HMCo #658s Irolita II

"[1906-01-06] Sat 6: Contracted with E.W. Clark of Phil[adelphia] for 65' wl. cruising sloop [#658s Irolita II] for the 57' class. cb.
[1906-02-21] Wed 21: Cast lead keel for #658 [Irolita II], Mr. Clark's 65' sloop in 3 h[ours] 40 m[inutes].
[1906-02-26] Mon 26: ... Set wood keel on lead of #658 [Irolita II].
[1906-03-04] Sun 4: H[eav[y] S rain storm last night. ... About 2/3 of frames set in #658 [Irolita II].
[1906-03-18] Sun 18: ... 4 plank[s] on #658 [Irolita II].
[1906-04-07] Sat 7: ... Mr. Clark [owner of #658s Irolita II] ... here.
[1906-04-16] Mon 16: 657 ... #658 [Irolita II] deck nearly laid & putting on inside work.
[1906-05-12] Sat 12: Fine. Launched #658 Irolita.
[1906-06-13] Wed 13: Tried Irolita [#658s] in fresh breeze and everything OK.
[1906-06-14] Thu 14: Irolita [#658s] left in PM." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1906. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"... Irolita II [Name], 658 [Building Number], 59.6 [Rating], 65.7 [Waterline], 58.25 [L = length at 1/4 beam as for Universal Rule], 17.84 [B = breadth of waterline as for Universal Rule], 11.25 [d = draft of water as for Universal Rule], 2,414 [D = displacement in cubic foot as for Universal Rule (= 154,496 lbs or 69.0 long tons)], 5740 [Sail Area], 6180 [Sail limit Present rule], -640 [sic] [Diff.], 6200 [Sail limit Proposed rule], -460 [Diff.], Very able [Notes] ..." (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

"[In 1906 we] also [built] IROLITA II, a very wholesome sixty-five feet sloop, in which [I] sailed in one race against the Seventy Footers and lost." (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. 71.)

"The next 'Irolita' designed by Captain Nat came out in 1906 as a sloop and was changed to a schooner, ninety feet O.A., sixty-six feet W.L., eighteen feet beam, and eleven foot draft. She afterward had the names of 'Virginia,' 'Princess,' and 'Saraband,' and was considered one of the handsomest schooners on the Sound for a few years after World War I." (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.)

"The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company has received another order for a racing schooner. She will be 64 feet in length on the waterline." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, January 9, 1906, p. 2.)

"Two racing schooners are under construction at the boat shops of the Herresboff Manufacturing company. One of the vessels [#657s Queen] will be about 91 1/2 feet water line and 126 feet over all. It is being built for J. Rogers Maxwell of New York, a well-known member of the New York Yacht Club. The craft will be of steel throughout, steel plated and beamed, and will be equipped with a small centerboard. She will be built in the south shop, where noted cup defenders have been constructed and the contract calls for completion June 1.
The other craft [#658s Irolita II] to be constructed is a smaller schooner for Commodore E. W. Clark of the Corinthian Yacht club of Philadelphia. She will have a water line length of about 70 feet. It is expected she will be completed by the first of July.
An interesting feature about the work of laying down the lines of these two boats is that three sons of Designer Nat Herreshoff have been assisting their father. The boys are all under 21 years of age and show an aptitude for the work which clearly demonstrates that they are following in the footsteps of their father." (Source: Anon. "Racing Schooners Being Built." Bristol Phoenix, January 16, 1906, p. 3.)

"... The boat [#658s Irolita II] building for Commodore E. Walter Clark, Philadelphia Corinthian Y. C, is to be rigged as a sloop and not as a schooner, as was originally announced. She is a keel boat with a waterline length of 65ft. ..." (Source: Anon. "New Boats Building at Bristol." Forest and Stream, February 17, 1906, p. 274.)

"Wednesday [March 28, 1906] evening several spars in the rough arrived from Boston for the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.They include masts, booms, gaffs, clubs for topsails and spinnaker poles and are for the Maxwell [#657s Queen] and Clark [#658s Irolita II] boats being constructed at the famous boat shop." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, March 30, 1906, p. 2.)

"Work is progressing well on the Maxwell [#657s Queen] and Clark [#658s Irolita II] racing boats being built at the Herreshoff boat shops. ... All the planking is nearly on Commodore Clark's 65-footer which is being constructed in the north shop and tomorrow the work of planing and sand papering the hull will begin. She has steel frames and yellow pine planking...." (Source: Anon. "At the Herreshoff Boat Shops." Bristol Phoenix, April 3, 1906, p. 4.)

"... Work on the Clark boat is ... progressing rapidly. The decks have been planked and it is expected that this craft, which is considerately smaller than the Maxwell boat [#657s Queen], will be launched about May 1." (Source: Anon. "New Boats Nearing Completion." Bristol Phoenix, April 24, 1906, p. 1.)

