Sandy Hook (pilot boat)

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Steam Pilot Boat Sandy Hook.jpg
Steam Pilot Boat Sandy Hook
History
US flag 45 stars.svgUnited States
NameSandy Hook
Namesake Sandy Hook
OwnerNew York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association
OperatorWilliam Healy
Builder Lewis Nixon
LaunchedSeptember 12, 1902
Out of serviceApril 27, 1939
FateSank
General characteristics
Class and type schooner
Tonnage361-tons
Length168 ft 6 in (51.36 m)
Beam24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
Depth12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
PropulsionSail and triple-expansion 1,000-horse power steam engines

The Sandy Hook was a steam pilot boat built in 1902, by Lewis Nixon at the Crescent Shipyard in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 1914, she was purchased by the New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association to replace the pilot boat New Jersey, that was lost in 1914. She could carry 10 to 12 pilots that would help guide ships through the New York Harbor. The Norwegian America Line Oslofjord, with the Crown Prince Olav of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden on board, ran into and sank the Sandy Hook in 1939.

Contents

Construction and service

The steel steam Sandy Hook was formerly the yacht Anstice. She was launched on September 12, 1902 by Lewis Nixon of the Crescent Shipyard at Elizabeth, New Jersey for fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. [1] [2] [3] :p90

In 1903, Robert A. C. Smith, of New York, purchased the steamer Anstice and converted her into a yacht at the Harlan and Hollingsworth Company in Wilmington, Delaware. Her dimensions were 168.6 ft. in length; 24.4 ft. breadth of beam; 12.6 ft in depth; and 361-tons. She was built with an 1,000-horse power engine powered by oil. [2]

On April 24, 1907, Robert A. C. Smith's Anstice name was changed to Privateer. Smith and his friends sailed on the Privateer for the Jamestown Exposition, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. [4]

Pilot boat

Pilot boat New Jersey (1902-1914), was replaced by the pilot boat Sandy Hook in 1914. New Jersey pilot boat.jpg
Pilot boat New Jersey (1902-1914), was replaced by the pilot boat Sandy Hook in 1914.

In 1914, the Privateer yacht was purchased by the New York and New Jersey Pilots' Association from Robert A. C. Smith to replace the pilot boat New Jersey, that was sunk by the steamship SS Manchioneal in 1914. [3] :p90-91 She was renamed Sandy Hook. Her companion vessel was the pilot boat New York. Her hailing port was New York City. Her ship Master was William Baeszler. [5]

On September 19, 1915, James Howard Van Pelt, at age 58, died while boarding a Standard Oil tanker No. 95, outside Ambrose Light during rough weather. He was on the pilot boat Sandy Hook when he slipped from the ladder trying to board the barge and hit his head on the pilot boat's yawl. [6]

On December 1, 1918, the pilot boat Sandy Hook helped to rescue seven passengers from death near the Ambrose Channel Lightship during stormy weather. Captain William Healy, commander of the Sandy Hook took on board the men just before the fifty-foot motorboat, W. D. Anderson sank. [7]

In 1931, in place of what was once thirty pilot boats, there were only three steam pilot boats remaining in the pilot fleet, the Trenton, the New York, and the Sandy Hook. [8]

End of service

Norwegian America Line Oslofjord. Oslofjord1938-01.jpg
Norwegian America Line Oslofjord.

On April 27, 1939, in a dense fog off Ambrose Lightship, the Norwegian America Line Oslofjord, with the Crown Prince Olav of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden on board, ran into and sank the pilot boat Sandy Hook, No. 2. The Oslofjord rescued all 26 crew members and harbor pilots on board Sandy Hook.

The royal party was in New York City to open the Norwegian Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair and a coast to coast tour. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crescent Shipyard</span> New Jersey American shipyard company

Crescent Shipyard, located on Newark Bay in Elizabeth, New Jersey, built a number of ships for the United States Navy and allied nations as well during their production run, which lasted about ten years while under the Crescent name and banner. Production of these ships began before the Spanish–American War and occurred far before the outbreak of World War I. Arthur Leopold Busch, a recent emigre from Great Britain, started the yard with former Navy Lt. Lewis Nixon in January 1895. Both men previously worked for William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia. Both Nixon and Busch were regarded to be amongst the best in their respected fields - and what they did at this time - as designers and builders of the latest, most advanced types of ships.

