Admiral Byrd’s Cows
For his second expedition (1933-1935), Rear Admiral Richard Byrd brought with him three cows and a milking machine.
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The Mascots
Gar Wood and the story of his two teddy bears.
Orlo III: A Mystic Sea Sled
Since the 1600s Mystic, Connecticut has been known for its shipbuilding industry, however many do not know that it was also at the forefront of constructing fast motor boats. The Sea Sled was constructed by the Sea Sled Company in West Mystic and Groton. Albert Hickman, a Canadian and 1899 graduate of Harvard, became fascinated […]
Dreamboat: The Evinrude Lark
American industrial designer Brook Stevens created a furor in the boating world when he unveiled his new design for Evinrude in 1956.
The Highball Express
The Aeromarine Navy-Cruiser was “A large, perfectly appointed aerial yacht for weekend parties, off-shore trips and long flights along the coast.”
Books Afloat
It was a boat with books that profoundly influenced the life of Nathaniel Bowditch – the self-educated astronomer famous for The New American Practical Navigator (aka “Bowditch”) first published in 1802.
Iceboating: Fly Like a Bird
“An ice-yacht flits about like a swallow, skimming over the river with the speed and grace of a bird. She is better than a bird, for she takes you along in her flight and gives you the triumph of the wing, as she sweeps, and swings, and trembles on through space. Mount this wayward flyer […]
Outboard “Cheap” Thrills
In the November 1927 issue of Motor Boating, the publication announced “A New Magazine for Outboard Yachtsmen to Be a Regular Feature of Motor Boating Hearafter.” Outboard motors became commercially available in 1905 by the formation of the Waterman Marine Motor Company and in 1908 by Envinrude Motor Company (selling 12 outboards on hand during […]
ISOLA-STELLA: A Unique Craft
Colonel Edward Howland Robinson Green was the son of Hetty Green, the famous miser and richest woman in America also known as “The Witch of Wall Street.” Colonel “Ned” Green, however, was a generous man who was interested in technology and provided the funds for the necessary research. During his years spent at his Round […]
From Cruising to Combat – Irwin Chase
Pictured here is Irwin Chase Sr., the renowned marine architect and Managing Constructor of Elco. The image was made on July 24, 1941, in New London during sea trials. The image was later featured in an article in the January 1946 issue of Motor Boating. The author of the article, Elco sea trial data analyst […]
The Pink Gold Rush
In late 1949, 100 years after the peak of the California Gold Rush, Pink Gold was discovered off the Florida Keys near Dry Tortugus. The “gold” was a grooved variety of shrimp called “pink” shrimp in the industry – scientifically Panaeus duorarum. In early 1950, the first shrimpers arrived in Key West looking to off […]
Dazzle Deception
Camouflage, as seen in nature or man-made, is usually used to “hide” from the view of a predator or an enemy by simulating the surrounding environment. This type of camouflage, however, breaks down when the animal, soldier, or machine begins to move, making it visible. During WWI and to lesser degree in WWII, navies adapted […]
Heli-Bout: Boating George Jetson-Style
Brook Stevens, industrial designer, was responsible for the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, the wide-mouth peanut butter jar, the Miller Brewing logo, and the Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide. “He did everything from cigarette lighters to pavement rippers,” said Gary Wolfe, curator of the Brooks Stevens Gallery of Industrial Design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art Design, in Stevens’ The […]
HALF MOON: An Equally Exciting Life for a Replica
On September 27, 1924, the community of Inwood at Spuyten Duyvil Inlet welcomed the replica of HALF MOON towed by tug LIBBIE BARBER.
“Sneak Ability”
“Sneak ability” was one of three vital characteristics of a PT (Patrol Torpedo) boat.
The Uptown Eclipse
Morris Rosenfeld shot the total eclipse of the Sun in New York City on January 24, 1925.
The Summer Commute
What better way to commute from your home on Matinicock Point on Long Island Sound to your offices in New York City than by steam commuter Navette? French for shuttle, Navette was launched on March 24, 1917 from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., from the design of Captain Nathaniel Herreshoff. She was 114’ overall, 106’ on […]
Speed
Guy Lombardo was famous for ringing in the New Year, but he was also a decent boat racer.
The Experiment
The America’s Cup, arguably the most venerable trophy in sports, has attracted the world’s best sailors and yacht designers since the first match in 1851. The first few challenges had no restriction on design of the yachts, although time was allowed based on tonnage. The keeper of the Cup is largely responsible for the making […]
Oh My Cod
In late October 1938, Morris Rosenfeld was in Gloucester, Massachusetts to visually document what would be the last International Fishermen’s Cup race. The first such race was proposed in 1920 as a “race for real sailors” – a friendly match between the fishing schooners of Lundenberg, Nova Scotia, and Gloucester. Although the fishing schooner was […]
A Mayflower By Any Other Name
On October 14, 1912 the 318-foot steel hulled Presidential yacht, Mayflower steamed into New York Harbor and dropped anchor in the North River. President Taft was on board for the review of the maritime might of the U.S. Navy – the Naval Review of 1912. The luxurious steam yacht Mayflower was built for Ogden Goelet […]
The Joys of Fitting-Out
The spring season brings longer daylight in the northern latitudes and rising temperatures. Since the early 1900s, it also brings the “Fitting-Out Number” issues of The Rudder and Motor Boating magazines. The Fitting Out issues were filled with practical tips for getting a vessel in shape for the upcoming season along with thoughts on the […]
The Plywood Derby
It was literally a race to determine which shipbuilder would produce the Navy’s PT boats.
The Champion
“Apparently, in the field of yachting, as in all other fields, there is no denying the women.”
The Careers
The six lives of one three-masted schooner make for an amazing ship’s biography.
The Dream
On June 23, 1928, William Albert Robinson and his little 32-foot ketch Svaap were part of a special class of three small ocean cruisers that started in the Bermuda Race. The class consisted of Svaap, Miladi (a Herreshoff cutter), and yawl Islander built by Harry Pidgeon (he had already circumnavigated the world single-handedly in it – […]
The Flying Boat
In the early 20th century, flying boats allowed contemplation of long distance, over-water transport. At the time, no civil airports had a sufficient runway to accommodate the weight of such a plane and water was the alternative landing strip. Pictured here is the Sikorsky Amphibion (the use of the “o” became a trademark) Neekah at Palm Beach […]
The Lightning Class
The Rosenfelds were on hand to photograph the introduction of the Lightning class at the 1939 National Motor Boat Show in 1939.