HMCo #641s Alice II

"[1905-01-09] Mon 9: Fair & SW [wind]. Turned over #641 [Alice II] 43' wl German boat ...
[1905-01-12] Thu 12: Stopped work on #641 [Alice II] until adjustment of defective measurements is made.
[1905-03-01] Wed 1: Cast lead keel for #641 [Alice II].
[1905-03-23] Thu 23: Began planking #641 [Alice II]
[1905-05-15] Mon 15: Launched #641 Alice [II]. ..." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1905. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"No. 641.
Frame spaces 16".
Sheer height given is to upper side of deck.
In making moulds deduct
for planking 7/8" + 1/2" = 1 3/8"
for timbers 2 3/8" at head, increasing 3/32" per ft for full length.
Sided 2 3/8".
Keil [or Keel or Kiel?]
Top of lead to be parallel to bottom and 30 7/8" above bottom of lead.
Leave stem full thickness outside of rabbate for about 18" down to receive gammon strap." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.149.] Undated, ca. February 1905. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

"In 1905, thirty-four sailing yachts were built, including the Twenty Rater SONYA, and the New York Yacht Club Class of Thirty Footers (18 boats). ... One very satisfactory [craft] was ALICE II [of] forty-five feet waterline [built] to go to Germany." (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. 70-71.)

"About this time [1904] Captain Nat also designed a sloop of about forty-five feet W.L. for another European rule. If I remember right she went to Germany, but I do not recall her name or the name of the owner. However, this yacht and 'Sonya' were shipped abroad on the decks of steamers, and these two yachts I believe were the first Herreshoff yachts to use Merriman blocks, although the Herreshoff Company continued to make their own small blocks and all other deck hardware." (Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. The Wizard of Bristol. The Life and Achievements of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, together with An Account of Some of the Yachts he Designed. New York, 1953, p. 269-270.)

"[Special Dispatch to the Boston Herald.] BRISTOL, R. I., May 15, 1905. A handsome racing yacht of medium dimensions took the water this afternoon from the Herreshoff boat shops.
The craft is a clean-cut racer of the 52-rater class, built according to the foreign rules of racing. She is named Alice, and was turned out at the Herreshoff shops to the order of Max Warburg, a banker, of Hamburg, Germany. Her estimated cost is $35,000 [sic, i.e. $14,500]. The owner was represented by his skipper, Capt. Charles Rehn of Hamburg, who arrived here last week and is to accompany the Alice across the Atlantic and fit her out at Hamburg when she arrives next month. She will compete in the international race on the Elbe this summer. As soon as she slid into the water she was hauled around to the pier, when the masts were stepped in a few minutes.
The dimensions of the Alice are: 61 feet over all, 48 feet 10 inches water-line, 9 feet draught and 13 feet beam. She is a trifle smaller than the Sonya [#624s], built here several weeks ago for Mrs. Turner Farley of London. The Alice looks like a boat somewhat finer in her racing lines than the Sonya. She is painted white. The spars are hollow, and the mainmast and topmast are one spar, built in sections. Her lines amidships are quite full, with sharp bows. She steers with a tiller. The cabin is not large. The craft has accommodations for six seamen. A trial of the boat under sail will take place Thursday or Friday of this week. She will leave New York on the deck of a steamer for Hamburg, May 27." (Source: Anon. "Fine Racing Yacht for German Banker is Launched at the Herreshoff Yards. Clean-Cut Racer Alice of 52-Rater Class Takes the Water. Owner, Max Warburg of Hamburg, Gets Handsome Boat." Boston Herald, May 16, 1905, p. 9.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 7:]
Alice, sloop yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1905.
19 tons; 54.9 ft. x 13.4 ft. x 7.5 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) May 19, 1905. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol. ([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. Alice.)

"Sails were bent yesterday on the racing sloop Alice, launched Monday [May 15, 1905] at Herreshoff's, and she will have a sail trial today. The Alice will be taken to Germany on an ocean liner, and its expected that she will enter her first race June 23d on the Elbe river." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, May 19, 1905, p. 3.)

"The 52-rater built at the Herreshoff works for a German yachtsman, Max Warburg, a banker, of Hamburg and New York, was launched the past week at Bristol and will be shipped to Hamburg from New York, May 27.
She will race at Kiel, and possibly also in British events, but as she is in charge of a German captain, and has a German crew her performance is not expected to reveal all her powers.
The boat, which is called Alice, is described as somewhat smaller than Sonya [#624s], but with fully as lofty a rig. Her dimensions are said to be overall 61 feet, waterline 48 feet 10 inches, beam 13 feet and draft 9 feet. These may be only approximate." (Source: Anon. "Another 52-Rater Launched." Boston Globe, May 21, 1905, p. 48.)

