HMCo #1508s Onaire III

Particulars

Construction_Record_Title.jpgName: Onaire III
Type: Cutter
Designed by: Sparkman & Stephens
Contract: 1940 ?
LOA: 63' 4" (19.30m)
LWL: 44' 0" (13.41m)
Beam: 14' 1" (4.29m)
Draft: 8' 6.3" (2.60m)
Rig: Cutter
Displ.: 26.0 short tons (23.6 metric tons)
Propulsion: Gasoline, Gray 6-91
Propeller: Hyde 2-bladed feathering.
Built for: Todd, Walter L.
Amount: N/A
Current owner: Private Owner, Honduras (last reported 2010 at age 70)

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.

Documents

Other Contemporary Text Source(s)

"Left . . . ONAIRE III, largest yacht constructed in Rhode Island this year, makes a trial run in Bristol harbor with Rod Stephens, skipper of transatlantic races, at the wheel. The boat, whose home port will be Rochester, N. Y. was built at Herreshoff's to the order of Walter Dodd for the 'Onaire Syndicate.' —Journal photo, Scheer. [Photo caption.]" (Source: Anon. "Yacht Built at Bristol." Providence Journal, June 30, 1940.)

"Onaire III owned by syndicate of the Rochester Yacht Club. She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens, Inc. ... [Photo caption.]" (Source: Farley, W. Peck, Farley. "Lake Ontario News." Yachting, Vol 68, 1940, p. 95?)

"[Report on Onaire III.]" (Source: Rudder, September 1940.)

Other Modern Text Source(s)

"Onaire III
Onaire III is the last large yacht built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. of Bristol. R.I. Unlike other yachts of her vintage, Onaire III has never had a bad season of ownership. She has had only three owners, all of whom spent a lot of time and money loving her. The present owner's theme of ownership has been to keep the boat as original as possible, with the exception of modern electronics and updated mechanics. This has been rewarded in recent years by the presentation of The Finest Classic Yacht Award and Best Owner Maintained Yacht by The Museum of Yachting in Newport. R.I. Please call our office for further information. Asking $245.000.
Builder: Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.
Designer: Sparkman & Stephens
Year Built: 1940
Loa 61'10"
Displ. 32 Tons
Lwl 44'
Draft 6'6"
Beam 14'8"
Sail Area 1650 Sq Ft" (Source: R. B. Rodgers Yacht Sales. "For Sale." Wooden Boat #82, May/June 1988, p. 138.)

Archival Documents

"[Item Description:] Spreadsheet listing original contracts (from 1923 to 1940) by HMCo in the collection of HMM (apparently from the gift of Everett Pearson). Listed boats are: #380p, #381p, #388p, #389p, #391p, #392p, #393p, #395p, #886s, #933s, #934s, #954s, #955s, #962s, #983s, #999s, #1002s, #1017s, #1054s, #1055s, #1057s, #1074s, #1078s, #1122s, #1125s, #1130s, #1131s, #1147s, #1152s, #1153s, #1154s, #1156s, #1157s, #1164s, #1170s, #1173s, #1174s, #1175s, #1175s, #1176s, #1177s, #1179s, #1180s, #1191s, #1192s, #1193s, #1195s, #1196s, #1198s, #1199s, #1200s, #1201s, #1202s, #1203s, #1206s, #1207s, #1208s, #1209s, #1210s, #1211s, #1212s, #1213s, #1214s, #1215s, #1216s, #1217s, #1218s, #1219s, #1220s, #1222s, #1224s, #1236s, #1226s, #1227s, #1228s, #1230s, #1232s, #1234s, #1237s, #1238s, #1240s, #1241s, #1243s, #1244s, #1245s, #1246s, #1247s, #1248s, #1249s, #1250s, #1251s, #1252s, #1253s, #1254s, #1255s, #1256s, #1257s, #1258s, #1259s, #1260s, #1261s, #1262s, #1263s, #1264s, #1265s, #1274s, #1275s, #1277s, #1279s, #1280s, #1281s, #1282s, #1283s, #1284s, #1285s, #1286s, #1287s, #1302s, #1303s, #1315s, #1508s." (Source: Rickson, Norene (creator). Table. Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection Item LIB_4220. HMM Library Rare Books Room (HMCo Contracts), Folder [no #]. No date (2010s ?).)
① ② ③ ④