"... The Herreshoff boat [#658s Irolita II] for F. M. Clark has been far enough advanced to warrant its going overboard, but no information can be obtained from the Bristol wonder as to his intentions, and even the owners of the new boats he is building don't know. Both the sloop and the schooner --- the Queen [#657s] for J. Rogers Maxwell --- are scheduled for delivery June 1, and as the sloop will be launched first, the chances favor its being put over this week with the ninety-footer following next. Even this will only give a bit over ten days to finish the two boats on schedule." (Source: Anon. "Racing Yachts Ready for Launching." New York Times, May 13, 1906, p. 8.)

"A new flagship for the Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia, Pa., was launched Saturday [May 12, 1906] at 11.10 o'clock from the north shop of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. The new flagship is a 60-foot sloop yacht named Irolita and is owned by Commodore E Walter Clarke of Philadelphia. Commodore Clarke was present at the launching.
The new sloop is named after Commodore Clarke's daughter Irolita, who christened the craft by breaking a bottle of wine on her bow as she started to slide down the greased ways. The sloop slid into the water without mishap and was soon hauled up to the north dock where her mast was stepped before noon and the work of rigging was begun. It is expected that she will be ready for a trial trip tomorrow.
The Irolita is of composite build, having steel frames and yellow pine planking. Her outside lead ballast weighs about 30 tons and forms the keel. She is about 85 feet over all, 58 on the water line, 14 feet beam and has a draught of about nine feet. She is of the modern type of keel boats built at Herreshoff's and has lines similar to the Reliance [#605s]. The new boat is fitted up for comfortable cruising as well as for speed and she is to take part in regattas around Delaware Bay the coming summer." (Source: Anon. "Sixty Footer Launched." Bristol Phoenix, May 15, 1906, p. 4.)

"Irolita Launched. --- On Saturday, May 12 [1906], the sloop Irolita, Commodore E. Walter Clark, Philadelphia Corinthian Y. C, was launched at the shops of the Herreshoffs. The riggers were at once put to work rigging and it is expected that a trial spin will be taken this week. Irolita's dimensions are, length over all 86ft., water-line 59ft., with a breadth of 14ft. The construction is composite, steel framing and wood planking, and though Irolita was designed for a racing boat she is of such dimensions and construction as to have very comfortable accommodations below decks." (Source: Anon. "Yacht News Notes." Forest and Stream, May 19, 1906, p. 801.)

"[Abstract of register or enrollment. Pos. 466:]
Irolita, sloop yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, 1906.
42 tons; 66.6 ft. x 18 ft. x 9.8 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
One deck, one mast, overhanging head [bow].
Enr[olled] and Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) May 26, 1906. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol. Master: N. G. Herreshoff, Bristol,.
Surrendered [license] May 8, 1907 at Philadelphia. ([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. Irolita.)

"The new keel for the Irolita was finished yesterday at the Herreshoff boat shops. The boat was built for Commodore E. W. Clark last winter and launched in June." (Source: Anon. "Bristol and Vicinity." Bristol Phoenix, September 28, 1906, p. 2

"Bristol, R. I., Nov. 23. --- ... The sails to be used for the Irolita are all ready at Herreshoff's, and next spring the craft will be transformed from a sloop to a schooner rig with practically the same area of canvas. ..." (Source: Anon. "Little Activity At Herreshoff's." Boston Herald, November 24, 1907, p. 6.)

"(Special Dispatch to the Sunday Herald.) BRISTOL. R. I., March 28 --- ... The Irolita, raced as a sloop for the past three seasons by her owner, Commodore E. Walter Clark of Philadelphia, was launched from the Herreshoff boat shops last Monday after an overhauling and changing to conform to a schooner rig. Since the launching, both fore and mainmasts have been stepped, and the rigging attached. ..." (Source: Anon. "Two Boats Sent Abroad for Plant. Motor Craft and Racing Sloop Intended for Use on His Palatial Yacht." Boston Herald, March 29, 1908, p. 13.)

"... The sixty-foot sloop, Irolita, is now being made into a schooner. As such, Commodore E. Walter Clark hopes to have a mighty able boat. Whether he will or not is a question. As a sloop she was successful neither as a racer nor a cruiser. In regattas she was a laggard from start to finish. There seemed no conditions in which she was able to keep up with the leaders, to say nothing of being a leader herself. The desire to make a combination racing and cruising craft resulted in a hybrid creation and poor at that. ..." (Source: Anon. "The Month in Yachting." Yachting, April 1908, p. 201.)

"BRISTOL, R. I., June 12 [1909] --- The schooner Irolita, formerly the sloop of the same name and built at Herreshoff's in 1906 for Commodore E. Walter Clark of Philadelphia, made her first appearance here under schooner rig and spent a week in the harbor for the purpose of receiving a new suit of sails and having the spars and rigging overhauled. Irolita looks much better under schooner rig than swinging a single mast and it was with difficulty her identity was revealed as she sailed up Narragansett bay on a trip from Old Point Comfort, Va., where she wintered. ..." (Source: Anon. "Bristol Notes." Boston Globe, June 13, 1909, p. 41.)

