HMCo #723s Defender

"[1913-08-25] Mon 25: ... 2 small boats #723 [Defender for Billy Duncan] & 724 [Columbia for Dorothy Duncan] finished." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1913. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"Nos. 723 - 724.
Small c[enter] b[oard] sailing boats.
[Model] scale 1/12.
Frame spaces 10 1/2".
Deduct in making moulds
[for] planking 7/16" + timbers 3/4" = 1 3/16".
Keel plank 1 3/4" (7/8" above rabbate)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.181.] Undated, ca. August 1913. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

"Dear Nat,
my two infants want two small boats [these will be #723s Defender and #724s Columbia], they say you are the only man who knows how to build a real boat & I agree with them.
I want something that will not sink & they insist on having a jib on her & I don't want anything expensive, what would you advise.
They would look with scorn on anything that was not rigged with halliards & all the accessories.
I will see you on the [NYYC] cruise anyhow.
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan." (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated July 30, [1913]. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"Dear Nat,
Many thanks for your letter, I would prefer a small boat either with no dead weight & with a good deal of initial stability or if we have to have the ballast, then air tanks, not with bulkheads.
I think the small boat you speak of with a small deck over forward would work out all right.
Then if you give her a small mainsail & with a jib on a traveller, they would have a good little craft & as they both can swim very well, they could not come to much harm.
George Cormack said he would see you tomorrow morning & talk it over with you. ...
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan. [These will be #723s Defender and #724s Columbia.]" (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated August 1, 1913. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"Dear Nat,
The sketch of the boats #723s Defender and #724s Columbia] received this morning, many thanks.
I think that you had better put in bolts for hoisting out, I think quite possibly I might rig davits at the dock to take care of them & I also think that the rod for the centreboard would be the most satisfactory rig. We would probably only want the board either all up or all down. ...
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan." (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated August 18, 1913. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"Dear Nat,
Yours received. The launch will be at Bristol weather permitting Monday [May 27, 19013] evening or Tuesday morning.
Can not send her before as am racing Saturday & want to put both men in the launch.
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan. [Apparently, Duncan was sending his launch #252p WANECHE to pick up #723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA which were finished on that Monday as per NGH's diary.]" (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated August 21, 1913. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"Dear Nat,
I have been sailing around in the little boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA] & find them a little too much for the infants to tackle even with someone with them. Is there anything you would suggest that I could do to the that would increase their stability.
Would it not be a good idea to cut off the ain sail at the reef band. ...
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan." (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated May 25, 1914. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"Dear Nat,
The sails work very well in the little boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA], the infants go out alone in them & can handle them very well. The boats are just what we wanted. ...
Yours sincerely,
W. B. Duncan." (Source: Duncan, W. B. Jr. Letter to N. G. Herreshoff, dated June 15, 1914. Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Correspondence Folder 93.)

"The new class of Seawanhaka-Corinthian sloops [Fish Class] now being completed at Herreshoff's are patterned after two 12-foot sloops which W. Butler Duncan had built a few years ago for his sons. Mr. Duncan wanted something safe and the two boats, while being rather wet, are unsinkable. They were named Columbia [#723s] and Defender [#724s]. Afterwards Herreshoff developed the model, built a class similar, but larger, for the Beverly Y. C [Buzzards Bay 25], and two of similar type but larger for former Commodores E. C. Benedict [#732s Sadie] and Cornelius Vanderbilt [#737s Comet]." (Source: Anon. "Spokes from the Rudder Wheel." Rudder, May 1916, p. 244.)

"[Item Description:] my two infants want two small boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA], they say you are the only man who knows how to build a real boat, I agree with them, I want something that will not sink, they insist on jib, don't want anything expensive, what do you advise, they would look with scorn on anything without haliards, see you on the [NYYC] cruise" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43120. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. (1913)-07-30.)
① ②

"[Item Description:] thanks for your letter, would prefer a small boat [these will be #723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA] either with no dead weight & with a good deal of initial stability or if we have to have the ballast, then air tanks, not with bulkheads, think the small boat you speak of with a small deck over forward would work out all right, then if you give her a small mainsail & with a jib on a traveller, they would have a good little craft & as they both can swim very well, they could not come to much harm, George Cormack said he would see you tomorrow morning & talk it over with you, [Edmund] Randolph seems to think that the wire serving that has been put on his [#712s SPARTAN] mast will hold, maybe it will but I doubt it." (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43140. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. 1913-08-01.)
①

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections titled 'Nos. 723 & 724. DEFENDER [#723s] & COLUMBIA [#724s]. Scale 1/12. 12ft w.l. 15ft o.a. August 1913'. (Construction plan was drawn August 4, 1913, suggesting that these sections were drawn even earlier.)" (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_00830. Folder [no #]. 1913-08.)
① ②

"[Item Description:] sketch of boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA] received this morning, many thanks, think you had better put in bolts for hoisting out [these were added in pencil to the construction plan], I might rig davits at the dock to take care of them, the rod for the centreboard would be the most satisfactory rig, probably only want the board either all up or all down, sorry to say that we have heard from the Royal Ulster Club, agreeing to everything we want so that there is no way of getting out of the [America's Cup] match [with #725s RESOLUTE] next year" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43160. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. 1913-08-13.)
①

"[Item Description:] yours received, launch will be at Bristol weather permitting Monday [May 27, 1913] evening or Tuesday morning, can not send her before as am racing Saturday & want to put both men in the launch [apparently, Duncan was sending his launch #252p WANECHE to pick up #723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA which were finished on that Monday as per NGH's diary]" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43170. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. 1913-08-21.)
①

"[Item Description:] have been sailing around in the little boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA] & find them a little too much for the infants to tackle even with someone with them, is there anything you would suggest that I could do that would increase their stability, would it not be a good idea to cut off the main sail at the reef band" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43230. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. 1914-05-25.)
①

"[Item Description:] sails work very well in the little boats [#723s DEFENDER and #724s COLUMBIA] , the infants go out alone in them & can handle them very well, the boats are just what we wanted, I do not understand the SHAMROCK, I do not see how she can carry 10,000 feet of sail on 23 feet beam, I am not scared yet" (Source: Duncan, W. Butler, Jr. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_43240. Correspondence, Folder 93, formerly 127. 1914-06-15.)
①

"[Item Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH. Relevant contents:
§70: Work Order [For] #723s, #724s. [When wanted] Soon as possible. Blocks & rigging (1913-08-14)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Order Book. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE08_04730. Folder [no #]. 1909-10 to 1914-11.)
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

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #723s Defender even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Defender (HMCo-made index card)
• Defender (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.

Month: Aug.
Day: 04
Year: 1912 [sic, i.e. 1913]
E/P/S: S
No.: 0723
Name: Defender
Amount: $200.00
Last Name: Duncan
First Name: W. B.

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 21 days (contract to finished; equivalent to $10/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.