Rick Starr
04-07-2006, 06:56 AM
******NOTE: This thread didn't make the carry-over
to the new forum software so I've brought it over intact.
Esperanza touched many lives in her time and the more
places this query appears the better chance of connecting
her stories and history. *******
...designed and built by him for his own use...
http://www.rkstarr.com/FAMILY/WJS/esperanza-sm.jpg
She lived her life on the Chesapeake out of Easton (where the picture was taken), off of "Hope House" which he built (hence the name of the yacht.)
I'm casting about for any information that others may have on her, her life and demise so if she rings any bells please contact me.
We are very fortunate to have her lines drawings around, as well as an article he wrote about her design and construction in Yachting Magazine.
Esperanza Web Page and Article (http://www.rkstarr.com/FAMILY/WJS/esperanza.html)
Thanks all,
Rick
------------------------------------------------------
John B Replied....
How amazing!
what a fantastic heritage that is Rick( can I call you Rick )
and what an innovative boat. One mans dream eh. Fantastic.
Made a half model?
-------------------------------------------------------
Hwyl Replied.....
It's nice that he list length over all to not include the bowsprit.
That original rig must have been a handful, especially with 6' draught.
-------------------------------------------------------
John B Replied.......
LOA.... thats because thats what it means Hwyl, as you and I and a few others know..( O no don't let me get started on the marina managers corruption of a boatbuilders and designers measurement )
I was wondering that about the draught considering the statements about how a sailing yacht should sail or not sail(upright).
"Norwegian stern" .That had me fooled for a bit, I thought it was a counter with extra fullness built in when I first looked .
any more insight as to how she went Rick. stories?
You're so lucky to have the lines. One branch of my family were boat builders here and my grandmother grew up " with the walls of the hall lined with half models"(models were 1870's to 1890 thereabouts). I was stood in front of 6 of them at a great uncles house and told that "my name was on the back of them".
Told the same at 8, 12 , 15, 18, 25 years old. when the old fella died they were given away to someone else.
-----------------------------------------------
boatlover Replied.....
Nice Boat ! Good post.
Looked at all the 5 and 1/2 pages - copied the jpg's - and will read them later.
Five and a half pages -- AND NO ADS !
What has the world lost ?
Regards,
- Ed R
-------------------------------------------------
Rick Starr Replied.........
Not a peep. My grandfather was the youngest of 6 and my understanding is that they all went to the four winds when the first chance presented itself.Great grandma was something of a dragon, if legend be true.
He designed several boats, some were race winners by the newspaper clippings we've saved. He designed and built a Chesapeake Log Canoe for one of his daughters and her husband--we have her ships clock with inscribed face. She lasted well and may have outlasted Esperanza by some margin.
But about Esperanza there is not a peep.
WJStarr also wrote several other articles in Yachting, one being an "appreciation" for Thomas Clapham of which I have a copy and will add to the Esperanza page in due course.
John, so sorry about the loss of that bit of legacy. As I age I begin to appreciate the value of that sort of thing. With this modest effort I'm trying to stem the loss of family history--this is the information age after all and we should be able to immortalize bits and pieces we've pulled together over the years--sort of cyber scrap book.
---------------------------------------------------
John B Replied.............
a lead worth a look at ( esperanza sounds like a fairly well used yacht name) is at the smithsonian where a yacht owned by Parish was used to go to haiti.
http://siarchives.si.edu/findingaids/FARU7306.htm
it mentions a photo which you could possibly apply to look at
---------------------------------------------
Ken Hutchins Replied.........
Having done research on my great grandfathers boat I should be able to help a bit. First thing you need is the CG documentation number, if you don't have that already it should be the first step in research.
Once you have the number send a letter to the vessel documentation center in Falling Waters WV, with the vessel name and number ask them for the full known history of it.
Check the libraries of the nautical museums in the general areas where the boat was sailed or where you live. There are yacht registry books and yacht club histories the museums have them. This is a good starting place especially if you don't have the vessel number.
Another place for info is the National archive but that is VERY time consuming. They have some indexes of info on-line, dig thru that to make a list of boxes of stuff that might have info you are looking for. The vessel info at the New England NARA site is not in any kind of order, just pages of info stuffed into big books so it is a page by page read once you know what books to look in.
Then there is the various state archives.
Another source of info is newspapers, most all newspapers are on micro film and a lot have been scanned some available on the web for free others charge a fee to access. But beware reading thousands of pages of info looking for little bits is very time consuming. Some of the newspaper things have a search thingy to help but the search results on scanned pages is not all that good. Once you determine a pattern of what days there is boating info in the news and where in the paper it is you will be able to speed up the looking.
-------------------------------------
tony morales Replied.........
