HMCo #736s Bagatelle

S00736_Bagatelle.jpg

Particulars

Construction_Record_Title.jpgName: Bagatelle
Later Name(s): Lil Too II (1930s)
Type: Buzzards Bay 25
Designed by: NGH
Contract: 1914-3-28
Delivered: 1914-6-26
Construction: Wood
LOA: 32' 0" (9.75m)
LWL: 25' 0" (7.62m)
Beam: 8' 9" (2.67m)
Draft: 3' 0" (0.91m)
Rig: Gaff Sloop
Sail Area: 552sq ft (51.2sq m)
Displ.: 7,168 lbs (3,251 kg)
Keel: yes
Centerboard: yes
Ballast: Lead outside
Built for: Dabney, George B.
Amount: $2,000.00
Current owner: Private Owner, Mystic, CT (last reported 2016 at age 102)

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 #715Model number: 715
Model location: H.M.M. Model Room North Wall Right

Vessels from this model:
5 built, modeled by NGH
#733s Mink (1914, Extant)
#734s Vitessa (1914, Extant)
#736s Bagatelle (1914, Extant)
#738s White Cap (1914, Extant)
#741s Tarantula (1914)

Original text on model:
"Buzzards Bay 550 sail ruling class
733 & class April 1914 Scale 1" [BB 25 Class]." (Source: Original handwritten annotation on model. Undated.)

Model Description:
"25' lwl Mink, Vitessa, Bagatelle, White Cap, and Tarantula, Buzzards Bay 25-class of 1914. The four first named boats survive, and Aria (formerly White Cap) is on display in the Herreshoff Marine Museum's Hall of Boats. Of all the models NGH produced, this was his favorite shape." (Source: Bray, Maynard. 2004.)

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.4.183

Offset booklet contents:
#733 [25' w.l. Buzzards Bay 25-class sloop Mink].


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

Drawings

Main drawing Dwg 076-115 (HH.5.05566) Explore all drawings relating to this boat.

List of drawings:
   Drawings believed to have been first drawn for, or being first referenced to
   HMCo #736s Bagatelle are listed in bold.
   Click on Dwg number for preview, on HH number to see at M.I.T. Museum.
  1. Dwg 110-092 (HH.5.09057): Spreaders for Small Sail Boats (1907-04-27)
  2. Dwg 025-083 (HH.5.01835): Construction and Block List (1913-03-28)
  3. Dwg 096-110 (HH.5.08070): Sails > 550 Sail Rating Class for Buzzard's Bay (1914-04)
  4. Dwg 076-115 (HH.5.05566); Construction Dwg > Buzzards Bay 25; 32'-3" O.A., 25' W.L., 8'-9" Beam, 3' Draft (1914-04-14)
  5. Dwg 130-121 (HH.5.10429); Sails > # 733 550 Sail Rating Class for Buzzard's Bay (1914-04-14)
  6. Dwg 143-045 (HH.5.11911): No. 733 Class 32'-3" O.A., 25' W.L., 8'-9" Beam, 3' Draft (1914-04-14)
  7. Dwg 064-093 (HH.5.04568): Rudder for # 733 Class (1914-05-06)
  8. Dwg 081-107 (HH.5.06198): Spars for 733 Class & 1 Set Hollow for 729 (1914-05-13)
  9. Dwg 128-041 (HH.5.10153): Sails > 550 Sail Rating Class of Buzzard's Bay Nos. 733 - 738 (1914-05-13)
  10. Dwg 126-003 (HH.5.09868): General Arrangement > Jib Head Rig for No. 736 "Bagatelle" [Sail Plan] (1945-12-14)
  11. Dwg 126-004 (N/A): Jib Headed Rig for No. 736 "Bagatelle" (1945-12-14 ?)
  12. Dwg 080-164 (HH.5.06078): New Mast and Rigging for Bagatelle No. 736 (1946-01-09)
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