"The racing sloop Alice, built at the Herreshoff's recently for Max Warburg, the German banker of Hamburg, left for New York Wednesday [May 24, 1905] afternoon. The craft was towed by John B. Herreshoff's steam yacht Eugenia [#224p].
Upon her arrival in New York she is to be hoisted to the deck of a Hamburg-American steamer which sails next Monday. Before leaving Bristol the craft was dismantled, the mast and spar being lashed to the deck, while the sails were stored under the hatches. Captain Rohm, who has charge of the Alice, was accompanied by Joe Wall, one of the Herreshoff employes, who will see that the sloop is safely cradled on the deck of the big ocean liner.
The cradle in which the yacht will rest during her trans-Atlantic trip was sent to Providence on a Suburban express car Wednesday morning and shipped to New York on the Joy Line.
The yacht is already entered in about forty races, the first of which takes place, June 20, under the auspices of the Hamburg Yacht Club, and will be sailed on-the Elbe river." (Source: Anon. "On Her Way to Germany." Bristol Phoenix, May 26, 1905, p. 3.)

"Alice in Wonderland.
At the beginning of June Herreshoff shipped to Hamburg the Alice, a racing yacht closely resembling Sonya [#624s], designed and built by him to the order of Mr. Max Warburg. Nothing was heard of her in the Baltic racing, and it would now appear that she is somewhat of a misfit as regards the German classes. She could not race, owing, we understand, to her not having been built to the German scantling requirements, and now lies stripped at Hamburg --— a martyr to the cause. Evidently Germans have the courage of their convictions." (Source: Anon. "Alice in Wonderland." The Yachtsman (U.K.), July 27, 1905, p. 54.)

"Die offene Segelwettfahrt des Hamburger Yacht Clubs, die am Sonntag, den 10. Juni auf der Elbe stattfand, war vom Wetter ausserordentlich begünstigt. ... Ein prächtiges Rennen machte die von deutscher Mannschaft befiente Yawl 'Carola' der Klasse II, die auf der Kreuzfahrt hin der zum Kreuzer umgebauten, von Herreshoff gebauten und von englischer Mannschaft bedienten 'Alice' schon davongegangen war, als diese das Unglück hatte, festzukommen, und die auch den Schemmannpreis, als die mit Zeitvergütung schnellse Yacht ausser dem Klassenpreis, einheimste. ... [Ergebnisse:] Alice aufgegeben. Carola 1. (Schemmannpreis). ...[The open sailing race of the Hamburg Yacht Club, which took place on Sunday, June 10 on the Elbe, was exceptionally favored by the weather. ... A splendid race was made by the German crewed yawl 'Carola' of class II, which on the upwind leg had already left behind the Herreshoff-built 'Alice' which was manned by an English crew and had been rebuilt to a cruiser when the latter had the misfortune to get stuck, and which also took the Schemmann prize as the fastest yacht with time allowance apart from the class prize. ... [Results:.] Alice abandoned. Carola 1st (Schemmann prize). ...] [See also photo of Alice II on p. 565 titled 'Alice' der Herren M. Warburg und B. Jorjan. 1. Preis der 1. Abteilung in der internen Wettfahrt des N.R.-V. am 27. Mai 1906. ('Alice' by Messrs. M. Warburg and B. Jorjan. 1st prize of the 1st division in the internal race of the N.R.-V. on 27 May 1906.)] [Note: Is 'rebuilt to a cruiser' a hint that Alice II had been built too light to adhere to German scantling regulations for cruisers and had to be rebuilt in Germany in order to be allowed to participate in regattas?]" (Source: Anon. "Von der Elbregatta am 10. Juni." Die Yacht, No. 24, December[?] 1906, p. 567.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled 'No. 617 [#617s COCK ROBIN II]. 37ft wl cruiser. Scale 18th. Jan[uary] 25, [19]04'. With calculations and note 'Weight of lead required 15370lbs with c.g. at 59.5% of waterline.' and calculations to determine weight of outside and inside [trim] lead. Also calculations and note 'Dec[ember 4] 1904. No. 634 [#634s SUZETTA III]. Lead keel to be dropped 6 3/4in deeper and 3 3/8in added to top of lead. ... Calculated[?] original w[ei]g[h]t 15100[lsb]. Wgt for 634 [#634s] calculated[?] 17220[lbs]. Mean wgt of #617 & 621 [#621s MARGARET] 14790[lbs]. Calculated addition 2120[lbs]. [Sum] 16918[lbs]'. Also note 'Dec[ember] 20 1904. No 641 [#641s ALICE II] Lead keel to be same as #634 but with 9[?] added to bottom of pattern = 4220lbs. Calculated wgt for #634 17220[lbs]. [Sum] 21440[lbs]'. [Note: Unexplained discrepancy: Compare weight of lead 17220lbs for #641s ALICE II with pantograph lead sections dated February 11, 1905 which require 29000lbs.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08050. Folder [no #]. 1904-01-25.)
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"[Item Description:] Five carbon copies from the Work Order book beginning with 'Order No.: 641 [#641s ALICE II]. Dec[ember] 28, 1904. For: Rigging Loft. When wanted: Early in April. Standing Rigging' with detailed illustrated rigging list. Later sheets are dated January 1, 1905. Incl. envelope marked in ink 'Standing and Running Rigging of No. 624 [corrected in pencil to '641']. 5 sheets. Jan[uary] 2nd, 1905. Rigging Loft' and in pencil 'Not used'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Sketch. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0253. WRDT04, Folder 23, formerly MRDE08. 1904-12-28.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled sailplan titled 'Not used. Originally laid out for 641 [#641s ALICE II] but not used'. With calculations arriving among others at total sail area of 3044sqft. Undated, but note an envelope in the HCH Collection at HMM titled 'Standing and Running Rigging of No 641, 5 sheets, Jan 2nd, 1905' that is similarly marked 'Not used'." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (creator). Penciled Sailplan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0359. WRDT04, Folder 31, formerly MRDE09. No date (ca 1905-01-02).)
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"[Item Description:] HMCo Plan 81-38. Inked colored spar plan with a crossed-out title 'Spars for #641 [ALICE II]. Jan'y 4, [19]05'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Spar Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE02_06570. Folder [no #]. 1905-01-05.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections titled '#641 [ALICE II]. Preliminary. Feb[ruary] 1, 1905'. On verso penciled hull section titled '#641 German rule' with calculations and two lists of particulars ('Length 67ft …' and 'Lenfth 68ft …)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_01800. Folder [no #]. 1905-02-01.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections and displacement curve titled '#641 [ALICE II]. Finished model. Scale 1/2in. 45ft w.l. Feb[ruary] 3, 1905'. With calculations, arriving at a total displacement of 911cuft = 58250lbs = 26 gross tons." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_01790. Folder [no #]. 1905-02-03.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled 'No. 641. Scale 1in x 1/8 size. Feb[ruary] 11, 1905'. With calculations and note '#641 [ALICE II]. Required 29000lbs with c.g. at .591 of w.l.'. [Note: Unexplained discrepancy: Compare weight of lead 29000lbs with note dated December 20, 1904 on pantograph lead sections plan dated January 25, 1904 which require 17220lbs for #641s ALICE II.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08010. Folder [no #]. 1905-02-11.)
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"[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 Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH titled 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Orders from N.G. Herreshoff'. Relevant contents:
§57: Work Order [For] #641s. [When wanted] Early May. Rigging [8 pages] (1905-02-27 & 1905-02-28)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Order Book. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE08_03460. Folder [no #]. 1900-02 to 1909-10.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #641s Alice II even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Alice II (HMCo-made index card)
• Alice II (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: Alice II
Type: Cutter
Length: 45'
Owner: Warburg, P. M.

