HMCo #644s Happy Princess

Particulars

Construction_Record_Title.jpgName: Happy Princess
Type: Catboat
Designed by: NGH
Contract: 1904-12-27
Launch: 1905-5 ?
Construction: Wood
LOA: 42' 4" (12.90m)
LWL: 27' 6" (8.38m)
Beam: 12' 3" (3.73m)
Draft: 3' (0.91m)
Rig: Cat
Displ.: 12,945 lbs (5,872 kg)
Centerboard: yes
Ballast: Lead outside
Built for: Crozer, John P.
Amount: $5,250.00
Last reported: 1923 (aged 18)

Note: Particulars are primarily but not exclusively from the HMCo Construction Record. Supplementary information not from the Construction Record appears elsewhere in this record with a complete citation.

Model

Model #523Model number: 523
Model location: H.M.M. Model Room West Wall Right

Vessels from this model:
3 built, modeled by NGH
#548s Radiant (1901)
#582s Electra [Electra II] (1902)
#644s Happy Princess (1905)

Original text on model:
"No 548 RADIANT 1900-01 Scale 1" [rest unreadable]
1902 No 582 ELECTRA scale 1/15 [rest unreadable]." (Source: Original handwritten annotation on model. Undated.)

Model Description:
"21' lwl Radiant, centerboard sloop of 1900; with scale change, 27'6" lwl Electra, centerboard sloop of 1902." (Source: Bray, Maynard. 2004.)

Model Comment:
"Reference to model no. 523 was added by CvdL because Happy Princess' construction plan title states 'moulds of #582' and #582s Electra was built from model 523." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. September 1, 2009.)

Note: Vessels that appear in the records as not built, a cancelled contract, a study model, or as a model sailboat are listed but not counted in the list of vessels built from a model.

Offsets

Offset booklet number(s): HH.4.127

Offset booklet contents:
#548, #582, #644 [21' w.l. sloop Radiant, 27' 6" w.l. sloop Electra, 27' 6" catboat Happy Princess].

Offset Booklet(s) in Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass. (Restricted access --- see curator.)

Drawings

Main drawing Dwg 076-067 (HH.5.05525) Explore all drawings relating to this boat.

List of drawings:
   Drawings believed to have been first drawn for, or being first referenced to
   HMCo #644s Happy Princess are listed in bold.
   Click on Dwg number for preview, on HH number to see at M.I.T. Museum.
  1. Dwg 067-019 (HH.5.04746); Hand Wheel for Pilot House Steering Gear (1885-05-25)
  2. Dwg 060-048 (HH.5.04271): Bronze Knees for Center Board Box (1900-03-08)
  3. Dwg 079-050 (HH.5.05860): Mast Spreaders (1900-04-06)
  4. Dwg 079-053 (HH.5.05863): Boom Crotch (1900-04-20)
  5. Dwg 068-034 (HH.5.04838): Quadrant and Pinion Steering Gear # 546 (1900-09-05)
  6. Dwg 060-056 (HH.5.04279): Centreboard for 27' W.L. Racing Boat (1902-03-10)
  7. Dwg 079-089 (HH.5.05898): Spreaders for 579, 581, 582, 607, 608, 573, 611, 612, 622 (1902-04-02)
  8. Dwg 070-050 (HH.5.05050): Quarter Chock (1903-04-02)
  9. Dwg 068-064 (HH.5.04870): Pyramid Top for Steering Stand # 68-48 for 4" Card Compass (Made by John Bliss and Co.) (1904-05-17)
  10. Dwg 029-025 (HH.5.02121): General Arrangement > Plan of 27 1/2' W.L. Cat-Boat (1904-12-24)
  11. Dwg 127-170 (HH.5.10038): Sails > Sails "Happy Princess" (1905-03-24)
  12. Dwg 025-032 (HH.5.01781): Construction List # 644 (1905-03-30)
  13. Dwg 081-043 (HH.5.06131): Spars for # 644 (1905-04-05)
  14. Dwg 091-103 (HH.5.07378): Block and Metal List # 644 [Casting List] (1905-04-25)
  15. Dwg 064-074 (HH.5.04550): Rudder and Steering Gear (1905-04-26)
  16. Dwg 076-067 (HH.5.05525); Construction Dwg > Happy Princess Moulds of # 582, Book of # 548, 42'-4" O.A., 27'-6" W.L., 12'-3" Beam, 3'-0" Draft (1905-04-27)
  17. Dwg 068-048 (HH.5.04855): Steering Stand (1936-03-04)
Source: Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Together with: Hasselbalch, Kurt with Frances Overcash and Angela Reddin. Guide to The Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection. Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum, Cambridge, Mass., 1997. Together with: Numerous additions and corrections by Claas van der Linde.
Note: The Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection is copyrighted by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass. Permission to incorporate information from it in the Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné is gratefully acknowledged. The use of this information is permitted solely for research purposes. No part of it is to be published in any form whatsoever.