Nathanael G. Herreshoff

"[1914-03-26] Thu 26: South [wind] and slightly warmer. Nelson Emmons here talking about a class for Buzzards Bay. [A reference to the the Buzzards Bay 25 foot class #733s Mink, 734s Vitessa, 736s Bagatelle, 738s White Cap and 741s Tarantula, the first four of which were contracted for two days later. H. Nelson Emmons was prominent in the Beverly Yacht Club and its Vice Commodore from 1928 to 1934. He was remotely related to Bob Emmons with whom he shared the same grandfather. Nelson Emmons had corresponded with NGH previously rearding the feasability of a new BB25 design.]
[1914-04-05] Sun 5: Not pleasant. At work on model & design for 550 sail rating class most of day [Buzzards Bay 25s].
[1914-05-22] Fri 22: Fair. Turned over #734 [Vitessa, the 2nd Buzzards Bay 25] and set up #736 [Bagatelle, the 3rd Buzzards Bay 25]. ...
[1914-06-27] Sat 27: Very fine & calm. ... #736 [Bagatelle] delivered to Mr. Dabney yesterday." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1914. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"Nos. 733 --- 550 Sail Rating Class of Buzzards Bay.
Frame spaces 10".
In making moulds
deduct for planking 7/18"
deduct for deck 13/16"
Timbers at head 1 13/16" sq[uare], increasing both ways 3/64" per foot.
Sheer line given is to top of deck.
Rabbate line 3/8" above bottom of keel. Keel [thickness] 1 7/8".
Stem sided 2 7/8", except increased near upper end, as per dimensions given.." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. [Penciled note in Offset Booklet HH.4.183.] Undated, ca. March 1914. Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

Other Modern Text Source(s)

