HMCo #724s Columbia

"[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.)
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"[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.)
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"[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.)
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"[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.)
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"[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.)
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"[Item Transcription:] I have your letter of Thursday afternoon and I am glad to know that you reached home after a very smooth passage. I have not heard from Emmons as yet but wrote to him on Wednesday last asking him to be Manager [of what will become #724s RESOLUTE], as the Syndicate directed.
I think we will put the second one through but it will take a little time as people are not at home just at present, and in the greatest confidence I would like to say that I fear that the first syndicate might not consider Mr. Pynchon's name favorably.
I have written to Iselin and Morgan and have notified Butler that we intend going to Bristol on Saturday week, reaching there on Sunday the 14th. I do not believe that the races of next week will be productive of any other result than establishing the inefficiency of those sailing the boats, but as to this I hope I may be mistaken. I will keep you informed on matters as they run. Trusting to see you very soon, believe me, ...
N.B. Will you please keep me informed.
G.A.C." (Source: Cormack, George A. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_24890. Subject Files, Folder 2, formerly 96-100. 1913-09-05.)
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"[Item Transcription:] Very glad to get your letter of Feb. 12th, and to hear of your safe arrival after a pleasant trip. I judge the boat made good time from her reported arrival. You escaped just in time; the weather has been very severe here since, as cold as the early cold snap, with lots of snow and blizzards. You can judge how bad, when I say, Monday I left Boston at one to go to Bristol, did not arrive there until about four; left at six, and did not reach my house again until nearly ten. I go again to-morrow.
I am much obliged to you for your schedule of the lay-out of the work,and so far as I can see everything has been progressing steadily since you left.
There were about 24 bronze plates bolted on [on #724s RESOLUTE] on the 16th, and the aluminum deck plates were almost all on. They were doing some of the careful fitting work of same around the stern board over the steel reinforced piece underneath. Your bronze castings for the bowsprit, and also for the back stay, are splendid.
The hollow boom had all been glued up and moved down to the lower floor. They were just beginning to shape it up. Chase had the wire topmast back stays and the runners spliced over the steel cone. He had also been making wire straps for the spinnaker and jib topsail halyard blocks he said to bring these on a level with the highest sheve in the topmast, by your instructions.
I regret to say all the hemp rope received from England turned out to be very poor quality, and we have condemned it, it being not at all like the sample furnished you, not as strong as Manila by test, and full of sizing, and the piece that Chase spliced for peak halyard became very much frayed after the work was done. If your firm in England cannot furnish as good as the sample I obtained, would it not be best for us to get either Manila, or allow us to buy outside from Ratsey, where I got the sample, and adjust the difference in cost with you.
In the draughting room, I called Sidney's attention to the flange eyes on the deck around the two mast steps, and asked him why another one was not wanted on the port forward side of the after mast step, similar to one placed on the port forward side of the forward mast step. He, I believe, is going to write you about it. I draw a sketch to explain my meaning. I presented the sail loft with two hygrometers to give an idea of how moist the temperature is at all times there, hoping that perhaps it might assist in making up the sails under a more even degree of moisture.
The following sail cloth has arrived at the sail lofts, and the # 3 Hopsack Eg[yptian] Merc., and the # 5 & 6 Hopsack Peeler are are according to Hathaway as fine pieces of canvas as he has ever had- very smooth and very rigid.
I am sending yon under separate cover, the first sample of your # 1 Hopsack for our first mainsail; this Dearborn calendered by hand, which accounts for the shiny plane along one selvage edge. I think with you that we really have found something quite near Hopsack weave, and none of the other boats will have it.
Mr. John has been anxious to have me decide about a second mast, but I have done nothing, and shall await your decision as to what you think is the best, whether steel, either nickel or vanadium with aluminum rings instead of all aluminum, or any other method that you may think most desirable.
I have been going over my extra sails so far ordered, or to be ordered shortly, and enclose you a list. I have ordered a second mainsail, to be made out of the Heavy # 0 Duck, thinking if we have our trial trips and are sailing early in May, it would be best to use this heavy canvas. This will save to a certain extent your Hopsack sail that you furnish us, and at the same time give us a chance to compare it with the Hopsack weave. I will, also, if you think well of it, have this sail made up with long batten pockets, similar to the sail you are going to make for the P class boats, as it might be well to try the experiment.
Hathaway has been very anxious to make up a small Jib Topsail out of the Wamsutta sail cloth, which I have ordered, so I have put down one # 4 Jib Topsail made out of this material for each rig. The one for double rig might be cut down for No 3 single rig afterwards if desired.
If, upon looking over this list you think it advisable to add anything to it, or make any changes, or reduce it, for the present, and wait. I should be glad to have you let me know your ideas, and I will coincide with them. I wish yon would also let me knew what you think it would be advisable for me to order in the way of extra wire rigging. I would also like to order enough 13/16 wire to make a second jib stay, unless you think it very foolish.
With regard to the matter of the men and their working wage, of which we spoke going over to New York, I see no signs but that they are all working hard and contentedly so far, and hope that they will continue.
I will on my return from Bristol to-morrow write you another letter by next mail, giving you my impressions of how much things have progressed.
Wishing you a most enjoyable vacation, and hoping you will get lots of sailing, and all the benefit to your health that you anticipated, I am ..." (Source: Emmons, Robert W. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_25760. Subject Files, Folder 4, formerly 96-100. 1914-02-18.)
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"[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.)
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"[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.)
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"[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.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #724s Columbia even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Columbia (HMCo-made index card)
• Columbia (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.: 0724
Name: Columbia
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.