"... The schooner Irolita, which was purchased by the late J Rogers Maxwell at the time of the transfer of his schooner Queen [#657s] to E Walter Clark of the Eastern Y C, will be placed in commission by Harry L. Maxwell and raced on all available occasions. The name of the Irolita has been changed to that of the Princess. ..." (Source: Anon. "Notes from the Week's Log." Boston Globe, April 23, 1911, p. 61.)

"The John G. Alden yacht agency of Boston announces the sale of the fast schooner Princess, ex-lrolita, for the estate of J. Rogers Maxwell to a member of the New Yacht Club. Princess will be raced in all important regattas on the coast and will be seen on the Eastern Y. C. cruise next summer, of which club the owner is a member. Princess was built in 1906 by Herreshoff for E. W. Clark, of Philadelphia, and was changed to a schooner in 1908. The principal dimensions are 95 feet over-all, 65 feet load waterline, 18 feet beam and 11 feet draft." (Source: Anon. "Yacht Sales." Forest and Stream, October 14, 1911, p. 591.)

"The Princess, ex-Irolita, recently purchased by L. F. Crofoot of Omaha, Neb, from Demarest Lloyd of Boston, has been towed from Lawley's yard to Marblehead for an overhauling and painting." (Source: Anon. "Notes from the Week's Log." Boston Globe, April 21, 1912, p. 51.)

"United States Customs Service. Collection District No. 10, Port of New York. Notice is hereby given that under the Act of Feb. 19, 1920, and in pursuance of authority granted by the Commissioner of Navigation, on the application of H. G. S. Noble, the name of the schooner yacht Virginia, burden 62 gross tons, oflicial number 203,078, has been changed to Princess." (Source: Stewart, H. C. Acting Collector of Customs. "Change of Vessel's Name." Nautical Gazette, 1922, vol. 103, [p. 640?].)

"... The schooner Princess, formerly the Virginia, then Princess, then Irolita, now again Princess, owned by H. G. S. Noble of the New York Yacht Club, which left Herreshoff's, April 8, for New York, ran into a blow on Long Island Sound. She went through all right, but found it a 'wet sea,' so wet in fact that her launch was washed off the deck and lost...." (Source: Anon. "Notes From The Week's Log." Boston Globe, May 13, 1923, p. 65.)

"The RKO theatre situation is looking up. Harold B. Franklin took an afternoon off the other day from his arduous duties at RKO to buy a boat. Unaccustomed as he was to public yachting, 'H. B.' returned with lungs pumping salt and his body covered with sunburn. Next day at Rockefeller Center, visitors in the reception room observed the RKO nurse and a horde of pages and office boys hurrying hither and yon in search of soothing oils and cotton with which they administered to Mr. Franklin a thorough patting and rubbing. It was suggested that Mr. Franklin call his new yacht the 'Roxy'. But it's not that kind of a boat. He named it the 'Princess' instead." (Source: Anon. [No Title.] Motion Picture Herald, 1933, vol. 111, [p. 19?].)

"Harold B. Franklin, Radio City, New York, has just purchased, for immediate delivery, an 18-foot De Luxe Chris-Craft runabout. Mr. Franklin plans on using his Chris-Craft as a tender on his two-masted schooner yacht. Princess. [The 'show must go on' comes to mind when one contemplates why H. B. Franklin as president of Radio City and the RKO film studios and chain of movie theatres had acquired #658s Princess ex-Irolita at a time when RKO was already in financial receivership. A few months later Franklin would be forced out of this job and go on to other ventures in the movie business.]" (Source: Anon. "Tender For Schooner Yacht." Motor Boating, August 1933, p. 97.)

"The Saraband, the large schooner owned by John Nicholas Brown, may not be in commission this season, according to word received here. The yacht, which was not in commission last year, is tied to one of the local docks. She is one of the largest of the yachts of the schooner days to be registered from Newport. ..." (Source: Anon. "Brown Schooner May Not Be Commissioned." Newport Mercury And Weekly News, March 11, 1938, p. 8.)

"The Schooner Saraband, large pleasure yacht formerly owned by John Nicholas Brown and registered from this city, has been sold to A. A. Washton of New London, Conn. The craft, which has long been a familiar sight in local waters, was built in Bristol in 1906-1907 for E. Walter Clark, ..." (Source: Anon. "Newport Yacht Sold. Saraband, Owned By John Nicholas Brown. Winner Of 1934 Astor Cup Race." Newport Mercury, February 16, 1940, p. 7.)

"1940. ... John Nicholas Brown's 91-foot schooner Saraband was sold to a New London owner who cut her rig down and turned her into a fisherman. ..." (Source: Davis, Jeff. Yachting in Narragansett Bay. Providence, 1946, p. 95.)

