HMCo #1094s [Sailing Dinghy for I. B. Merriman]

• Sailing Dinghy for I B Merriman (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.

Type: Sail Dinghy
Length: 14'
Owner: Merriman, I. B.

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

• Sailing Dinghy for I B Merriman
• 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.

Name: N/A
Type: 14' sailing dinghy
Owner: I. B. Merriman
Row No.: 795

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: Apr
Day: 19
Year: 1928
E/P/S: S
No.: 1094
OA: 14'
Rig: Ketch
CB: y
Ballast: None
Amount: Cost Plus
Notes Constr. Record: Sailing Dinghy, Delivered 7/26/28. Wt. 400 lb.
Last Name: Merriman
First Name: I. 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 Unpublished database, ca. 2000.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.

"Sailing Cutter for I. B. Merriman. 14'-2" x 5'-5". On moulds of No. 568 (Sailing dinghy for St. Y. Colonia) July, 1901. Frame spaces 6 1/8". Keel - white oak 1 3/8" thick 6" wide at rabbet, 7 3/4" total at [center], rabbeted for 7/8" lap Top 9/16" above rabbet. Stem - white oak and steamed and bent - 1 1/8" sided. Stern Post - Hackmatac Knee 2 1/4" sided. Stern - Teak 5/8". Floor timbers - white oak generally 3/4" x 1 1/2" above keel. Timbers 5/8" moulded 3/4" sided. Planking - Eastern cedar 5/16" thick, lapped, 11 strakes. Sheerstrake - Teak 7/8" thick - moulded 3 3/4" middle 2 3/4" ends. Gunwale clamp - white oak 1 1/4" x 5/8". Wash boards - Teak 4 1/2" to 6" wide 5/12" thick - Brackets 30" apart. Thwart stringers - white oak 1 1/4" x 1/2". Thwarts - teak - 9" x 3/4" double kneed. Stern sheets - Teak 5/8" thick. Weight of hull & equipment 400 lbs. 6 sand bags 152 lbs. Job #16733 June 1929 changed to Cat Rig with forward deck added as in green. Spars [drawing] 80-105 and 81-155 [as per notes on drawing 28-67]." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)

"Plan 28-67 (formerly 76-162) from which this boat was built was drawn 1928-07." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. October 26, 2009.)

"Built in 78 days (order to build to delivered; equivalent to 5 lbs displacement/day)." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 16, 2024.)

"Weigt of hull & equipment 400lbs. 6 sandbags 152 lbs." (Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Note on Construction Plan 028-067 (HH.5. 02066). Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection, MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA.)

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