HMCo #1092s Remora

Particulars

Construction_Record_Title.jpgName: Remora
Type: 12 1/2 Footer
Designed by: NGH
Order to build: 1928-1-2
Delivered: 1929-6-15
Construction: Wood
LOA: 15' (4.57m)
LWL: 12' 6" (3.81m)
Construction Class and Number: #1081-12
Rig: Sloop
Sail Area: 140sq ft (13.0sq m)
Keel: yes
Ballast: Lead
Built for: Nicholson, Paul T.
Amount: $1,100.00
Note(s) in HMCo Construction Record: Bristol YC 12 1/2 fter. black top, white stripe, green b[o]at. Orders to build 12 for stock issued Jan 2 [19]28. Contract dates filled in as signed.
Current owner: Private Owner, Bristol, RI (last reported 2018 at age 89)

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 #716Model number: 716
Model location: H.M.M. Model Room North Wall Right

Vessels from this model:
409 built, modeled by NGH

Original text on model:
"12 1/2' Buzzards Bay boy class 24 boats 1915 scale 1/10 size three [sic, i.e. four? #806, #813, #815, #817?] boats 1916
16' w.l. Oyster Bay "Fish Class" 23 boats 1916 scale 1/12 size sections 1/13 lengths 3 1/2 added at bow on deck" (Source: Original handwritten annotation on model. Undated.)

Model Description:
"12'-1/2' lwl Buzzards Bay 12 1/2-class of 1915, HMCo's most popular creation with some 360 boats produced. Also, with change in scale and proportionally longer bow, the Fish class sloops of 1916 and beyond." (Source: Bray, Maynard. 2004.)

Related model(s):
Model XA2-1_01 by NGH (1914?); sail
Buzzards Bay 12 1/2
Model XA2-1_02 by NGH (1914?); sail
Fish Class


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.6.146-6

Offset booklet contents:
12 1/2-footer class, Fish class (Cape Cod Shipbuilding Embargoed)

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

Drawings

Main drawing Dwg 076-118 (HH.5.05569) Explore all drawings relating to this boat.

List of drawings:
   Drawings believed to have been first drawn for, or being first referenced to
   HMCo #1092s Remora are listed in bold.
   Click on Dwg number for preview, on HH number to see at M.I.T. Museum.
  1. Dwg 079-091 (HH.5.05900): Chain Plates & Mast-Band for Port Boat on "Roamer" (1902-05-03)
  2. Dwg 079-091 (HH.5.05901): Fittings for Port Boat on # 215 (1902-05-03)
  3. Dwg 130-124 (HH.5.10432); Sails > # 744 Design for Buzzard's Bay Boy's Boat (1914-10-11)
  4. Dwg 128-142 (HH.5.10269): Sails > Sails for No. 744 Class (1914-11-20)
  5. Dwg 081-111 (HH.5.06203): Spars for # 744 and Class (11 Boats), 12 1/2 Footer (1914-11-21)
  6. Dwg 081-111 (HH.5.06203.1): Spars for # 744 and Class (11 Boats), 12 1/2 Footer (1914-11-21)
  7. Dwg 065-064 (HH.5.04659); Rudder Hanging for # 743, Rudder and Hanging for # 744 Class (1915-02-15)
  8. Dwg 074-060 (HH.5.05348); Anchor for # 744 Class Made of Manganese Bronze (1915-03-30)
  9. Dwg 025-159 (HH.5.01916); List for # 744 Class, 12 1/2 Footers (1926-03-22)
  10. Dwg 148-000 (HH.5.12238); Construction Dwg > Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer (ca. 1931)
  11. Dwg 076-118 (HH.5.05569); Construction Dwg > Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer, 15'-8" O.A. x 12'-5" W.L. x 5'-10" Beam x 2'-5" Draft (1931-07-06)
  12. Dwg 076-118 (HH.5.05569.1); Construction Dwg > Herreshoff 12 1/2 Footer, 15'-8" O.A. x 12'-5" W.L. x 5'-10" Beam x 2'-5" Draft (1931-07-06)
  13. Dwg 128-142 [057-001] (HH.5.10270): Sails > Sails Plan 12 1/2 Footer Class (1934-06-04)
  14. Dwg 142-090 (HH.5.11837): Compartment Details for 12 1/2 Footers (1934-07-18)
  15. Dwg 130-124 (HH.5.10433); Sails > 12 1/2 Footer Class Gaff Rig Sail Plan (1938-02-19)
  16. Dwg 076-118 C (HH.5.06086): 12 1/2 Footer Class Gaff Rig Spar Details (1938-02-23)
  17. Dwg 076-118 C (HH.5.06086.1): 12 1/2 Footer Class Gaff Rig Spar Details (1938-02-23)
  18. Dwg 076-000 (HH.5.06088): 12 1/2 Footer Class Marconi Spar Details (1938-02-25)
  19. Dwg 076-118 D (HH.5.06087): 12 1/2 Footer Class Marconi Spar Details (1938-02-25)
  20. Dwg 076-118 D (HH.5.06087.1): 12 1/2 Footer Class Marconi Spar Details (1938-02-25)
  21. Dwg 130-124 B (HH.5.10434); Sails > 12 1/2 Footer Class Marconi Sail Plan [2 Plans] (1938-03-01)
  22. Dwg 130-124 B (HH.5.10434.1): Sails > 12 1/2 Footer Class Marconi Sail Plan (1938-03-01)
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

Other Contemporary Text Source(s)

"... The first of the Herreshoff 12 1/2 footers or (Bull's Eye) to be launched this year was the Gremlin [#???s], which in the absence of its youthful skipper's sailing the seas to Europe, has been put into shape by father and mother Pardee, and we hope will be sailed by them.
Second overboard in this class was Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miller's Papoose [#1173s] which has been in storage for about seven years and thus will be an addition to this year's fleet. Other 12 1/2 launched to date are Raven [#???s], Van Tingley; Bevis [#???s], Tony Corey; Raggety Ann [#943s???], Virginia Haffenreffer; Remora [#1092s], Stanley Livington; Minx [#1376s], Halsey Herreshoff; and Rhode Island Red [#1476s], Mrs. Halsey DeWolf. Also the Bristol Yacht Club's 12 1/2 footer, Cock Robin [#???s], is overboard." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, July 1, 1949, p. 3.)