"The Buzzards Bay 25s
The Beverly Yacht Club and Buzzards Bay - 1914
By David Cheever
This brief account of an outstanding effort which never fully flowered is peppered with 'ifs' and 'might have beens.' It is offered as a matter of historical record.
Herreshoff was already the outstanding designer-builder name to conjure with when our story starts in 1914. The Beverly Yacht Club started north of Boston close by Marblehead in 1872 featuring small boat racing. Its move to Buzzards Bay was clearly motivated by the fine sou'westers most summer afternoons produced. The calm and fickle breezes in Massachusetts Bay could not compare to the robust breezes south of the Cape.
By 1914 where the story begins, the Beverly Yacht Club had been through various phases which included catboats, knockabouts and sloops before waking up to the fact that the greatest good for the greatest number could be achieved by several one-design classes which thus avoided the financial pitfalls of overdesigning and overbuilding. After all, it was a rare boat that had a first class racing record after more than four or five years of stiff competition in an open class.
The famous Herreshoff 15 footer started the ball rolling in 1899 with credits to Herreshoff genius plus helpful arranging from Emmons, Parkinson and Stackpole. Tradition always had it that the 15 footers had a little of the COLUMBIA (1899/1901 America's Cup defender) in their lines and the same applied to the 18 footers. Both classes were characterized by long ends which gave them speed and bearing when heeled over in a thrash to windward. To be truthful this characteristic was not an unmixed blessing because both classes took a punishing beating in the stiff chop involved in a 'stiff sou'wester.' Crews were limited to three in these two classes.
By 1914 it became evident that long ended small yachts must have changes made because of drooping ends, or hogging, and a tendency to leak when unduly punished.
D0 VITESSA Gale Stone
D1 WHITE CAP Wm. Amory
D3 MINK Howard Stockton, Jr.
D7 BAGATELLE F.L. and G.B. Dabney
D9 TARANTULA W.H. Langshaw
Captain Nat had the answer in his plans. It involved short ends, more freeboard, plus moderate draft for Buzzards Bay conditions. Robert Emmons had been looking for the ideal adolescent adapted small racing boat, the result was the tremendously successful 12 Footers which stand as a class alone after 80 years! Its success was in the sou'wester chop, the prodding by Emmons, and the genius that was Herreshoff.
The stage was set for an enlarged one-design class which would fill the needs of mature crews. The resulting class, known as the 25' Herreshoff Special Class, measured length overall: 32 feet, waterline: 25 feet, beam: 8 feet 6 inches, draft: 3 feet without centerboard, outside fixed ballast 3,000 pounds, sail area not over 550 square feet. It is worth taking a look for a moment at the 18 footer previously referred to. They looked for all the world like an enlarged 15 footer but were 29 feet overall, 8 feet 1 inch beam, draft 3 feet without centerboard, outside fixed ballast 2,000 pounds, 470 square feet sail area.
It will be quickly noted that the 25 footer with sweet forward lines coupled with short forward overhang made for a much more seaworthy vessel than the long overhang of former one-design classes.
These boats raced for four seasons. The seasonal championships are as follows: 1914 MINK, 1915 BAGATELLE, 1916 MINK, 1917 to 1920 no racing and 1920 MINK.
The 1914 season was distinguished by a unique incident which points up the 'ifs' and 'might have beens' referred to at the beginning of article.
The date in question was August 1, 1914 and the facts were related to me by fine old Robert Stone who came to be a close friend in Dedham in the 1970s. On the day in question the judges for the race were D.P. Robinson and Howard Stockton, Jr. Their report reads 'wind - whole sail southwest, changing to a very heavy N.W. squal; then whole sail southwest.' There were four classes racing in different directions in the upper reaches of the Bay. In the 25' Herreshoff Special Class were MINK, BAGATELLE, VITESSA and WHTTECAP. These four were closely bunched and were having their hands full for they were carrying whole sail in a reef breeze. There were three in VITESSA's crew. Two of the men were members of the Stone family and the third was a professional boatman who worked for the family. Bob Stone was about 14 at the time and was left ashore because three strong men were needed. With no warning the lowering sky became black. The wind shifted almost 180 degrees and all hell broke loose. Strangely enough the Twenty Fives found themselves in the middle of a twister. The rain came in blinding sheets and sails were doused on the run. There was no time to secure the crotch, the boom cranked down over the cuddy and the gaff followed it. The crewman, knowing that there was no time to pass stops, jumped up on the gaff and boom with mainsail between and lying on his stomach wrapped his arms and legs around the mainsail trying to hold it down. Bob Stone was told that owing to the twister action the two spars were blown upwards on the mast leaving the struggling man in a perilous position. The whole episode took less time than it takes to write about it.
The rest of the crew got the spars on deck again and the crewman was unhurt. The VITESSA was half full of water and it took some time to clear her for the Twenty Fives were not made with self bailing cockpits. This was in the interest of keeping the crew weight down low and on the assumption that the new design was so stiff that the vessel wouldn't ship water and it wasn't assumed that she would be caught in a miniature hurricane! Right here it should be noted that the twister was narrow and localized. The other classes were shaken up but unharmed and only one other boat withdrew.
This mishap could not have come at a worse time for the fledging Twenty Fives: the middle of the first season of a new one design with everyone watching from the porch of the brand new Clubhouse. It involved people who were skilled, substantial members and whose judgement was looked up to. Herreshoff never built another boat for this particular class and the pendulum started to swing to self bailing cockpits. Not completely though because the noble S Class which appeared in 1919 was a deep cockpit design and one which has given great satisfaction in spite of the curved mast which made reefing a complicated safety measure.
The old Twenty Fives were going their unheralded way and even today four of the five are in existence and in good hands. The only missing boat is TARANTULA which disappeared from the Beverly Yacht Club book in the 1920s. Many of us would like to find her and hopefully in original condition!
If it weren't for the 'ifs' and 'might have beens' the class would be appealing today. Daysailing is becoming more and more popular again while short cruises are a complicated procedure." (Source: Herreshoff Marine Museum Chronicle, 1994, p. 1-2.)