Documents

Other Contemporary Text Source(s)

"Getting Busy on Old Barnegat.
These are busy times around the club houses of the various yacht clubs on Barnegat Bay. In most instances arrangement is being made to open up on May 30 [1911] for the summer. ... John P. Crozer, of Upland, Pa., a leading spirit in Beach Haven yachting and the owner of the finest fleet of yachts on the Jersey Coast, is, having his various craft overhauled by Captain Will Smith at Tuckerton, where they were laid up for the winter. Mr. Crozer's fleet includes the famous Herreshoff creations, Happy Princess and Merry Thought, which have won many cups on the coast from Toms River to Atlantic City. ..." (Source: Anon. "Getting Busy on Old Barnegat." Forest and Stream, May 27, 1911, p. 20.)

"For Sale.
Sail yacht Happy Princess, 42 feet long, 12 feet beam. The fastest sailor for her length on the Atlantic Coast. In perfect order. ... Gielow & Orr, Stewart Building, Baltimore, Md." (Source: Anon. "For Sale." Baltimore Sun, April 22, 1917, p. 1.)

"Through Capt. James Bohannon the sailing yacht Happy Princess, about 40 feet long, was sold to C. M. Sedgwick, of Kansas City, by E. L. Parker, of Atlantic City, N. J. The yacht has been in winter quarters at Bear creek in charge of Captain Bohannon, who commands the Legonia II, belonging to W. B. Hurst, which will probably be taken by the Government." (Source: Anon. "Kansas City Man Buys Yacht." Baltimore Sun, May 29, 1917, p. 7.)

Archival Documents

"N/A"

"[Item Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH titled 'Herreshoff Mfg. Co. Orders from N.G. Herreshoff'. Relevant contents:
§64: Work Order [For] #644s. [When wanted] Latter part of May. Blocks (1905-03-23)
§65: Work Order [For] #644s. [When wanted] Latter part of May. Rigging [3 pages] (1905-03-23)." (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.)
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 ㊶ ㊷ ㊸ ㊹ ㊺ ㊻ ㊼ ㊽ ㊾ ㊿
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 ㊶ ㊷ ㊸ ㊹ ㊺ ㊻ ㊼ ㊽ ㊾ ㊿
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

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #644s Happy Princess even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.


Registers

1905 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#2121)
Name: [Not yet named: Happy Princess]
Owner: John P. Crozer; Port: Tuckerton, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig c.b. [centerboard] Cat
LOA 42.3; LWL 27.4; Extr. Beam 12.3; Draught 3.0
Sailmaker Herreshoff M. Co.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Her. M. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905

1906 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1188)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: John P. Crozer; Port: Tuckerton, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-4; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HMCo.
Builder Her. M. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905

1912 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1216)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: E. A. Parker; Port: Atlantic City, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K-cb [Keel-Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-4; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HmCo.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905

1914 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1237)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: E. A. Parker; Port: Atlantic City, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K-cb [Keel-Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-4; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HMCo.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905

1917 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1237)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: E. A. Parker; Port: Atlantic City, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K-cb [Keel-Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-4; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HmCo.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905

1920 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1200)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: E. A. Parker; Port: Atlantic City, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K-cb [Keel-Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-5; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HMCo.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905
Note that Happy Princess was reported in 1917 to have been sold to Kansas.

1923 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#1191)
Name: Happy Princess
Owner: E. A. Parker; Port: Atlantic City, N. J.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K-cb [Keel-Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Cat
LOA 42-4; LWL 27-4; Extr. Beam 12-4; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker HmCo.; Sails made in [19]05
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1905
Note that Happy Princess was reported in 1917 to have been sold to Kansas.

Source: Various Yacht Lists and Registers. For complete biographical information see the Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné under Data Sources. Note that this section shows only snapshots in time and should not be considered a provenance, although it can help creating one.

Supplement

From the 1920 and earlier HMCo Index Cards at the MIT Museum
  • 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.
From the 1931 HMCo-published Owner's List

Name: Happy Princess
Type: Cat
Length: 27'6"
Owner: Crozer, John P.

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

From the 1930s L. Francis Herreshoff Index Cards at the Herreshoff Marine Museum
  • 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.
From the 1953 HMCo Owner's List by L. Francis Herreshoff

Name: Happy Princess
Type: 27' 5" cat
Owner: John P. Crozer
Year: 1905
Row No.: 267

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.

From the 2000 (ca.) Transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Vermilya/Bray

Month: Dec
Day: 27
Year: 1904
E/P/S: S
No.: 0644
Name: Happy Princess
LW: 27' 6"
B: 12' 3"
D: 3'
Rig: Cat
CB: y
Ballast: Lead O.
Amount: 5250.00
Last Name: Crozer
First Name: J. P.

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

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Citation: HMCo #644s Happy Princess. Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné. https://herreshoff.info/Docs/S00644_Happy_Princess.htm.