HMCo #991s Bull Dog [Bulldog]

"[1926-06-13] Sun 13: Fair. Mod[erate] SSW. Fog in evening. Around home all day. E. Le Clair towed away 6 - 12 1/2 footers to go to Larchmont [#987s, #988s, #989s, #990s, #991s, and #992s]." (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1926. Manuscript (excerpts). Diary access courtesy of Halsey C. Herreshoff.)

"... About every space in the shop not occupied by something bigger, has a 12 1/2 foot water-line boat in some stage of completion, filling it up.
Of the fleet of 12 1/2 footers, the boats for Louis S.[sic] Bishop [#989s Bull Head], J. H. Brown [#991s Bull Dog] and James B. Ford [#987s Bull Finch and #988s Bull Frog] will be rigged with the jib headed mainsail, and sent around to Larchmont. Those for H. C. Osborne [#994s Black Jack], Harriet T. Verry [#995s Swish], M. P. Whitall [#993s Sampan], Miles W. Weeks [#?s], Prescott Bigelow [#?s] and Dr. Thomas D Bennett [#1000s Perro] will be gaff rigged to fit into the class at Buzzards Bay where they will be used this summer. Another [#1003s] is for Col. Charles Tillinghast to replace the 15-footer Little Rhody Jr." (Source: Davis, Jeff. "Yachting Gossip." Providence Journal, April 25, 1926, p. ?.)

"LARCHMONT MANOR, N. Y., June 20 [1926]. --- Despite the poor sailing conditions on Long Island Sound this afternoon, several special events were held by members of the Larchmont Yacht Club off this port. The Victory sloops, the R class and the newly-launched Larchmont Bull's Eyes that were designed by Herreshoff for the junior members of the club, all had an interesting session. ...
Betty Anderson, and Ned Anderson Jr. were the leaders in the Bull's Eyes. Little Betty, who is only 10 years old, sailed a brilliant race against her brother and was the winner by 21 seconds.
The summaries: ...
LARCHMONT BULL'S EYES.
Course 7 1/2 Miles. Start 3:40.
[#989s] Bull Head, Betty Anderson 4:48:42
[#987s] Bull Finch, Ned Anderson Jr 4:49:03
[#988s] Bull Frog, Robert Carrick 4:51:23" (Source: Anon. "Betty Anderson, 10, First In Yacht Race. Captures Honors in the Newly Launched Bull's Eyes Class at Larchmont Y. C. Races." New York Times, June 21, 1926, p. 25.)

"LARCHMONT BULLSEYES.
Start, 2:35 P. M. Course, 2 1/2 Miles.
[#990s] Bull Pup, Larry Reybine, 3:13:55
Baby Fish, Peter Jaffe, 3:14:06
[#987s] Bull Finch, S. Stevens, 3:18:55
[#991s] Bull Dog, A. Kuehnle, 3:22:34
[#992s] Bull Terrier, E. Anderson, 3:24:08
[#989s] Bull Head, L. Kuehnle, 3:25:01" (Source: Lawrence, Seabury. "Girl Skipper Wins Junior Star Race." New York Times, July 21, 1926, p. 15.)

"LARCHMONT BULLSEYES.
Start. 3:20 P.M. Course, 2 1/4 Miles.
[#990s] No. 4, Larry Reybine, 3:59:05
[#988s] No. 2, Robert Carrick, 4:00:15
[#987s] No. 1, Sherman Stevens, 4:03:30
[#991s] No. 6, D. Adamson, 4:05:30
[#991s] No. 5, Ned Anderson Jr., 4:08:00" (Source: Lawrence, Seabury. "Minx Shows Way To The 30-Footers." New York Times, June 19, 1927, p. S5.)

"BULL'S EYE CLASS.
Start, 3:10. Course. 2 1/4 Miles.
[#988s] Bullfrog, Ned Anderson Jr., 3:50:00
[#990s] Bull Pup, A. Reybine, 3:59:59
[#991s] Bull Terrier, J. H. Adams, 4:00:05
[#989s] Bullhead, C. A. Kuehnle, 4:02:59
[#987s] Bullfinch, Larchmont Y. C., 4:03:00 " (Source: Lawrence, Seabury. "193 Yachts, Record, Race At Larchmont." New York Times, July 17, 1927, p. 4.)