"Origin of the Buzzards Bay 25. ...
o Oct. 29, 1913 H. Nelson Emmons wrote NGH a three page letter about the plans of 'the gentlemen who sail boats at Marblehead' to have designed 'an ideal boat for pleasure sailing and racing' about the size of NGH’s 1901 21-foot WL ARETHUSA (HMCo 574). Marblehead envisioned a boat of about 20 ft 6 in. WL, 35 ft. OA, 7 ft. 6 in. B, 5 ft. D, carrying 550 sq. ft. sail (550 is the sail rating of the BB25) on a displacement of 6000 lbs. Nelson thought the overhangs to be too extreme; for a new class he wanted a 'good sensible boat… not costing over $2,000… that could sail well at Marblehead, Buzzards Bay, Long Island Sound and elsewhere' to permit interclub racing. He sought Nat’s advice; 'You have such an infinitely greater knowledge of the designing of boats than anyone else, and also making rules for their design and construction, that we prefer to ask your advice on the question of a new class for Buzzards Bay before doing anything.'
o Nat’s response on Nov. 2nd was very direct, 'I don’t want to criticize the North Shore people but I cannot imagine any one preferring a boat such as you describe … excepting it is for racing under waterline measurements. It is strange they cannot realize how much better in every way a boat with more waterline and shorter over all is --- better sea boat in rough time, always pleasant to sail, easier handled, less cost, stronger and consequently longer lived.'
o He went on to describe his ideal boat and the basis for it, 'My ideal boat for Buzzards Bay must comply with about the requirements I found in my winters at Bermuda and which I made a special study … strong wind at times with rough sea, many days with light airs and smooth water --- capable of passing over many shoal places… The boat I built (ALERION III)… which proved a great success is perhaps somewhat smaller than you would prefer for the Bay.' He roughed out the type he would like to build when he had the time, a little smaller than the eventual BB25, but with the same, 'High freeboard, good flare forward and sufficient forefoot to insure going into a sea without pounding … with [a] small cabin … for 2, [and] not very expensive'.
o Nelson’s next letter of March 24, 1914 set up a meeting for two days later that resulted in the contract for the BB25. He discloses that while Nat wintered in Bermuda he had corresponded with Nat’s son, L. Francis, about the design and apprises Nat of his difficulty 'owing to hard times' of getting promises for the first five boats, emphasizing the importance to some of not exceeding a price of $2000. He asks for 5 to 7 boats to be built in three months time; 'before July 1st at the latest… Our first race is the 17th of June and we would like to have them by that date but we suppose that is asking a little too much'.
o The record of delivery dates is incomplete, but we do know from NGH’s diary that the first BB25, MINK (733), was trialed on June 14 and the third boat (736) was delivered on June 27. They were all priced at Emmons maximum of $2000. ..." (Source: Palmieri, John. "Curator’s Log. Origins of the Buzzards Bay 25." Herreshoff Marine Museum, February 2014. http://www.herreshoff.org/news/newsletter_archives.html, retrieved February 22, 2015.)

Maynard Bray

"All four Buzzards Bay 25-footers came out in 1914 as sleeker versions of NGH's personal sloop Alerion [#718s]. According to his son Sidney, this was NGH's favorite among the many hundreds of models he made. A persistent story of why the class never grew to more boats involves a sudden squall and sinkings the very first season, and indeed this event is confirmed by the 1915 Beverly Yacht Club's yearbook. The fact that these Buzzards Bay 25s cost about twice as much as the Buzzards Bay 15s and four times as much as the 12 1/2-footers might also explain why more were not built. The boats are breathtakingly beautiful, however, and they sail as well as they look. It is a pity that the class didn't blossom.
Still in use and in fine condition, Bagatelle [#736s] now carries a Marconi yawl rig; her cabin has been tastefully lengthened for limited cruising, and there is a Concordia-type hatch in her foredeck. Although she no longer races, Bagatelle was once a consistent winner. Lately, one of her sisters, Aria [#738s], still with the original gaff rig, continues the class's reputation for speed. Mink [#733s] has recently been refurbished, and Anita [#734s], the remaining boat of this four-boat class, is awaiting restoration by one of the authors." (Source: Bray, Maynard and Carlton Pinheiro. Herreshoff of Bristol. Brooklin, Maine, 1989, p. 82.)

Archival Documents

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph hull sections titled '733 Class [Buzzards Bay 25: #733s MINK, #734s VITESSA, #736s BAGATELLE, #738s WHITE CAP, #741s TARANTULA]. 550sqft Sail Rating for Buzzards Bay. From finished model [Model 715]. April 12, 1914. Length o.a. 32ft. Water line 25ft 0in. Scale 1in per ft. Model height is top top of deck'. Weight calculations show a total of 112.05cuft or 7175lbs and a wetted surface of 184.0sqft. On verso of page with gothic font 'Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, R.I.' letterhead another set of penciled pantograph hull sections titled '2nd trial. Ap[ril] 4, 1914'. Weight calculations show a total of 112.20cuft or 7190lbs and a wetted surface of 183.5sqft. " (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Hull Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_00690. Folder [no #]. 1914-04-12.)