Hi Rick, As of 1939 Esperenza was owned by S.W. Parish and Katherine H. Parish, no name changes of the vessel are recorded in Lloyds register of American Yachts. Home port was listed as Beumont Port Authur Texas. The Parishes belonged to the Miami Yacht club and had an address of 16 Palm Island, Miami Fl.
Her official number was listed in the register as #210329 and her radio call letters were K.L.V.B., In 1937 she had a diesel engine installed 4 cycle, 6 cylinder (4 1/2 x 5 1/2)Buda
She was listed as 27 net Tons and 40 gross Tons. 79' 10" Loa, 57' 0 lwl, 17'4" beam 7'0" draft. A Keel boat with center board and flush deck,Auxiliary Ketch. Seems to be the one that went on expedition to Haiti listed by John B.
My sugesstion is to try and track it through Lloyds register there was a supplement to the 1942 edition put out after the war. Also it lists owners so you can follow the "Parish" trail and name changes, skipping every few years to see if any thing has changed. Good luck and keep me posted. Tony Morales /moralest@hotmail.com
----------------------------------------------------
Terry Rhoads Replied.........
Rick- Now that Tony has found the documentation number, you can go here , and apply for an abstract of title, for a $25 fee (payable by credit card).
That will give you changes of ownership, and, usually, circumstances of her demise, if that's the case.
If there's a chance that she's still in documentation, there's an online site where you can plug in the numbers and get the info for free, but I can't find or remember it right now.
-Terry
edit: for future reference, you can find the info on currently documented vessels here. I plugged in your numbers and came up blank.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rick Starr replied........
Wow...Thanks to all of you who have responded. I am amazed at the resources of this online community and of it's generosity. I am pressing ahead with the search, using the information you all have provided, and will update the Esperanza page and WBF as I compile a more complete picture.
As a side note, on a whim I googled "Belle M. Crane" which was my great aunt's canoe I mentioned, and came up with This from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum '03 which includes quotations from correspondence between my grandfather and his friend, who I met, as a very young lad.
Imagining Esperanza and Belle M Crane sharing the same waters, perhaps the same crew, on family outings (being neighbors) takes one back nearly a century to a time and place that hasn't existed in a long time.
Hope house (which does still exist, although not in the family any longer):
http://www.talb.lib.md.us/mdroom/postcards/collection/residences/87-036.jpg
Thanks again,
Rick Starr
to the new forum software so I've brought it over intact.
Esperanza touched many lives in her time and the more
places this query appears the better chance of connecting
her stories and history. *******
...designed and built by him for his own use...
http://www.rkstarr.com/FAMILY/WJS/esperanza-sm.jpg
She lived her life on the Chesapeake out of Easton (where the picture was taken), off of "Hope House" which he built (hence the name of the yacht.)
I'm casting about for any information that others may have on her, her life and demise so if she rings any bells please contact me.
We are very fortunate to have her lines drawings around, as well as an article he wrote about her design and construction in Yachting Magazine.
Esperanza Web Page and Article (http://www.rkstarr.com/FAMILY/WJS/esperanza.html)
Thanks all,
Rick
------------------------------------------------------
John B Replied....
How amazing!
what a fantastic heritage that is Rick( can I call you Rick )
and what an innovative boat. One mans dream eh. Fantastic.
Made a half model?
-------------------------------------------------------
Hwyl Replied.....
It's nice that he list length over all to not include the bowsprit.
That original rig must have been a handful, especially with 6' draught.
-------------------------------------------------------
John B Replied.......
LOA.... thats because thats what it means Hwyl, as you and I and a few others know..( O no don't let me get started on the marina managers corruption of a boatbuilders and designers measurement )
I was wondering that about the draught considering the statements about how a sailing yacht should sail or not sail(upright).
"Norwegian stern" .That had me fooled for a bit, I thought it was a counter with extra fullness built in when I first looked .
any more insight as to how she went Rick. stories?
You're so lucky to have the lines. One branch of my family were boat builders here and my grandmother grew up " with the walls of the hall lined with half models"(models were 1870's to 1890 thereabouts). I was stood in front of 6 of them at a great uncles house and told that "my name was on the back of them".
Told the same at 8, 12 , 15, 18, 25 years old. when the old fella died they were given away to someone else.
-----------------------------------------------
boatlover Replied.....
Nice Boat ! Good post.
Looked at all the 5 and 1/2 pages - copied the jpg's - and will read them later.
Five and a half pages -- AND NO ADS !
What has the world lost ?
Regards,
- Ed R
-------------------------------------------------
Rick Starr Replied.........
Not a peep. My grandfather was the youngest of 6 and my understanding is that they all went to the four winds when the first chance presented itself.Great grandma was something of a dragon, if legend be true.