"Larchmont Bulls Eye Class.
[#987s] 1, Bull Finch, Larchmont Yacht Club
[#988s] 2, Bull Frog, Larchmont Yacht Club
[#989s] 3, Bull Head, H. L. Maxwell
[#990s] 4, Bull Pup, Alpheus Reybine
[#991s] 5, Bull Dog, Louis F. Bishop
[#1005s] 7 Bull Fish, Peter Jaffee" (Source: Anon. "Racing Numbers Long Island Sound Yacht Racing Association." Rudder, August 1928, p. 103.)

"12 1/2 FOOTER DONATED
William J. Strawbridge has donated the 12 1/2 footer BULLDOG to the Herreshoff Museum. Mr. Strawbridge, a well-known yachtsman and syndicate manager of the successful AMERICA'S Cup defenses of INTREPID in 1967 and 1970, has long been a Herreshoff yacht enthusiast, having owned the 'M' class sloop ISTALENA and the 12 meter MITENA, among others.
BULLDOG, more recently named HEFFALUMP, was retired by Mr. Strawbridge in the fall of 1977 after winning the Davenport Hayward Race. This race is between boats of greatly varying size and is conducted with a staggered start. This victory was a fitting conclusion to BULLDOG'S successful racing career under Mr. Strawbridge since he acquired her from the original owner about 1938.
According to the Shop records, BULLDOG, hull #992, was contracted on December 1, 1925 and delivered in the spring of 1926 as one of six listed as 'Larchmont Class.' She carried the new leg o' mutton rig and was delivered to Henry L. Maxwell at a cost of $1000. [Note: This is not correct. Bulldog ex-Heffalump carries a builders plate #991 indicating that she was delivered to J. Herbert Brown, not Harry Maxwell.] This class boat is 15'6" LOA, 12'6" LWL, 6'0" Beam, 2'6" draft, 1500 lbs., with a 750 lb. keel.
The 12 1/2 footer class was started in the fall of 1914 when Robert Emmons of Monument Beach, Cape Cod asked N. G. Herreshoff to design and build a safe and seaworthy small boat for training youngsters on the waters of Buzzards Bay. The first group of 19 of the 'Buzzards Bay Boys' Boats' sailed in the season of 1915 and became an immediate success. The hull numbers were #755 [sic, i.e. #745] to #762 [and #765]. A number of these 'first editions' are still actively sailing, and NETTLE (#762) is on exhibit at Mystic Seaport. These gaff-rigged 'first editions' are easily distinguished by a rowing thwart and no seats forward.
A choice of leg o' mutton or gaff rig was offered in the mid 1920's. The gaff rig remained popular on the Cape, and Marconi fleets sprang up on Narragansett Bay, Marblehead, North East Harbor, and Fisher's Island. The class has been designated as Buzzards Bay Boys' Boat, 12 1/2 WL 'J & M', Buzzards Bay Class, Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer, Herreshoff, 12 Footers, H-12, Bullseye, Narragansett Bay Class, and Doughdish.
Starting on October 30, 1914, the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company built about 390 [sic, i.e. 365?] of these famous boats. Hull #1518, the last Herreshoff made 12 1/2 was contracted on June 16, 1943. The famous oak trim was changed to mahogany about 1936, but the boats remained basically unchanged during almost three decades of construction. Prices varied from $420 in 1914 to $1000. in the 20's to about $800 in the 30's to $775 in the 40's." (Source: Pinheiro, Carlton J. "12 1/2 Footer Donated." In: Herreshoff Marine Museum Chonicle, Fall 1979, p. 3.)

... The Junior program [of the Larchmont Yacht Club] was expanded in 1926 to include a new class of boat, the Herreshoff 12 1/2, or Bullseyes. More than 40 Juniors signed up, and a paid instructor was hired for the summer. The Bullseye Class survives to this very day in several East Coast locations. Built now of fiberglass ...
In 1926 a daring new program was announced under the joint auspices of the Larchmont Yacht Club and the Junior Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound. Ladies' Day would be no more. Tuesday of Race Week would be Junior Day. ...
Half of the report of the race committee for 1927 was devoted to the Junior program: 'The 1927 season was the third year of the Junior Instruction in sailing and this class had grown until reached the number of 45 Juniors. Most of the sailing in this class was done in the five Larchmont Bullseyes, two of which were owned by the Club [#987s and #988s], and we had the use of boats of the same class owned by Messrs. A. Reybine [#990s], C. A. Kuehnle [apparently #989s], and Dr. L. Bishop [#989s]. We again secured the services of Howard H. Keller of Chicago for sailing instructor ... (Source: Ogilvy, C. Stanley. The Larchmont Yacht Club. A History, 1880-1990. Larchmont, NY, 1993, p. 172.)