"[Item Description:] Penciled pantograph lead sections titled '#733 Class [Buzzards Bay 25: #733s, #734s, #736s, #738s, #741s]. Scale 1 1/2in & 3in. April 13, 1914'. With calculations and note 'Required 3000lbs lead with c.g. [at] .552 of w.l. ...' and concluding with note 'Result. 7490cuin = 3075lbs lead with c.g. at 21.635 frame space'." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Pantograph Lead Sections. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE04_08210. Folder [no #]. 1914-04-13.)


"[Item Transcription:] Order book with carbon copy duplicates of instructions given by NGH. Relevant contents:
§80: Work Order [For] #733s, #734s, #736s, #738s, #741s. [When wanted] June. Rigging [2 pages] (1914-04-26)
§82: Work Order [For] #733s, #734s, #736s, #738s, #741s. [When wanted] June. Blocks (1914-04-27)." (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.)



"[Item Description:] Handwritten (in ink) rating rule-related table on two pages with dimensions LOA, LWL, overhang fore & aft, mean length, freeboard fore & center & aft, breadth deck & w.l., draft, cube-root (displacement), 1st mast mean length, 1st to 2nd mast, J, P1, H1, B1, G1, V1, T1, P2, P2a, H2, B2, Q2, Y2,T2, sail area, sqrt(SA), sqrt(SA - NYYC Rule) for #605s RELIANCE, #499s COLUMBIA, #725s RESOLUTE, #529s MINEOLA, #663s ISTALENA, #666s AVENGER, New York 50s (#711s, #712s, #713s, #714s, #715s, #716s, #717s, #720s, #721s), #411s GLORIANA, #685s ADVENTURESS, #617s COCK ROBIN II, #586s NELLIE, #709s JOYANT, #708s CORINTHIAN, #670s SENECA, Bar Harbor 31s (#592s, #593s, #594s, #595s, #596s, #597s, #598s, #599s, #600s, #601s, #602s, #603s, #604s), New York 30s (#626s, #627s, #628s, #629s, #630s, #631s, #632s, #633s, #635s, #636s, #637s, #638s, #639s, #640s, #642s, #643s, #647s, #648s), Newport 29s (#727s, #728s, #737s), #691s MORE JOY, #446s ALERION II, Buzzards Bay 550s (#733s, #734s, #736s, #738s, #741s), #617s COCK ROBIN II, #493s JILT, #732s SADIE, #460s KILDEE, Buzzards Bay 15s (#503s Class), Buzzards Bay 12 1/2s (#744s Class), #703s FLYING CLOUD, #669s ELEANOR, #722s KATOURA, #692s WESTWARD, #657s QUEEN, #719s VAGRANT II, #698s VAGRANT, #663s ISTALENA, and #743s HASWELL. With penciled note 'Measurements in ft & inches. Results in ft & decimals'. Undated (the youngest boat on this list is from 1914/1915 and this was probably prepared in preparation for NGH's sail area rating rule of 1914/1915)." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Handwritten Table. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE15_00100. Folder [no #]. No date (1914 / 1915 ?).)


"[Item Description:] Brokerage listing (File No. 36) for #736s LIL TOO II ex-BAGATELLE. Dimensions, particulars. Undated, after 1932." (Source: Belknap & Paine, Yacht Brokers (creator). Broker Listing. MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.111. Box HAFH.6.3B, Folder Brokers Listings. No date (after 1932 ?).)