He designed several boats, some were race winners by the newspaper clippings we've saved. He designed and built a Chesapeake Log Canoe for one of his daughters and her husband--we have her ships clock with inscribed face. She lasted well and may have outlasted Esperanza by some margin.
But about Esperanza there is not a peep.
WJStarr also wrote several other articles in Yachting, one being an "appreciation" for Thomas Clapham of which I have a copy and will add to the Esperanza page in due course.
John, so sorry about the loss of that bit of legacy. As I age I begin to appreciate the value of that sort of thing. With this modest effort I'm trying to stem the loss of family history--this is the information age after all and we should be able to immortalize bits and pieces we've pulled together over the years--sort of cyber scrap book.
---------------------------------------------------
John B Replied.............
a lead worth a look at ( esperanza sounds like a fairly well used yacht name) is at the smithsonian where a yacht owned by Parish was used to go to haiti.
http://siarchives.si.edu/findingaids/FARU7306.htm
it mentions a photo which you could possibly apply to look at
---------------------------------------------
Ken Hutchins Replied.........
Having done research on my great grandfathers boat I should be able to help a bit. First thing you need is the CG documentation number, if you don't have that already it should be the first step in research.
Once you have the number send a letter to the vessel documentation center in Falling Waters WV, with the vessel name and number ask them for the full known history of it.
Check the libraries of the nautical museums in the general areas where the boat was sailed or where you live. There are yacht registry books and yacht club histories the museums have them. This is a good starting place especially if you don't have the vessel number.
Another place for info is the National archive but that is VERY time consuming. They have some indexes of info on-line, dig thru that to make a list of boxes of stuff that might have info you are looking for. The vessel info at the New England NARA site is not in any kind of order, just pages of info stuffed into big books so it is a page by page read once you know what books to look in.
Then there is the various state archives.
Another source of info is newspapers, most all newspapers are on micro film and a lot have been scanned some available on the web for free others charge a fee to access. But beware reading thousands of pages of info looking for little bits is very time consuming. Some of the newspaper things have a search thingy to help but the search results on scanned pages is not all that good. Once you determine a pattern of what days there is boating info in the news and where in the paper it is you will be able to speed up the looking.
-------------------------------------
tony morales Replied.........
Hi Rick, As of 1939 Esperenza was owned by S.W. Parish and Katherine H. Parish, no name changes of the vessel are recorded in Lloyds register of American Yachts. Home port was listed as Beumont Port Authur Texas. The Parishes belonged to the Miami Yacht club and had an address of 16 Palm Island, Miami Fl.
Her official number was listed in the register as #210329 and her radio call letters were K.L.V.B., In 1937 she had a diesel engine installed 4 cycle, 6 cylinder (4 1/2 x 5 1/2)Buda
She was listed as 27 net Tons and 40 gross Tons. 79' 10" Loa, 57' 0 lwl, 17'4" beam 7'0" draft. A Keel boat with center board and flush deck,Auxiliary Ketch. Seems to be the one that went on expedition to Haiti listed by John B.
My sugesstion is to try and track it through Lloyds register there was a supplement to the 1942 edition put out after the war. Also it lists owners so you can follow the "Parish" trail and name changes, skipping every few years to see if any thing has changed. Good luck and keep me posted. Tony Morales /moralest@hotmail.com
----------------------------------------------------
Terry Rhoads Replied.........
Rick- Now that Tony has found the documentation number, you can go here , and apply for an abstract of title, for a $25 fee (payable by credit card).
That will give you changes of ownership, and, usually, circumstances of her demise, if that's the case.
If there's a chance that she's still in documentation, there's an online site where you can plug in the numbers and get the info for free, but I can't find or remember it right now.
-Terry
edit: for future reference, you can find the info on currently documented vessels here. I plugged in your numbers and came up blank.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rick Starr replied........
Wow...Thanks to all of you who have responded. I am amazed at the resources of this online community and of it's generosity. I am pressing ahead with the search, using the information you all have provided, and will update the Esperanza page and WBF as I compile a more complete picture.
As a side note, on a whim I googled "Belle M. Crane" which was my great aunt's canoe I mentioned, and came up with This from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum '03 which includes quotations from correspondence between my grandfather and his friend, who I met, as a very young lad.
Imagining Esperanza and Belle M Crane sharing the same waters, perhaps the same crew, on family outings (being neighbors) takes one back nearly a century to a time and place that hasn't existed in a long time.
Hope house (which does still exist, although not in the family any longer):
http://www.talb.lib.md.us/mdroom/postcards/collection/residences/87-036.jpg
Thanks again,
Rick Starr