"ADMIRAL BILLARD CAMP. Cruises on 90ft. schooner yacht 'Saraband'. Boys 7-18. Naval customs, uniforms, drills. Tutoring Available. Sailing, swimming, rowing, fishing, tennis, baseball, etc. Moderate fee. Catalog. Palmer Q. Niles. Supt., New London, Conn." (Source: Anon. "Summer Schools and Camps." Boys' Life, April 1941, p. 48.)

"Two suits, including one on trial resulting from a collision between a tug and a yacht in the local harbor, were reported settled in superior court here today. ...
In the harbor collision suit reported settled, Mary and R. Frank Waugh of Groton sought $7,500 from William G. and Thomas J. Howard of New York, doing business as the Howard Transportation Co., owners of a tug and a barge involved in the accident.
The plaintiffs said their yacht Saraband was extensively damaged when the tug Charles P. Greenough, with the barge Tyler lashed alongside, ran into it Nov. 7. 1945, while it was moored south of Long's dock on the Groton side of the harbor. Mrs. Waugh also alleged personal injuries." (Source: Anon. "Tug-Yacht Collision Suit Settled." The New London Day, March 2, 1949, p. 2.)

"Despite the gloomy economic climate, plenty of yachts were on display at Fishers [Island] throughout the 1930s. The glamorous sailboats were schooners, and the largest and most glamorous of the was Saraband, John Nicholas Brown's 91-footer from the great Herreshoff yard of Bristol, Rhode Island (like all Brown's yachts, named for a dance). ...
[During the hurricane of 1938] Saraband ... was so beaten up in her slip at Newport that John Nicholas Brown declined to even attempt to bring her back; the great schooner ended her days as a houseboat on the Thames River." (Source: Rousmaniere, John. Sailing at Fishers. Mystic, CT, 2004, p. 43, 73.)

