HMCo #1328s [Tech Dinghy]

"N. G. HERRESHOFF 6 WALLEY STREET BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND April 28 1936. {1936/04/28} Dear Francis, ... I understand the lot of dinghys built for M.I.T. intrests are about finished, and work is rather centered on a cruiser of about 50 ft of Alden's design, and for the present owner of Wildfire, which is now at the dock. ... Your affect - Father." (Source: Mystic Seaport Museum, L. Francis Herreshoff Collection, Box 17, Folder 12: Letter from N. G. Herreshoff to L. F. Herreshoff.)

"Plans for introducing sailing as a recognized student activity at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were completed today [February 15, 1936] with the signing of a contract for 40 sailing dinghies of new design. The contract has been awarded to the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, builders of some of the most famous yachts, and construction will begin at once at the company's plant at Bristol, R. I. The first of the boats, which are to be called the Tech-Herreshoff Class, is expected to be ready in March.
The plans provide for a boat 12 1/2 feet long with a breadth of five feet. A feature of the design is two mast steps, providing for rigging the dinghies either as catboats or sloops. The boat has overhanging bow and stern and has a beauty of line rarely seen in this type. The ample breadth makes for stability and safety of handling by novices, while at the same time the boats are expected to give a good account of themselves in racing. They are expected to weigh less than 175 pounds, assuring ease in transportation and housing.
Dinghies Donated.
The new dinghies, which were designed in the institute's department of naval architecture, have been donated by alumni and friends of the institute to give students the benefits and pleasure of sailing. ...
Dr. Karl T. Compton, president of the Institute, donated the first boat and appointed a committee to draw specifications for a dinghy suitable for instruction in the fundamentals of sailing as well as for undergraduate racing. This committee was composed of Professor Owen, as chairman, Henry A. Morss and Walter C. Wood." (Source: Anon. "Sailing Is Adopted by Tech As Official Student Activity." Christian Science Monitor, February 15, 1936, p. 11.)

"To the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, R. I., builders of America's Cup defenders, goes the honor of building what is probably the first one-design class of boats for intercollegiate racing in the country. Valspar Marine Finishes, made by Valentine & Co., New York, are being used on these beautiful Frostbite-type dinghies designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for use by its students. Forty-five of these dinghies have recently been completed at Herreshoff's." (Source: Anon. "Valspar Used On Tech-Herreshoff Dinghies." Motor Boating, September 1936, p. 92.)

"12 ft. 6 inch M.I.T. Sailing Dinghy. Designed by Naval Architecture Department of M. I. T., and built by Herreshoff Mfg. Co. of Bristol, Rhode Island in 1936. Lapstreak construction of native cedar, 1/4 inch thick. [Model] Scale: 1 inch = 1 ft.
Length overall = 12 ft. 6 in.
Length L.W.L. (with 2 persons aboard at 150 lbs.) about = 11 ft. 6 in.
Breadth, extreme = 5 ft. 0 in.
Depth at middle of L.W.L. Length = 21 inches
Sail Area = 67 sq. ft.
Displacement, at above flotation = 475 lbs." (Source: Owen, George. "Owen Collection of Half Models." Catalog, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 1939.)

"Herreshoff Mfg. Co. records show that forty of these intercollegiate sailing dinghies were built for a flat fee of $10,000, a unit cost of only $250, or only about half what the similar-sized Amphi-Craft ... sold for. Such are the possibilities of an efficient production line and large-dollar contracts. (Subsequently, five more were built at prices ranging to $325.)
M.I.T. professor George Owen was responsible for the 'Tech' dinghy design, and if the boats appear to be pure Herreshoff creations, there's good reason. Owen was one of NGH's draftsmen in earlier times, before joining the M.I.T. staff and before becoming a well-known designer himself. Rather more elegant than practical, the structural design reflects Owen's background and the Herreshoff Mfg. Co.'s standards. For example, the steam-bent wraparound caps on the centerboard trunks are a distinctive, but elaborate, feature. ..." (Source: Bray, Maynard and Carlton Pinheiro. Herreshoff of Bristol. Brooklin, Maine, 1989, p. 193.)

Year: 1936
E/P/S: S
No.: 1328
Rig: Dinghy
Notes Constr. Record: 40 for $10,000-(Spec. price)
Last Name: M.I.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.

"Displacement 150lbs (475lbs with 2 persons aboard) as per Owen, George. 'Owen Collection of Half Models.' Catalog, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 1939." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. September 25, 2014.)

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