MS <i>Oslofjord</i> (1937) Ocean liner sunk after hitting a mine off the River Tyne

MS Oslofjord was an ocean liner built in 1938 by A/G Weser Shipbuilders, Bremen, Germany, for Norwegian America Line. She was of 18,673 gross register tons and could carry 860 passengers. She would have an uneventful career until 1939 were two separate incidents happened. One from 27 April 1939, where she collided with the American an pilot boat, and another where she struck a mine sinking her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Hook Pilots</span> Mariners guiding ships near New York Bay

Sandy Hook Pilots are licensed maritime pilots that are members of the Sandy Hook Pilots Association for the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Hudson River, and Long Island Sound. Sandy Hook pilots guide oceangoing vessels, passenger liners, freighters, and tankers in and out of the harbor. The peninsulas of Sandy Hook, and Rockaway in Lower New York Bay define the southern entrance to the port at the Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Moses H. Grinnell</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Moses H. Grinnell was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1850 for the New York maritime pilots. She was designed by the yacht designer George Steers. The Grinnell was the first pilot boat to feature a fully developed concave clipper-bow, which was to become the New York schooner-rigged pilot boat's trade mark. This new design was the basis for the celebrated yacht America.

<i>Thomas S. Negus</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Thomas S. Negus was a 19th-century two-masted Sandy Hook pilot boat, built by C. & R. Poillon shipyard in Brooklyn in 1873 for the New Jersey maritime pilots. She was built to replace the pilot boat Jane, No. 1, which sank in early 1873. She was the winner of a $1,000 prize at the Cape May Regatta in 1873. She was named for Thomas S. Negus, president of the N. J. Pilots' Commissioners. In 1897, she left the pilot service to prospect for gold during the Klondike Gold Rush.

<i>Widgeon</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Widgeon was a 19th-century yacht and Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1855 by James R. & George Steers for Daniel Edgar of the New York Yacht Club and designed by George Steers. She came in 17th in an unsuccessful America’s Cup defense in 1870. Widgeon was sold in 1871 to a group of New York pilots to replace the John D. Jones, which sank in a collision with the steamer City of Washington. New York pilots condemned the Widgeon as unseaworthy in 1879, which sparked a fight for steam pilot-boat service. In 1883 a decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court and the Board of Commissioners of Pilots that pilot boats could be "propelled" by steam.

<i>Charles H. Marshall</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Charles H. Marshall was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built by Henry Steers in 1860 for a group of New York pilots. She was in the Great Blizzard of 1888, the same year the National Geographic came out with an article about the successful struggle made by the crew of the Marshall. The boat was named in honor of the American businessman Charles Henry Marshall. In the age of steam she was sold in 1896.

<i>Francis Perkins</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Francis Perkins, No. 13 was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built by Henry Steers in 1866 for a group of New York Pilots. She was considered one of the finest boats ever built. During a snow storm in 1887, the Perkins struck the steamship Aries and sank near the Barnegat shoals.

Ambrose Snow New York Pilot boat

The Ambrose Snow was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1888 from the C. & R. Poillon shipyard, for a group of New York Pilots. She sank after being struck by the Clyde line freighter Delaware in 1912. She was raised and reentered pilot service. In 1915, the Ambrose Snow was one of only five remaining boats patrolling the port of New York. She remained in operation for thirty-seven years.

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

The New York was the first steam pilot boat in the New York harbor. She was built in 1897, by the Harlan and Hollingsworth company at Wilmington, Delaware for the a group of New York Sandy Hook pilots. She was designed by Archibald Cary Smith, who was a prominent naval architect and marine engineer. The New York was retired from pilot service in 1951.