"Coming back to Irolita II, the ex-cutter converted to a schooner, her destiny was somewhat surprising. During 1910, Clark sold the yacht to the son of the owner of Queen, Henry 'Harry' L. Maxwell. This transaction would have allowed him to settle up for the share of Queen he had just acquired. Harry Maxwell changed Irolita II's name to Princess in 1911.
The following year, the schooner came into the ownership of a yachtsman from Omaha, Nebraska, L.F. Crofoot, who rechristened her Virginia. In 1920, he passed her on to the New Yorker Henry G. S. Noble who at first kept the name Virginia but in 1932 changed it to Princess. In 1933, Princess was owned by the Robert Jacob, Inc., shipyard of New York, which chartered her to the future commodore of the NYYC, John Nicholas Brown. The latter then purchased her the following year. The schooner changed her name again becoming Saraband.
Brown's trademark was to name all his yachts after a dance: Bolero, Volta, Mazurka, and Malaguena. A newcomer to competition, John Nicholas Brown triumphed with the old but sprightly Saraband when, on 16 August 1934, he won the Astor Cup. John Nicholas raced regularly throughout the seasons of 1935 and 1936 during which he won the Navy Challenge Cup. Two years later, Saraband suffered terribly in a terrifying hurricane, as did Mary Rose, another of Captain Nat's schooners launched in 1926. The damage was such that Brown gave up any plans to have her repaired.
Nonetheless, Saraband was recovered in 1940 by a resident of New London, Connecticut, A. A. Washton. During the Second World War, her homeport was Newport. In 1946, Saraband belonged to R. Frank and Mary Waugh from New London. The schooner disappeared off the registers in 1949, and all trace of her was lost." (Source: Taglang, Jacques. Mariette and the Herreshoff Schooners. Vol. 1. Eynesse, 2010, p. 238-239.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled preliminary general arrangement plan titled 'Suggested arrangement 658' [#658s IROLITA II]. Undated (IROLITA II was contracted for January 6, 1901)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled General Arrangement Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0219. WRDT04, Folder 21, formerly MRDE08. No date (1901-01 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled preliminary general arrangement plan. Believed to be a preliminary sketch for #658s IROLITA II and close to another preliminary plan for her. Undated (IROLITA II was contracted for January 6, 1901)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled General Arrangement Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0220. WRDT04, Folder 21, formerly MRDE08. No date (1901-01 ?).)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections with pinpricks and displacement curves titled 'No. 658 [#658s] IROLITA 2nd. Cruising sloop for 57ft class. w.l. 65ft 8 1/2in = 65.7[ft]. L = 58ft 3in = 58.25[ft]. 1905 or 1906 [IROLITA was contracted for January 6, 1906]'. With calculations arriving at a total displacement of 2335[cuft] = 150500lbs and a wetted surface of 1218[sqft]." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_01730. Folder [no #]. 1905 or 1906 (ca 1906-01-06).)
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"[Item Description:] Ink on paper preliminary general arrangement plan with plan view, midship section and inboard profile titled 'Preliminary plan of 57' Cass sloop #658 [IROLITA II] to accompany specifications' and marked in ink 'Approved July 8 [1906] N.G. Herreshoff'. With penciled note 'See new drawing of Jan. 21 [1906] with changes'. (This plan not in Hart Nautical Collections.)" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Inked Plan. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0215. WRDT04, Folder 20, formerly MRDE08. 1906-01-08.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled 'Lead for No. 658 [#658 IROLITA II]. Scale 1/8 size. Jan[uary] 28 1906. See other side'. With calculations and note 'Required. 72500lbs lead with c.g. .595 of wl'. On verso another set of penciled pantograph lead sections titled '#658 [IROLITA II]. Sept[ember] 7th 1907. Change in keel with c.b. left out. See other side'. With calculations and note 'Required. 70000lbs with c.g. 7 1/2in aft of # 33 frame' and concluding with 'Calculated lead 69800 with c.g. 7 1/4in # 32 frame'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (?) (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_07870. Folder [no #]. 1906-01-28.)
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"[Item Description:] Newspaper clipping titled 'New Era Appears in Yacht Building. Safe and Sane Types Now Being Developed by Designer Herreshoff' with full page article describing Herreshoff history, NGH and JBH, special emphasis on #590s INGOMAR, #657s QUEEN, #658s IROLITA II, mention of #625s DORIS, NGH's sons (three of whom helped lay down QUEEN's lines), the cottage on Brurnside street for the use of the employees in their recreation or studies, and the Herreshoff Marine Band. With photos sub-titled 'Nat Herreshoff and Foreman on the way to the Shops [driving NGH's Stanley Surry], 'John B. Herreshoff's Yacht, the EUGENIA [#224p], 'Nat Herreshoff's House, Boathouse and Wharf', 'Where Cup Defenders are Born' and Herreshoff Shops from the Water'." (Source: Providence Sunday Journal (creator). Newspaper Clipping. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE14_01150. Folder [no #]. 1906-06-17.)
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"[Item Description:] Re new class of racing sloop (NY57 class of three consisting of #663s ISTALENA for Pynchon, #664s WINSOME for Lippit, #667s AURORA for C. Vanderbilt), like the profile you sent, is there enough sail area for racing at the head of Long Island Sound, is it possible to slightly increase headroom, interior arrangement can be improved somewhat, I liked the arrangement in IROLITA [#591s or #658s?] better, need nine berths in forecastle, crew of eleven, talked with Lippitt on the phone and can safely say you will get a contract provided the price is satisfactory, suggest if you will be down with #215p ROAMER that we all meet" (Source: Pynchon, George M. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_23860. Correspondence, Folder 70. 1906-09-04.)
