America (pilot boat)

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Pilot Boat America, No 21.jpg
New York pilot schooner America, No. 21, with owner's flag "W.H.A.", painting by Conrad Freitag
History
US flag 38 stars.svgUnited States
NameAmerica
Owner
  • N. Y. Pilots
  • Captain Weaver
  • Walter Brewer
Operator
  • James Jackson
  • Edward Develin
  • A. H. Murphy, Jr.
LaunchedOctober 25, 1880
ChristenedOctober 25, 1880
Out of serviceFebruary 1, 1896
FateSold
General characteristics
Class and type Schooner
Tonnage75-tons TM [1]
Length79 ft 8 in (24.28 m)
Beam21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Draft75 ft 0 in (22.86 m)
Depth8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
PropulsionSail

The America, No. 21 was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1880 for the New York City and Sandy Hook Pilots. She was a replacement for the William H. Aspinwall, No. 21, that was lost off Point Judith, Rhode Island in 1880. She weathered the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the time of steam, the America was sold in 1896 by the New York Pilots. A new pilot-boat America was built in 1897 for Captain James H. Reid of Boston and designed from the line drawings by Thomas F. McManus of Boston. After serving 21 years in the Boston Pilots' Association, the America was sold to David W. Simpson of Boston in 1918.

Contents

Construction and service

America No. 21

William H. Aspinwall was replaced by America. William H. Aspinwall.jpg
William H. Aspinwall was replaced by America.

On October 25, 1880, a new pilot boat, America, No. 21 was launched for the New York Pilots as a replacement for the William H. Aspinwall, No. 21, that was lost in 1880, off Point Judith, Rhode Island. [2] Belle Dunning broke a champagne bottle over the vessel's bow during the launch. The owners were Captain Weaver and Walter Brewer of New York. [3]

The pilot-boat America, No. 21, was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping from 1882 to 1900 to the N.Y. Pilots as owners and Walter Brewer as Captain. She was listed as being built in Bath, Maine, by the Goss & Sawyer shipyard in 1880. She was 79.8 feet long and 75-tons. [1]

Captain Joseph Henderson was attached to the pilot boat, America, No. 21, in the Great Blizzard of 1888, and at the time of his death on October 8, 1890. [4] During the blizzard, the America was cruising off Fire Island when she got caught up in the winter storm, but came safely into port. [5]

On May 17, 1895, the Life Savers' Benevolent Association presented gold medals and money to the crew of the pilot-boat America No. 21, for saving the crew of nine men off the American schooner Rose Esterbrook. Pilots James Jackson, Edward Develin, and Henry Hoiz received gold medals. [6]

On July 23, 1988, A. H. Murphy, Jr. of the pilot boat America No. 21, met Captain Andrews of the Dark Secret, 432 miles out from New York, who feel into bad weather and had to return to the New York harbor. [7]

End of service

On February 1, 1896, the New York Pilots discarded sixteen sailboats and moved them to the Erie Basin in Brooklyn. They were replaced with steam pilot boats. The America, was sold for $5,500. [8]

On April 19, 1897, a new America, No. 1 was built for Captain James H. Reid, of Boston and designed from the line drawings by Thomas F. McManus of Boston. She was launched from the shipyard of John Bishop of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Pilots James H. Reid, Jr., and Bruce B. McLean were assigned to the new boat. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Florence</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

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Ezra Nye New York Pilot boat

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<i>Edmund Blunt</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

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The William H. Aspinwall was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1861 and launched from the J.B & J.D. Van Deusen shipyard at East River for New York Pilots. She was a replacement for the former pilot boat Virginia. In 1880, the Aspinwall was caught in a thick fog and went ashore at the Long Island bar and became a total loss. She was replaced by a new pilot boat, the America, No. 21.

<i>Edmund Driggs</i> (pilot boat)

The Edmund Driggs was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1864 at the Edward F. Williams shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She was built to replace the pilot boat Elwood Walter. The schooner was used to pilot vessels to and from the Port of New York. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, she was sold in 1896.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America (1897)</span> Boston Pilot boat

The America, No. 1 was a 19th-century American pilot boat built in 1897 for Captain James H. Reid Sr. of Boston and designed by Boston designer Thomas F. McManus. The Boston America did not resemble her famous namesake, yacht America, rather she was designed with a fishing schooner "Indian header" bow. After serving 21 years in the Boston Pilots' Association, the America was sold to David W. Simpson of Boston in 1918.

<i>W. W. Story</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey Pilot boat

W. W. Story was a 19th-century New Jersey pilot boat built in 1874 at the Samuel H. Pine shipyard in Greenpoint, New York. She sank off Sandy Hook horseshoe during the Blizzard of 1888. She was raised and turned into a fishing smack. On November 13, 1896, she was reported missing along with her crew after being last seen along Absecon, New Jersey when she was caught up in a hurricane.

References

  1. 1 2 "Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1900". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  2. "Annual Meeting of the Commissioners-A Year of Prosperity". The New York Times. New York, New York. 1881-01-05. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. "Bath Locals". The Portland daily press. Portland, Me. 1880-10-25. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  4. "Pilot Henderson Dead". The Evening Edition World. 1890-10-08.
  5. Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. p. 215. OCLC   3804485.
  6. "Pilots Rewarded For Bravery, Medals and Money Given to the Men of the America". The New-York Times. New York, New York. 1885-05-17. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  7. "The Dark Secret and Her Brave Captain Spoken Last Thursday". The Evening Bulletin. Maysville, Kentucky. 23 Jul 1888. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  8. "Not Up To Date. Why New York Pilots Are Discarding Sailboats". The Standard Union. Brooklyn, New York. 1896-02-01. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  9. "Boston's Pilot System". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 29 Apr 1900. p. 32. Retrieved 2021-02-14.