"... Stetson Clowes 12 1/2 Black Maria [#1172s] is in the water; she now has a marcon rig taken from his other boat Ginger. Also launched now is Tuck [#1373s] belonging to Fred Bodell. Stanley Livingston's Remora [#1092s] will be sailed this summer by the Wm Boardman's. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, July 8, 1949, p. 3.)

"... In the 12 1/2 class 'Remora', chartered again this year by the William Boardmans, was the first overboard. Harleigh Tingley's 'Raven' [#???s], followed a few days afterward. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, June 16, 1950, p. 3.)

"... Last Wednesday [June 21, 1950] an early morning call from Mrs. Boardman resulted in a search by Halsey Herreshoff in the 'Bubble' [#285p] and the Coast Guard up Mount Hope Bay and around Hog Island to find her 12 1/2 footer 'Remora' that had broken away during the night. After a long search had been made, Mrs. B. herself sighted the 'Remora' 500 yards from home. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, June 27, 1950, p. 2.)

"... Launched from the Bristol Yacht Yard this week was Admiral Hoover's 'Helena' [#???s], Teddy Congdon's 'Nancy Belle' [#1042s] and the Bristol Yacht club's 'Cock Robin' [#???s]. Soon to be put overboard at the Herreshoff's miniature boat yard are Walter DeWolfs 'Sigma' [#759s], after a complete overhauling by the owner; Stanley Livingston's 'Ramora' [#1092s], chartered again this year to the William Boardmans and the Herreshoff's 'Minx' [#1376s]. ..." (Source: Anon ("See Weed"). "Ship Shape 'n Bristol Fashion." Bristol Phoenix, July 3, 1951, p. 2.)

Other Modern Text Source(s)

"Aug 29, 2018
Herreshoff 12 1/2 - Remora
Remora is a 1928 Herreshoff 12½, which needs significant repair.
Most of the frames are good.
One side has been replaced.
Much of the needed work is on decks, covering boards and coamings.
Total work needed has been estimated at 400+ hours.
Estimates to repair her ($25,000+) have come in at more than we are willing to spend.
She has been in our family since she was built.
She has been stored inside each winter in Bristol, Rhode Island, where she currently is.
We are open to any sort of arrangement, including selling her for $1 and repurchasing when work is done - or a pay-as-you go repair." (Source: Livingston, Ted. Post of DIY Wood Boat Website. https://www.diy-wood-boat.com/herreshoff-12-12-remora.html, retrieved September 26, 2020.)

Further Reading
  • 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.

Supplement

From the 2000 (ca.) Transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Vermilya/Bray

Month: Oct
Day: 1
Year: 1928
E/P/S: S
No.: 1092
Name: Remora
OA: 15'
LW: 12 1/2'
Rig: J & M
K: y
Ballast: Lead
Amount: 1100.00
Notes Constr. Record: Bristol Y.C. 12 1/2 footer. Delivery June 15/29.
Last Name: Nickolson
First Name: Paul T.

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.

From the 2007 12 1/2 Registry by Steve Nagy

Hull No.: 1092
Contract Date: 1928-10-01
Org. Name: Remora
Org. Owner: Paul T. Nicholson
Org. Rig: J&M
Current Rig: Marconi
Mast Partner: Hinged
Home Port: Bristol
Current Name: Remora
Current Owner: Martha Livingston
Sheer-strake: Oak
Restored By: George W. Zachorne, Jr.
Note: Owned by Stanley Livingston of Bristol, RI. Remora was purchased by his wife's father in 1929 and has been in the family ever since. She was completely restored by George W. Zachorne, Jr. She has been in the Nicholson-Livingston Family all her life, and is in fine condition.

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.)

Research Note(s)

"Owned by Stanley Livingston of Bristol, RI. Remora was purchased by his wife's father in 1929 and has been in the family ever since. She was completely restored by George W. Zachorne, Jr.. She has been in the Nicholson-Livingston Family all her life, and is in fine condition." (Source: Nagy, Steve. [Herreshoff Registry Entry.] http://www.herreshoffregistry.org/detail.php?hull=1092, retrieved April 25, 2015.)

"Substantial repairs in 2015 by Louis Sauzedde after the boat had been driven on the rocks and pounded severely." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. April 25, 2015.)

"The (company-internal) order to build the entire #1081 class of twelve boats (of which this boat was the 12th) was issued on January 2, 1928, but this boat's contract was recorded only on October 1, 1928 and it was finally delivered on June 15, 1929." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. June 23, 2014.)

"Built in 530 days (order to build to delivered; equivalent to $2/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.)

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

Note

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Citation: HMCo #1092s Remora. Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné. https://herreshoff.info/Docs/S01092_Remora.htm.