<i>New Jersey</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey Pilot boat

The New Jersey was a steam pilot boat built by A. C. Brown & Sons of Tottenville, Staten Island in 1902 for the New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots' Association. After twelve years of service, the steamship SS Manchioneal rammed and sank her off Ambrose Lightship in 1914. The New Jersey was replaced by the pilot boat Sandy Hook.

Edward E. Barrett Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Edward E. Barrett, or Edward E. Bartlett, was a 19th-century two-masted Sandy Hook pilot boat, built by C. & R. Poillon in 1883 and designed by William Townsend. She helped transport New Jersey maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Barrett ended her pilot commission and was sold in 1904.

<i>Caprice</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1871

The Caprice was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1871 by Brown & Lovell in East Boston, Massachusetts for Peter McEnany and other New York pilots. In 1876, she was run down and sank, off Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, by the steamship New Orleans. She was raised and was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. The Caprice was last reported sailing off the coast of New York in 1891.

<i>Hermann Oelrichs</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot Boat

The Hermann Oelrichs was a 19th-century Sandy Hook Pilot boat, built in 1894 by Moses Adams at Essex, Massachusetts for a group of New York Pilots. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. The Herman Oelrichs was said to be the fastest of the New York pilot fleet. She was built to replace the pilot boat Hope, that was wrecked in 1890.

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

Edmund Blunt was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built in 1858 by Edward F. Williams for the New York Pilots. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Blunt along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats. She was built to replace the Jacob L. Westervelt, which sank in 1857.

Mary E. Fish Boston Pilot boat

The Mary E. Fish was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built at the Edward F. Williams shipyard of Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1861 for Richard Brown and the New York Pilots. She was built to replace the Mary Taylor. The Fish was hit and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington in 1885 and replaced by the David Carll.

The James Gordon Bennett was a 19th-century two-masted pilot boat, built in 1870 at the Lawrence & Foulks shipyard. She was named in honor of James Gordon Bennett, Jr., publisher of the New York Herald. She went ashore in 1893 and was rebuilt at the C. & R. Poillon shipyard. In 1897, the James Gordon Bennett was bought by Miller J. Morse of the Atlantic Yacht Club and made into a yacht. He changed her name to Hermit. The New Jersey pilots purchased her in 1901, to replace the David T. Leahy, that was run down by the steamship Alene. The Hermit sank in 1906, when the steamship Monterey ran into her.

<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.

<i>James W. Elwell</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The James W. Elwell was a 19th-century two-masted Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1867 by John A. Forsyth at Mystic Bridge, New London, Connecticut for New Jersey and Sandy Hook maritime pilots. She raced for a $1,000 prize at the Cape May Regatta in 1873. She went ashore and was shipwrecked on North Beach Haven, New Jersey in 1875.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Hook Pilots Association</span> Association of pilots

Sandy Hook Pilots Association is in Staten Island, New York, United States. The Association provides pilotage services to all foreign flag vessels and American vessels entering or departing the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Hudson River, the East River, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jamaica Bay, and Long Island Sound as required by state law. Pilotage is provided on a 24-hour basis, 365 days of the year in all weather conditions and port circumstances. It has 50 employees across its locations and generates $7.15 million in sales (USD).

References

  1. "Novel Type of Ship". Mount Union Times. Mount Union, Pennsylvania. 12 Sep 1902. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  2. 1 2 "Local Plant Busy. Harlan and Hollingsworth Company has a Number of Important Contracts. Make Steamer into Yacht". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. 12 Feb 1903. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  3. 1 2 Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations.
  4. "Yacht Privateer Awaiting Owner". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 24 Apr 1907. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  5. "Shipwreck Database". njmaritimemuseum.org. New Jersey. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  6. "Pilot Dies On Ladder. Van Pelt Halfway Up Ship's Side When Stricken". The New York Times. New York, New York. 20 Sep 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  7. "Seven Saved From Death At Sea". The Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. 1 Dec 1919. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  8. "Harbor Pilots Cheat Death-Dealing Reefs". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 9 Jul 1931. p. 69. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  9. "Prince's Ship Sinks Pilot Boat. Oslofjord Hits Craft in Fog Off N. J." The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 27 Apr 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-04-22.