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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 Description:] will you please give me quarter beam length, displacement and draught of #658s IROLITA, incl. penciled figures by NGH" (Source: Hallock, William. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_34500. Subject Files, Folder 42, formerly 32. 1907-06-15.)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink and) table / design rule titled 'Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule' and signed 'Nath'l G. Herreshoff. Bristol R.I. July 16, 1907'. With formula 'Sailarea not more than C * B * (L * d * D)^.025 in which C = constant depending on rig, as follows: Sloops & Yawls not carrying topsails C=8.75. Full rigged Sloops C=9.8. Full rigged Schooners and Yawls C=9.3. L = length at 1/4 beam as for Universal Rule. B = breadth of waterline as for Universal Rule. d = draft of water as for Universal Rule. D = displacement as for Universal Rule. The following are examples of application of the above formula to some well known yachts designed by the author. Measurements for Universal Rule'. Followed by tabulated data showing Building Number, Rating, Waterline, L, B, d, D, S, Sail limit Present rule, Diff., Sail limit Proposed rule, Diff., and Notes for Buzzards Bay 15 [#503s class], KILDEE [#460s], SIS [#536s], DOROTHY Q [#668s], SENECA [#670s], N.Y.Y.C. 30 [#626s class], NEWPORT 30 [#463s class], ELECTRA [#530s], SPASM [#538s], PLEASURE [#545s], NEITH [#665s], DELIGHT [#679s], GLORIANA [#411s], ALTAIR [#539s], AVENGER [#666s], DORIS [#625s], WINSOME [#664s class], IROLITA II [#658s], YANKEE [#534s], CONSTITUTION [#551s], RELIANCE [#605s], PETREL [#510s], QUEEN [#657s], INGOMAR [#590s], WESTWARD [#692s], AND [KATOURA] [#722s]. [In an article in the March 5, 1905 Boston Globe (p40), N. G. Herreshoff argued that unless there be a stricter limit on sail area in the present Universal Rule, there would be only few cruising yachts racing. This formula is apparently an attempt to address the above issue. See elsewhere for complete spreadsheet transcription.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Table. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080. Folder [no #]. 1907-07-13.)
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"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink) rating rule titled 'Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule' and signed 'Nath'l G. Herreshoff. Bristol R.I. July 16, 1907'. With formula 'Sailarea not more than C * B * (L * d * D)^.025 in which C = constant depending on rig, as follows: Sloops & Yawls not carrying topsails C=8.75. Full rigged Sloops C=9.8. Full rigged Schooners and Yawls C=9.3. L = length at 1/4 beam as for Universal Rule. B = breadth of waterline as for Universal Rule. d = draft of water as for Universal Rule. D = displacement as for Universal Rule. The following are examples of application of the above formula to some well known yachts designed by the author. Measurements for Universal Rule'. Followed by tabulated data showing Building Number, Rating, Waterline, L, B, d, D, S, Sail limit Present rule, Diff., Sail limit Proposed rule, Diff., and Notes for Buzzards Bay 15 [#503s class], KILDEE [#460s], SIS [#536s], DOROTHY Q [#668s], SENECA [#670s], N.Y.Y.C. 30 [#626s class], NEWPORT 30 [#463s class], ELECTRA [#530s], SPASM [#538s], PLEASURE [#545s], NEITH [#665s], DELIGHT [#679s], GLORIANA [#411s], ALTAIR [#539s], AVENGER [#666s], DORIS [#625s], WINSOME [#664s class], IROLITA II [#658s], YANKEE [#534s], CONSTITUTION [#551s], RELIANCE [#605s], PETREL [#510s], QUEEN [#657s], INGOMAR [#590s], WESTWARD [#692s], AND [KATOURA] [#722s]. [In an article in the March 5, 1905 Boston Globe (p40), N. G. Herreshoff argued that unless there be a stricter limit on sail area in the present Universal Rule, there would be only few cruising yachts racing. This formula is apparently an attempt to address the above issue. See elsewhere for complete spreadsheet transcription.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Handwritten Rating Rule. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00260. Folder [no #]. 1907-07-16.)
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"[Item Description:] Blueprint table titled 'Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule' and signed 'Nath'l G. Herreshoff. Bristol R.I. July 16, 1907'. With formula 'Sailarea not more than C * B * (L * d * D)^.025 in which C = constant depending on rig, as follows: Sloops & Yawls not carrying topsails C=8.75. Full rigged Sloops C=9.8. Full rigged Schooners and Yawls C=9.3. L = length at 1/4 beam as for Universal Rule. B = breadth of waterline as for Universal Rule. d = draft of water as for Universal Rule. D = displacement as for Universal Rule. The following are examples of application of the above formula to some well known yachts designed by the author. Measurements for Universal Rule'. Followed by tabulated data showing Building Number, Rating, Waterline, L, B, d, D, S, Sail limit Present rule, Diff., Sail limit Proposed rule, Diff., and Notes for Buzzards Bay 15 [#503s class], KILDEE [#460s], SIS [#536s], DOROTHY Q [#668s], SENECA [#670s], N.Y.Y.C. 30 [#626s class], NEWPORT 30 [#463s class], ELECTRA [#530s], SPASM [#538s], PLEASURE [#545s], NEITH [#665s], DELIGHT [#679s], GLORIANA [#411s], ALTAIR [#539s], AVENGER [#666s], DORIS [#625s], WINSOME [#664s class], IROLITA II [#658s], YANKEE [#534s], CONSTITUTION [#551s], RELIANCE [#605s], PETREL [#510s], QUEEN [#657s], INGOMAR [#590s], WESTWARD [#692s], AND [KATOURA] [#722s]. [In an article in the March 5, 1905 Boston Globe (p40), N. G. Herreshoff argued that unless there be a stricter limit on sail area in the present Universal Rule, there would be only few cruising yachts racing. This formula is apparently an attempt to address the above issue. See elsewhere for complete spreadsheet transcription.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Blueprint Table. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. 2004.0001.0169. WRDT08, Folder 16, formerly MRDE06. 1907-07-16.)
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"N/A"