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #1508s Onaire III even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

Further Reading
  • Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. [Specifications for #1508s Onaire III, cutter.] Bristol, RI, June 3, 1940. (7,295 kB)
    Document is copyrighted: Yes. Copyright holder: Herreshoff Marine Museum. Detailed specifications as supplied by Onaire's designer Sparkman & Stephens.

Images

Registers

1940 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#4599)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-11; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Beckman; Sails made in [19]40; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8; Maker Gray
Note: [As per Lloyds Supplement, Alterations and Additions to October 1, 1940:] Official Number 239722. Reg. Tons, Net 26; Gross 27. Breadth 15-0. Depth 6-7. Port of Registry, Rochester, N.Y.

1947 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#4442)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 15-0; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Beckman; Sails made in [19]40; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8; Maker Gray

1950 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#4861)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 15-0; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Griffin [City Island, NY]; Sails made in [19]49; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8. 1949; Maker Gray

1955 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#5288)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-8; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Griffin [City Island, NY]; Sails made in [19]51; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8. 1949; Maker Gray

1960 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#5800)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-8; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Ulmer; Sails made in [19]58; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8. 1949; Maker Gray

1967 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#6734)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Onaire Syndicate (Walter L. Todd, Pres.); Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-8; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Ulmer; Sails made in [19]61; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8. 1961; Maker Gray

1970 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#7020)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Alexander M. Beebee, Jr.; Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig K[eel], TC [Trunk Cabin], Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-8; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Ulmer; Sails made in [19]61; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Eng. 4 Cyc. 6 Cyl. 3 7/16 x 4 3/8. 1961; Maker Gray

1975 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (#5278)
Name: Onaire III
Owner: Alexander M. Beebee, Jr.; Port: Rochester, N.Y.
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood; Type & Rig Aux Cut[ter]
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; LOA 61-10; LWL 44-0; Extr. Beam 14-8; Depth 6-7; Draught 6-6
Sailmaker Ulmer; Sails made in [19]61; Sail Area 1605
Builder Herreshoff Mfg. Co.; Designer Sparkman & Stephens; Built where Bristol, R.I.; Built when 1940
Engine Gas Engine 6 Cy. [19]61. 91hp; Maker Gray

2010 USCG
Name: Onaire III
Owner: [Previous Owner: Kellems Marine Corporation.]; Port: Wilmington, De
Official no. 239722; Building Material Wood
Tons Gross 27; Tons Net 26; Reg. Length 55.3; Extr. Beam 15; Depth 6.7
Note: Call Sign: WYZ6219. Documentation Issuance Date: November 15,1993. Documentation Expiration Date: November 30,1996. Service: Recreational. Note: Data Found In Historical Database No Longer In Documentation..

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

Year: 1940
E/P/S: S
No.: 1508
Name: onaire iii
LW: 44' 0"
Last Name: Todd
First Name: Walter

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.

Research Note(s)

"Sparkman & Stephens design no. 207 of 1937." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. May 2, 2008.)

"The detailed specifications in the collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum (which are not accompanied by an original contract) are dated June 3, 1940. It is not known when Onaire III was contracted for or when she was launched." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. January 15, 2015.)

"In the absence of better available data displacement was estimated by using the figure for Net Register Tons (26) from the 1947 Lloyd's Register of American Yachts (Gross Register Tons were reported as 27) and converting to lbs by dividing through 2000 (short tons). Note that this figure can only be a rough estimate because register tons as reported in Yacht Registers correlate only loosely with actual displacement figures." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. March 17, 2015.)

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.

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Citation: HMCo #1508s Onaire III. Herreshoff Catalogue Raisonné. https://herreshoff.info/Docs/S01508_Onaire_III.htm.