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

• Alice II
• 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: Alice II
Type: 45' cutter
Owner: P. M. Warburg
Row No.: 20

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: 16
Year: 1904
E/P/S: S
No.: 0641
Name: Alice II
LW: 45'
B: 13'
D: 9' 6"
Rig: Cutter
K: y
Ballast: Lead O.
Amount: 14500.00
Notes Constr. Record: 14-S-L Class. Germany.
Last Name: Warburg
First Name: P. 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.

"Exported to Hamburg, Germany." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 2, 2008.)

"Note that the Construction Record and LFH state that Alice II was built for 'P. M. Warburg', while in fact she was owned by Max M. Warburg of Hamburg, Germany, and named after his wife Alice. In Germany she was usually reported as being owned by M. Warburg and A. Jorjan (also B. Jorgan). She raced both on the North Sea and the Baltic." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 17, 2015.)

"[Alice II was sailed by a paid British crew and competed in several Kiel Weeks. She was sold out of the Warburg family before WW I. In 1967 she is thought to have been still extant in Denmark, with two masts, and used by a sail training school for young sailors. That boat was later bought by a Danish man close to Aarhus who intended to restore her but ran out of money. The boat fell into severe disrepair and in about 2007 he had her dismantled and the lead ballast sold.] (Source: Warburg, Max. [Letter to Claas van der Linde.] April 15, 2015.)

"The handwritten caption of a photo of Alice II that is still in the extended Warburg family suggests that this yacht was a gift by Paul M. Warburg and Felix Warburg to their brother Max M. Warburg. The same caption stated Max M. Warburg had to sell the boat most reluctantly in 1909 because her designer had not adhered to specifications. (It is unclear what this means.)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. August 13, 2018.)

"Built in 150 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $97/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.