Alleged Am.Cup Yacht's tender, Pocahontas?

[Tom Robb]

Tort Pownsend's WoodenBoat Foundation has a 14' carvel rowing tender that was alllegedly built for an America's Cup yacht in the late 1800's. Maybe true; maybe not. All we know is that they call her Pocahontas and even that may not be correct.

Is there anyone here who has any information on the boat? (When built? By whom? What year? A tender to what yacht? Etc?)

It's been sitting neglected in the weeds for years and the shop guys (ok, mostly me) want to get her documented and restored.

If she's, indeed, part of a cup defense it would probably be easier to get funding or at least proper attention. She needs, at the very least, reframed, possibly a new set of garboards, and refinished.

[Tom Robb]

Bump

[Stephen]

got pics?

[Tom Hunter]

I'm not clear, 'they' call the America's cup yacht Pocohontas, or the 14' boat you have is called Pocohontas?

In the late 1800s names from the early colonial period were popular, Mayflower and Puritian which defended the cup in the 1880s are examples. But there is no Pocohontas listed among the defenders, but the defenders list does not include all the boats that attempted to qualify as defenders.

[Hwyl]

It would be too small to be a "tender". Remember these were all big boats, but may well have been a dinghy to one of the boats. There were a dozen challenges before and including 1901. The good news for you is that the defender was always the New York Yacht club.

They really don't deserve their reputation, and are in fact very approachable and desperate to know of their history. Have you contacted them yet www.nyyc.org

[Bob Smalser]

Tender?

When we had Weatherly to race with in Tacoma it took a couple dozen people to sail her. A bit many to serve with a 14-footer. In our case back then they were usually high school kids, hence she was always given lots of room for fear of our lives in our little T-Birds and San Juan 24's.

[Paul Stohlman]

The boat is a 14 foot carvel Whitehall type. It indeed needs work, but is is probably not historically significant. It's history is oral, no proof that I know of.

The big issue right now is frames. There have been several attempts to "inspire" them to work on the boat, but it seems to get bumped to the end of the list.

I offered to buy it, but the Managing Director sail that they wanted to save it for a boatshop project once their new building is up...and perhaps use it to shuttle customers to the mooring bouys that are also on their "someday" list. In the meantime she is parked in the weeds...(along with the Salish Star...)

I could rant... I better stop.

[Tom Robb]

Paul,
We have her in the shop, scraped off the considerable loose paint, removed and stored the hardware, and cleaned the accumulated dirt out of her. Friday we built a frame to support a tarp (she'll be back out side for the winter). Another volunteer (Richard) plans to remove the rest of the paint. At least she's not out in the weeds collecting rain and misc. sculch for now.
And, yes, historical significance is probably unlikely, but if there's a plausibly connection to a cup boat, I'm supposing attention if not funding might be forthcomming. It's worth a shot, or at least seems to be.

Tom,
The row boat is supposed to be called Pocahontas.

Gareth,
Thanks for the tip about asking the NYYC. Hadn't thought of that (obvious) angle.

Bob,
All I know so far is that the guys here claim she was a tender. Perhaps I misunderstood and she's really the dink.

And sorry no pix. I'll have to try and get some.

And thanks to all who responded.

[pcford]

A quick google shows that there was a America's Cup boat called the Pocohantas. Was unsuccessful in trials. Late 19th century.