• Bray, Maynard. "Restoration of 12 1/2 Footers. Part I." Wooden Boat #56, January/February 1984, p. 93-101. (1,293 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Maynard Bray (text). Detailed Buzzards Bay 12 1/2 restoration step by step as performed by the Ballentine shop. Part I. Stem restoration, transom and frame replacement.
• Bray, Maynard. "Restoration of 12 1/2 Footers. Part II." Wooden Boat #57, March/April 1984, p. 93-100. (1,036 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Maynard Bray (text). Detailed Buzzards Bay 12 1/2 restoration step by step as performed by the Ballentine shop. Part II. Keel timber and coamings replacement.
• Bray, Maynard (with photos by Benjamin Mendlowitz). "12 1/2 Footers." Nautical Quarterly, no. 37, Spring 1987, p. 47. (608 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes, used with permission. Copyright holder: Maynard Bray (text), Benjamin Mendlowitz (photos). Short class portrait. Part of the larger article "Herreshoff Legacies."
• Nagy, Steve. "The Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer. Evolution Of The Class." In: Herreshoff Marine Museum (publ.). Proceedings. The 6th Classic Yacht Symposium. May 2-3, 2014. Bristol, RI, 2014, p. 1-23. (4,425 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Copyright holder: Steve Nagy / Herreshoff Marine Museum. Short class history of the 12 1/2 as built by HMCo, Quincy Adams, Cape Cod Shipbuilding and others. Different models: Gaff, marconi, wishboom, Fishers Island. Detailed description of changes in configuration and equipment as boats were built over time. Identification guide for 12 1/2s missing their builder's plate. Photos. Original promotional material.
• Curtin, David P. "The H12 1/2 Bulldog. Origins and Refurbishment for Museum Display." With a preface by Carlton Pinheiro from HMM Chronicle Fall 1979. In: Herreshoff Marine Museum (publ.). Proceedings. The 6th Classic Yacht Symposium. May 2-3, 2014. Bristol, RI, 2014, p. 1-4. (1,175 kB)
  Document is copyrighted: Yes. Copyright holder: David P. Curtin / Herreshoff Marine Museum. Restoration report. Short vessel history. Photos. (Note: Preface describes boat as #992s while it is #991s.)

Type: Leg-O-Mutton
Length: 12'6"
Owner: Brown, J. Herbert

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

Name: No name
Type: 12 1/2-footer
Owner: J. Herbert Brown
Row No.: 1032

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: Dec.
Day: 14
Year: 1925
E/P/S: S
No.: 0991
OA: 15' 6"
LW: 12' 6"
B: 6' 0"
D: 2' 6"
Rig: J & M Leg-o-mutton
K: y
Amount: 1000.00
Notes Constr. Record: Larchmont Class
Last Name: Brown
First Name: J. Herbert

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.

Hull No.: 991
Contract Date: 1925-12-14
Org. Name: Bulldog
Org. Owner: J. Herbert Brown
Org. Rig: Leg O' Mutton
Current Rig: Marconi
Mast Partner: Hinged
Home Port: Bristol, RI
Prior Owners: Henry L. Maxwell - - - ; William J. Strawbridge - 1938 - 1978 - Northeast Harbor, ME - Heffalump
Current Name: Bulldog
Current Owner: Herreshoff Marine Museum
Owner Since: 1978
Sheer-strake: Oak
Note: This boat is on exhibit at the Herreshoff Marine Museum. It has a square-profile tiller, and the rear deck is canvas-covered. The name on the transom is 'Heffalump'. It was one of the 6 boats in the Larchmont class. It was sold by Henry L. Maxwell to William J. Strawbridge in 1938. It was donated to the museum by Mr. Strawbridge in 1978. The boat has a Leg O' Mutton (Marconi) rig, and was the 7th boat to be so configured.

Source: Nagy, Steve. "The Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer Registry." Version 2.0. August 2007. (http://h12.orrsford.com/H12_Registry_Ver_2-0.pdf, last visit May 23, 2008.)

"Sail number 5 as indicated by Rudder, vol. 44, 1928 (p. 103?)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 2, 2015.)

"Built in 181 days (contract to delivered; equivalent to $6/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"Sail area approximately 140 square feet by rule." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Yachts by Herreshoff. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company: Designers and Builders of Sailing and Power Craft since 1861. Bristol, Rhode Island, 1937.)

"Donated in July 1979 by William J. Strawbridge to the Herreshoff Marine Museum." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 8, 2012.)

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