A Herreshoff Quiz

[rbgarr]

to while away a winter evening. Perhaps others will add their own stumpers.

Among NGH's half models mounted on the Model Room walls in the Museum is the set of the Big Boats (Defender, Columbia, etc.) he designed to race for the America's Cup. One model is distinct from the others in at least two ways. Name the model and its distinctions.

(I won't be surprised if there is more than one correct answer. No prizes to be given in any case. ;) )

[StevenBauer]

Will you accept photographic answers? :D


http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r241/bauerdad/IMG_1807.jpg



Steven

[Tom Galyen]

How about "Reliance" because it was made of Aluminum, and no longer exists because it corroded away in no time.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[Lance F. Gunderson]

What type of boating did LFH regard as the most fun: sailing, rowing, kayaking, power boating....the answer is in Sensible Cruising Designs.

[Concordia...41]

Well, I don't know, but there's three Concordia owners in Steven's picture ;):D

[sawcutmill]

'Reliance' was made of Tobin Bronze plate, and she was scraped for the war effort.
But there was a aluminum hull of one of the other contender's, and yes she did corrode electrolytically.I believe.stephen

[Rob Hazard]

What famous designer did Francis H defend when his father said he "certainly has some cheek", and why?

[watson1990]

Most likely , that would be William Alden

watson

[johnw]

How about "Reliance" because it was made of Aluminum, and no longer exists because it corroded away in no time.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

No, that was Defender. Aluminum topsides, steel frames, Tobin bronze bottom. Possibly the largest battery ever built.

[neilm]

What type of boating did LFH regard as the most fun: sailing, rowing, kayaking, power boating....the answer is in Sensible Cruising Designs.

Kayaking

[Rob Hazard]

It was Uffa Fox, who was writing a history of yacht design and wrote to ask Herreshoff if he could provide lines drawings of his Cup defenders for inclusion in the book. Herreshoff explained that no such drawings existed, since his loftsmen worked from offsets which he had taken off his own half-models. Undaunted, Fox wrote back and suggested that Herreshoff send him the half models and he could create the drawings himself!
Herreshoff was understandably miffed and said as much in a letter to his son Francis. Francis replied that Fox might be a cheeky devil, but he was also an extremely gifted designer and not to be dismissed out of hand.

I don't recall whether Fox ever got any help from Herreshoff.

[Jay Greer]

One of the odd models may be of the catamarans that NGH designed and built.
Another obscure fact, out side of the Chinese, is that Nathaniel invented the full batten sail which was used on his cat ketch "Clara". Also, it could be noted that L. Francis invented the swing keel and luff spar as well as multihulls with wing masts which had a mast mounted on each hull of a catamaran. Monococ construction was also an invention of L. Francis. He called it "Logitudinal Framing". It was used to build his R Class sloop "Live Yankee".
Now another question is, What breed of dog was LFH's favorite?
Jay

[rbgarr]

Poodle? Aren't there stories of him driving a (red?) convertible around Marblehead with the poodle in the passenger seat?

[Sail Dredger]

Constitution. She's facing the opposite direction of the other models. The other models in this group were winning defenders.

[rbgarr]

Bingo! We have a winnah!!

[StevenBauer]

Hey! I showed that in the first response.





Steven

[rbgarr]

Steve,

I saw your photo, and those were some of the models, but was there a description/answer of their significance that I didn't understand? If so, apologies.

[Sail Dredger]

That's me in the white hat, just over John Palmeris' left shoulder. I'll be in that room again with HH & Co. on the 22nd of this month. We are planning a R/C regatta for our J-class model yachts in August this Summer. The boats are 90'' to 105'' and up to 110lbs. Try to be there, we planning an awesome event. Mickey -you getting all this?

[Thad Van Gilder]

Damn, Jay beat me to it. I would have said a catamaran like the one in the museum itself.

-Thad

[Jay Greer]

Poodle? Aren't there stories of him driving a (red?) convertible around Marblehead with the poodle in the passenger seat?
Yes, he had two poodles. The red convertable was a Ferrari. My friend Dan Carter, who was the executer of the Herreshoff estate, once asked him why he owned a Ferrari. The answer was; "Because its a damn nice car. Thats why!"
Jay