"[Item Transcription:] I was most pleased to receive your letter regarding my sloop ANITA [#734s] which as you know was the VITESSA owned by the late Galen Stone at Marion, Mass. About ten years ago I bought the sister boat MINK [#733s] from Mr. Emmons and in my opinion these boats are the best day sailing craft ever designed. For a combination of comfort, ability, easy handling and appearance I have never seen their equal. I would never have sold MINK if I thought I could not buy one of the others and it was years before I got VITESSA after Mr. Stone died.
Mr. Dabney kept his boat BAGATELLE [#736s] until about two years ago. She is now on Great South Bay. Another of these boats [#738s WHITE CAP, later ARIA] was around New Bedford for years. She had a new cabin house with berths, galley & w.c. and water tight cockpit put in.
There were four boats not three as you mention. I put in ANITA the mast, rigging & sails of the 6 metre LEA in same mast step as old rig. She now has about 500 sqft as against old gaff rig 550, but of course we now use a 6 metre genoa jib and somewhat larger spinnaker. She is improved with this new rig especially in light air to windward. We have beaten Class R GAMECOCK [#932s] and POLLYANNA, most of the older 6 metres and raceabout MAY QUEEN [#514s], and in very light air with spinnaker ANITA is marvelous, sailing as fast as many racing boats nearly twice her size.
We won Larchmont Y.C. race week four years out of five and in the New York A. C. Block Island Race won 2 firsts, 2 seconds, 1 third out of five sarts. The WASAKA [#619s] you mention is the same old boat. I sailed her a few times several years ago. She is quite flat and powerful but fast. The MUMSEY ex PLEASURE [#907s] was owned by George Ratsey who sold her to Harry Maxwell and she changed owners trice since. She was a sweet boat with more cabin and less cockpit than ANITA but had less stability and was not as fast. I hear that Olin Stephens will get a contract from Harold Vanderbilt to design a cup defender Class J for 1937. Many thanks for your kind letter and I hope I may soon see you or hear from you again. [Incl. penciled boat building numbers and dimensions by NGH.]" (Source: Granbery, George P. Letter to N.G. Herreshoff. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MR_20760. Correspondence, Folder 59. 1936-09-04.)


Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #736s Bagatelle even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

Further Reading
  • Mayher, Bill. "The Buzzards Bay 25. An Evolution, of Sorts." Wooden Boat #172, May/June 2003, p. 74-81. (2,456 kB)
    Document is copyrighted: Yes. Class history. Discussion of replicas and design modifications.
  • McClave, Ed. "The Restorations of the Boats of the Herreshoff Buzzards Bay Twenty-Five Class." In: Herreshoff Marine Museum (publ.). Proceedings. The 6th Classic Yacht Symposium. May 2-3, 2014. Bristol, RI, 2014, p. 1-9. (1,725 kB)
    Document is copyrighted: Yes. Copyright holder: Ed McClave / Herreshoff Marine Museum. Evolution of NGH's 'hollow bow designs' (Alerion, Sadie, Newport 29s, 12 1/2, Buzzards Bay 25s, Fish Class) which were not designed with a view towards a rating rule. Important description of some fundamental differences in restoration approaches and philosophies for the four Buzzards Bay 25s restored by McClave, Philprick & Giblin.
  • Jackson, Tom. "Bagatelle's Restoration Hasn't Missed a Beat." Wooden Boat #148, May/June 1999, p. 32-37. (870 kB)
    Document is copyrighted: Yes. Vessel history. Restoration report with much general Herreshoff restoration advice. BB25 linesplan. BB25 rig alternatives.

Images

Registers

1917 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#330)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: Fredk. L. Dabney. George B. Dabney; Port: Wareham, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-5; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker W&S [Wilson & Silsby Boston]; Sails made in [19]15; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1920 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#319)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: Fredk. L. Dabney. George B. Dabney; Port: Wareham, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-6; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker W&S [Wilson & Silsby Boston]; Sails made in [19]15; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1923 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#284)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: George B. Dabney; Port: Wareham, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-5; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker W&S [Wilson & Silsby Boston]; Sails made in [19]15; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1925 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#307)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: George B. Dabney; Port: Wareham, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-6; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker W&S [Wilson & Silsby Boston]; Sails made in [19]15; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1930 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#438)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: George B. Dabney; Port: Wareham, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-5; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker W&S [Wilson & Silsby Boston]; Sails made in [19]15; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1935 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#476)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: Leo Dion; Port: Salem, Mass.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig CB [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-5; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker Philenti; Sails made in [19]32; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914

1940 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#3377)
Name; Former Name(s): Lil Too II; Bagatelle
Owner: Robert Bruck; Port: Far Rockaway, N.Y.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig Cb [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Slp
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-6; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker Philenti; Sails made in [19]32; Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 4 Cyl. 2 5/8 x 3. 1935; Maker Gray