"[Item Transcription:] Enclosed please find the Proposed Amendments to the Racing Rules adopted by the Conference last Thursday, also Mr. Poor's letter as Secretary of the Committee. If you will send me what you think is a good definition of a 'yawl', I will present it to the other members of the Committee. I felt all along, that if they had left the entire matter of changing the rules in your hands, the universal rule in this country would have been much better off. While I did not make the above statement in the exact words at the conference, I expressed my feelings to that effect.
I think you will see Mr. Rumrill [whose contract for #685s ADVENTURESS will be signed December 19, 1908 ]in person either Monday or Tuesday, if not before. Incl NGH draft reply: I didn't get your[?] letter until this a.m[?].
Have looked over draft of amendments and have penciled lightly a few notes in places that may need some attention.
About definition of yawl. I will suggest a group of definitions:
Schooner: A fore & aft rigged vessel with two or more masts and generally with bowsprit, carrying the largest sail on aftermost mast.
Ketch: A fore & aft rigged vessel with two or more masts and generally with bowsprit having the aftermost mast stepped forward of rudder and its sail smaller than the mainsail.
Yawl: A fore & aft rigged vessel with two or more masts and generally with bowsprit having the aftermost mast stepped aft the rudder and carrying a small sail.
Sloop: A fore & aft rigged vessel with one mast and bowsprit.
Knockabout: A small sloop rigged vessel without bowsprit and generally without topmast.
Catboat: A small vessel having one mast stepped near the bow, carrying a mainsail only.
I thank you for your kind consideration of me, but I don't aspire to any such position. My feeling is to see the most perfect rules in force, but I am afraid the present changes are not all what they should have been.
Dec 15 [19]08. I find QUEEN's [#657s] mast is 54% of w.l. IROLITA [#658s] sch[ooner] rig is also 54% and INGOMAR [#590s] 56%. In her case the mast had to be placed aft of proper position to get the saloon forward of it that Mr Plant wanted, rig being a secondary consideration. The only ketch we have built (SPALPEEN [#481s]) the main boom[?] is 60% of w.l. The mizzen mast is stepped forward of cockpit in which the tiller reaches a little way into. I consider the rig a normal one and well suited for a cruising boat. The last yawl we have built (PETREL [#510s]) has mainsail 40% of S and mizzen over 10% of S. The rig is good proportion[?] for cruising yacht, with mizzen larger enough to be of use with mainsail off.
I can see no sense in ruling against such a rig as QUEEN or IROLITA, or any rig that proves censenwi[?] and fast, and the masts stepped inbound enough that they can be held and not strain the vessel. The practical difficulty with most yawls is in straining the stern of the vessel. To overcome that they might rule that the section of the hull where mizzen is stepped must not be less than say 1/2 B in width or 1/6 B in depth, with area of mizzen not more than 1/10 S. I would suggest that instead of the limitation proposed that the Measurer report any abnormal rig to a committee who should decide on its merits and also on handicap to be revised[?] from a standard[?] sloop.
[With table:]
Allowance for rig
Sloops & knockabouts 100% of rating
Yawls 2 masts 93% of rating
Schooners 2 masts 90% of rating
Ketch 2 masts 86% of rating
Yawls 3 masts 81% of rating
Schooner 3 masts 81% of rating
Ketch 3 masts 77% of rating" (Source: Emmons, Robert W. (incl NGH reply). Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_69450. Measuring and Measurement Rules (Box 1), Folder B1F02, formerly MRDE15. 1908-12-05.)
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"[Item Description:] #658s IROLITA measurements" (Source: Webb, Harold C. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_22950. Correspondence, Folder 67, formerly 135. 1910-06-28.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled note listing prices for 70 footers of the #529s class, #658s IROLITA II, #698s VAGRANT I, #719s VAGRANT II and ISTALENA of the #663s class followed by what may be cost estimates for 'Dub[?] VAGRANT 2nd', '91 o.a., 66 w.l., 20 beam = power' and 'Dub[?] MARIETTE [#772s] + power'. Undated, the latest of these boats, MARIETTE was built in 1916." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. (?) (creator). Cost Estimate. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE03_03270. Folder [no #]. No date (1916 or later ?).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Printed pamphlet titled 'Racing Rules. New York Yacht Club. 1924'. Incl. a printed 'List of yachts, the measurements of which are on file with the Race Committee. July, 1924.
Schooners
D 7 FLYING CLOUD
D 10 IROLITA [#663s ex-ISTALENA]
C 5 MARIETTE [#772s ]
E 14 NOMAD
F 22 NORKA
C 2 OHONKARA [#827s ]
D 8 PRINCESS [#658s ex-IROLITA II]
E 9 QUEEN MAB [#698s ex-VAGRANT I]
E 16 SHAWNA
C 12 SONNICA
C 7 VAGRANT [#719s ]
FF 1 WANDERER IX
D 22 WILDFIRE [#891s ]
Fifty Class
N.Y. 52 ANDIAMO [#716s ex-SAMURI]
N.Y. 55 CAROLINA [#716s ]
N.Y. 53 IROQUOIS II [#721s ]
N.Y. 54 MYSTIC [#715s ex-GRAYLING]
N.Y. 56 SPARTAN [#716s ]
Forty Class
N.Y.Y.C. 8 BANSHEE [#782s ex-PAULINE]
N.Y.Y.C. 2 COCKATOO [#775s ex-DOLLY BOWEN]
N.Y.Y.C. 12 IRIS [#777s ex-ZILPH]
N.Y.Y.C. 6 MISTRAL [#782s ]
N.Y.Y.C. 7 PAMPERO [#775s ]
N.Y.Y.C. 9 ROWDY [#777s ]
N.Y.Y.C. 3 SALLY ANN [#779s ex-JESSICA]
N.Y.Y.C. 10 SHAWARA [#782s ]
THIRTY CLASS
N.Y. 18 ADIOS [#647s ex-ANEMONE]
N.Y. 1 ALERA [#647s ]
N.Y. 7 ALICE [#632s ex-TABASCO]
N.Y. 15 BANZAI [#647s ]
N.Y. 8 CAROLITA [#633s ex-CARLITA]
N.Y. 4 COUNTESS [#629s ex-MAID OF MEUDON]
N.Y. 14 FIJI II [#639s ex-CARA MIA]
N.Y. 5 LENA [#630s ex-PINTAIL]
N.Y. 12 MINX [#638s ex-NEOLA II]
N.Y. 11 ORIOLE [#637s ex-ORIOLE]
N.Y. 13 PHANTOM [#648s ex-MINX]
0 Class
L.O. 1 GEORGIA
L.O. 4 GREY DAWN
L.O. 5 MAISIE
L.O. 3 NIMBUS
Various Classes
N 2 ALICE
N.Y. 58 BARBARA [#717s ] (Aux. Sloop)
P 1 BUTTERFLY [#586s ex-NELLIE]
M 15 LADRONE [#634s ex-SUZETTA III] (Aux. Yawl)
N.Y. 51 REVERY [#720s ex-ACUSHLA] (Aux. Yawl)
M 6 VENTURA [#717s ]
K 3 WINSOME [#717s ] (Aux. Ketch)'.
Of 49 yachts listed (including 11 NY30s, 8 NY40s and 5 NY50s plus 2 NY50s and 1 NY70 out of class) 37 or 75% were designed and built by Herreshoff." (Source: New York Yacht Club (creator). Printed Pamphlet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE08_01830. Folder [no #]. 1924.)
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"[Item Description:] Penciled note with data for lwl, displacement, wetted surface, sail area and S/WS for schooners IROLITA [#658s], VAGRANT [#719s], RESOLUTE [#725s], WILDFIRE [#891s] and QUEEN MAB ex-VAGRANT I [#698s]. Undated, RESOLUTE was rigged as a schooner in 1926." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Penciled Note. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE03_03350. Folder [no #]. No date (1926 or later).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Handwritten (in ink) trials booklet titled '1911. Trial Trips and Experiments'. Relevant contents:
§51: #658s IROLITA II Trial Run (now Princess) speed 8.80mph (1923-04-26)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator) and Herreshoff, A. Sidney deW. (creator). Trials Booklet. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE07_04280. Folder [no #]. 1911-06 to 1926-05.)
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

