
Rig: J & M
K: y
Ballast: Lead O.
Amount: 5500.00
Last Name: Grinnell
First Name: L.

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.

"As per Yachting Magazine, August 1960, p. 75 Bambino was fitted in 1930 with the Marconi rig of #643s Phryne which in 1927 had first come out with it in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to induce other NY30 owners to also discard their gaff rigs. Phryne was subsequently re-fitted with her old gaff rig. Bambino has carried Phryne's Marconi rig since then as was confirmed by Halsey Herreshoff in a private Email to Claas van der Linde dated June 15, 2014. Bambino also carries Phryne's former sail number 17." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. June 15, 2014.)

"Date this vessel was finished was estimated as June 25, 1904, the date this boat was measured by the U.S. Custom House inspector as per the 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." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 9, 2020.)

"Built in 200 days (contract to finished; equivalent to $28/day, 79 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"Donated in 1977 by Louis B. Off to the Herreshoff Marine Museum." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 8, 2012.)

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