1960 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#588)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: Edward Cabot. David Cabot; Port: Avondale, R.I.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig Cb [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Ywl
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-6; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker Manchester; Sails made in [19]58, [19]59; Sail Area 430
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914
Engine Aux Eng. 2 Cyl. 1959; Maker Sea Gull
Note: Alt. from slp, 1958

1967 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#671)
Name: Bagatelle
Port: Greenwich, Conn.
Building Material Wood; Type & Rig Cb [Centerboard], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Ywl
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-6; Draught 3-0
Sailmaker Manchester; Sails made in [19]58, [19]59
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N. G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1914
Engine Aux Eng. 1 Cyl. 1959; Maker Sea Gull
Note: Alt. from slp, 1958. Sail no. D7

1999-2000 Register of Wooden Boats (#034.09)
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: John F. Hall, Jr. (13 Avondale Rd, Westerly, RI 02891); Club(s): Watch Hill YC; Port: Watch Hill, RI
Type & Rig Buzzards Bay 25, K/CB yawl
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-0; Draught 3-6
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N.G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol RI; Built when 1914
Note: Sail No. D 7

2007 WoodenBoat Register
Name: Bagatelle
Owner: Glenn Kim; Port of Registry: Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Type & Rig Buzzards Bay 25, K/CB sloop
LOA 32-0; LWL 25-0; Extr. Beam 8-9; Draught 3-1
Sail Area 550
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer N.G. Herreshoff; Built where Bristol RI; Built when 1914
Note: Sail No. D 7

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: Bagatelle
Type: J & M
Length: 25'
Owner: Dabney, F. L.

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: Bagatelle
Type: 25' sloop
Owner: Geo. B. Dabney
Year: 1914
Row No.: 70

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.

Research Note(s)

"See also: Mystic Seaport, Daniel S. Gregory Ships Plans Library, Cox & Stevens, Inc. Collection. 2 sheets of plans for sail plan by Ratsey & Lapthorn, Inc. for 34 ft. sloop, BAGATELLE (built 1914), designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Date on plans is 1947. 1 sheet is a duplicate. SP.1975.1.34.363" (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 13, 2011.)

"Built in 90 days (contract to delivered; equivalent to $22/day, 80 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"Sail area 551.5 sqft from untitled two-page rating-rule-related table handwritten (in ink) by N. G. Herreshoff with multiple dimensions for the most important Herreshoff-designed yachts. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. MRDE15, Folder [no #]. Undated (the most recent boat dates 1914/1915 and the table was probably prepared in preparation for NGH's sail area rating rule of 1914/1915)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. September 16, 2020.)

"Sail area main 419.5sqft plus jib 121sqft = 540.5sqft total as per notes on sail plan 130-121." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. April 27, 2014.)

"Displacement 112 cu.ft. [= 7,168 lbs] from untitled two-page rating-rule-related table handwritten (in ink) by N. G. Herreshoff with multiple dimensions for the most important Herreshoff-designed yachts. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. MRDE15, Folder [no #]. Undated (the most recent boat dates 1914/1915 and the table was probably prepared in preparation for NGH's sail area rating rule of 1914/1915)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. September 16, 2020.)

"Displacement 7175 lb from NGH design notes quoted in Herreshoff, Halsey C. 'The 2014 CYS Commemorates the Great Herreshoff Year of 1914.' In: Herreshoff Marine Museum (publ.). Proceedings. The 6th Classic Yacht Symposium. May 2- 3, 2014. Bristol, RI, 2014, p. 9." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 29, 2014.)

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

Note

Copyright considerations prevented the reproduction of some text and/or images. If you have a valid research interest and do not have access to the cited original source(s), you may contact us by using the link below for assistance in obtaining more complete information.

We are always interested in learning more about this vessel. If you want to discuss it or can share any additional information or images or to discuss a copyright concern, please do not hesitate to send an Email to the link below!


Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné.
All rights reserved. No reproduction, adaptation, or distribution of any part of this document or any information contained herein by any means whatsoever is permitted without prior written permission. For the full terms of copyright for this document please click here. Last revision 2024-01-16.
© 2024,

Citation: HMCo #736s Bagatelle. Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné. https://herreshoff.info/Docs/S00736_Bagatelle.htm.