"[Item Description:] Penciled table showing LOA, LWL, Beam, Draft, QBL, Stem, [symbol], sft[?] and Displ[acement] for KATOURA [#722s], WESTWARD [#692s], VAGRANT, QUEEN MAB [#698s], CONSTITUTION [#551s], RESOLUTE [#725s], WINSOME [#664s], 2nd IROLITA [#658s], DORIS [#625s], AVENGER [#666s], 50 Footers [#711s], ADVENTURESS [#685s], IROLITA [#591s], FLYING CLOUD [#703s], BELISARIUS [#1266s], NEITH [#665s], AZOR [#578s], NAULAKHA [#687s], SENECA [#670s], NY30s [#626s], SENTA [#688s], DOROTHY Q [#668s], FLIGHT [#607s], PLEASURE [#907s], QUAKERESS [#676s], KILDEE [#460s], and the 12 1/2ft Class [#744s]. With formulas for mean length L, Draft limit by rule and freeboard at three positions. Undated, on verso of NYYC invitation dated December 11, 1933 but listing of BELISARIUS which was built in 1934/1935 indicates that this was written at that time or later. Filed close to and possibly related to what appears to be an early version of NGH's 'Observations on the Proportions of Sailing Yachts' from July 1936." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Tabulated Dimensions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE02_03040. Folder [no #]. No date (1936-07 ?).)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #658s Irolita II even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Taglang, Jacques. Mariette and the Herreshoff Schooners. Two vols. Eynesse, 2010.
  Vessel biographies, large-scale sail and lines plans reproduced from original HMCo plans. The definitive book on Herreshoff schooners.

• Irolita II (HMCo-made index card)
• Irolita 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: Irolita I
Type: Cutter
Length: 65'10"
Owner: Clark, E. W.

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

• Irolita II
• Princess ex-Irolita II
• Saraband ex-Irolita II
• Virginia ex-Irolita 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: Irolita
Type: 66' schooner
Owner: E. W. Clark
Year: 1906
Row No.: 305

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: 6
Year: 1906
E/P/S: S
No.: 0658
Name: Irolita I
LW: 65' 10"
B: 18' 2"
D: 9' 1.5"
Rig: Cutter
CB: y
Ballast: LeadO
Amount: 27500.00
Notes Constr. Record: Princess - Virginia 1901 Changed to Schooner 1906. C.B. Discarded
Last Name: Clark
First Name: E. W.

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 126 days (contract to launch; equivalent to $218/day, 1226 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"[Sail area info.]" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

"[Displacement (2414 cubic feet = 154,496lbs).]" (Source: Herreshoff, N. G. "Formula for Obtaining the Limit of Sail-Area in Yachts when Measured by the Universal Rule Formula." Bristol, R.I., July 13, 1907 with later additions. Original handwritten (in ink) document with penciled additions. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE06_00080.)

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