L. Francis Herreshoff
L. (Lewis) Francis Herreshoff (November 11, 1890 – December 1972), was a boat designer, naval architect, editor, and author of books and magazine articles.[1]
Lewis Francis Herreshoff | |
|---|---|
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| Born | November 11, 1890 |
| Died | December 1, 1972 (aged 82) |
| Occupation | Ship Designer |
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Biography
Herreshoff was born on November 11, 1890, in Bristol, Rhode Island, to Clara Anna DeWolf (1853–1905) and Nathanael Greene Herreshoff (1848–1938).
During his early career, Herreshoff worked for the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, founded by his father and uncle, where he gained valuable experience and knowledge in boat design and construction. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company was known for producing high-quality yachts and racing sailboats. Later on, Herreshoff also worked for the naval architect Starling Burgess, further honing his skills in the field of naval architecture. In 1926, he went into business for himself in Marblehead, Massachusetts, as a designer of racing and pleasure yachts, canoes, kayaks and other small craft. Herreshoff died December 1972.[2]
In addition to his practical work in boat design, L. Francis Herreshoff also made significant contributions as an editor and author. He wrote numerous books and articles on boat design, sailing, and yacht racing, sharing his expertise and insights with the wider boating community. His writings often incorporated his own design philosophies and ideas.
Herreshoff's designs were characterized by their elegance, practicality, and attention to detail. He had a deep understanding of yacht design principles and a keen eye for aesthetics. Many of his designs are considered classics and are still revered today.
Herreshoff was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014.[3]
Notable designs
Herreshoff's designs included:
- A series of graceful clipper-bowed ketches: Ticonderoga 72 ft, Tioga/Bounty 57 ft, Mobjack 45 Ft and Nereia 36
- A shoal-draft leeboarder: Meadowlark
- Arguably the original "passagemaker"; the inspiration for Beebe's book, and an indirect inspiration for Perry's "container boat": Marco Polo.
- His answer to Hanna's ideas about the ideal homebuild: H-28
- The 73-foot (22 m) Merlin, sunk on July 7, 1999, by a humpback whale in Whale Bay, Baranof Island, Alaska.[4]
- Buzzards Bay 14[5]
- Herreshoff Prudence[6]
- Herreshoff Rozinante[7]
- Stuart Knockabout[8]
Publications
His books include The Common Sense of Yacht Design, The Compleat Cruiser, Capt. Nat Herreshoff: The Wizard of Bristol, The Writings of L. Francis Herreshoff, Sensible Cruising Designs and An L. Francis Herreshoff Reader. The Common Sense of Yacht Design, published in 1947, became a seminal work in yacht design literature and continues to be highly regarded by both designers and enthusiasts.
He published numerous magazine articles, notably the 'How To Build' series in the magazine The Rudder. Herreshoff's success as an author is especially impressive in one sense; his dyslexia had led his father to shunt him into agricultural school.
References
- "L. Francis Herreshoff Collection". Mystic Seaport. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
Lewis Francis Herreshoff (1890-1972), the son of Nathanael G. Herreshoff, was a naval architect, editor and author of numerous books and articles. As a young man, Mr. Herreshoff had the opportunity to work in each area of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. During World War I, he designed for the U. S. Navy, and he later worked for naval architect W. Starling Burgess. By 1926, he was self-employed, designing racing and cruising yachts, canoes, kayaks and other small craft. His racing yachts include a 1930 Americas Cup contender ...
- Boston Globe, The (December 4, 1972). "L. Francis Herreshoff, Sailing Yacht Designer". Obituaries. Vol. 202, no. 157 (main ed.). p. 35. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- National Sailing Hall of Fame. "Lewis Francis Herreshoff 2014 Inductee". Nshof.org. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Juneau Empire (August 22, 1999). "Whale Baleen Found in Hull of Sunken Sailboat" (AP). Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Buzzards Bay 14 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Prudence (Herreshoff) sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Rozinante (Herreshoff) sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Stuart Knockabout sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.