Henry B. Plant Museum
- A short history of the simple pleasure of pond yachting.
acai 5 Love aiPond 2 March 30 – December 23, 2001 Setting a pond yacht in water andallowing it to sail away may seem likecasting fate to the wind. In reality it is not that mysterious, although it is not more Ifa sailing vessel is well designed it will hold its course on the wind by the mere setting of its sails. but wind is not a consistent force, especially on ponds. Therefore a rudder mechanism is needed to keep a pond yacht on the prescribed course. In the early 1900’s an a. eal John Braine, developed theBraine steering mechanism that has separate lines running from the sails to a steering quadrant attached + + to the rudder.A tension device holds the rudder quadrant at a neutral setting. Ifthe wind shifts andforce increases on the sails they will move to a new position and cause the rudder to turn. This steers the boat to a new course until the wind force on thesailsis equal to the tension on the neutral setting. In the late 1800’s, Nathanael Herreshoff (designer of Morton FE Plant yachts) invented a self-steering system for full size sailboats that employed a wind vane. With a vane steering system the sails are held at a consistent setting, but the vane is cannected ta the rudder Ac the wind chifte ar the noand vacht Pond Yacht styles Many different types of sailing vessels could be witnessed on ponds in urban parks during the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. They were sailed by people of varied interests and abilities and their sailboats ranged from very simple to quite sophisticated in construction and performance. Hecreational: These were pond yachts of very simple construction and detail, occurring in size from less than twelve inches to up to three feet long. They could be commercially purchased or were often built by adults as presents for children. While this type of sailboat did not always have good performance they certainly provided pleasing leisure experience, flights of imagination, and often led to the building of more sophisticated craft. Model Yachts: These were replicas of full size sailing vessels, ranging in size from two feet to more than five feet long. They were renditions of racing yachts of the period or commercial vessels such as schooners or skipjacks. More often than not these were true to scale and highly detailed both in rigging and deck details. Their requirement of building to scale produced incredible miniatures. Since one cannot scale down the forces of actual wind the performance of these craft invited risk of loss in more than light to moderate breezes. Sport OF Racing: This category prioritized the performance of the pond yacht and examples of this type were usually produced to class rules set up by national or international governing organizations. Because of the emphasis on function and competition this type of pond yacht should actually be ne ee ems (Ee) eeprom, (i [i relaie ae comes) | I sen, 5 epee ens emer! IMeter e-fierenp) Leeroy LER Re aa!Neh)Bynum wren flee er neers SceneGwe |ecoTMe moves from the desired course, the vane reacts to the new wind direction and moves the rudder slightly until the wind pressure on the vane is again equalized. Both of these systems require a sailing vessel that is “well balanced.” A sailboat is never truly static and its hull is a beautiful accumulation of complex curves. As a pond yacht heels with changing wind pressure the hull presents a different combination of curves to the water. If the displacement of these curves is not similar to the previous then continual rudder movement will have to be applied to hold the boat on course. A constantly angled rudder creates drag and speed decreases. Hence, successful racing pond yachts required a hull design that was balanced or stable from one position of heel to another. Since most pond yachts were designed by intuitive builders or self-taught naval architects it is appropriate to be in awe of their accomplishments. Perhaps even more amazing is that by the late 1940’s the development of hull designs of pond yachts was twenty years ahead of successful full size racing sailboat designs. and sometimes more than eight feet tall. The design maximized performance and they could be sailed in any type of weather. Their craft of making and purposeful mechanics place them in the realm of functional sculpture. – Thom McLaughlin This exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Jan Abell, who first introduced us to Thom McLaughlin and the sport of pond yachting. Thom is a professor of art at the University of South Florida and an instructor at WoodenBoat Magazine’s school in Brooklin, Maine. As guest curator, he has been a joy to work with. | would also like to recognize members of the professional staff for their commitment to excellence. Curator/Registrar Susan Carter capably acted as project manager, Curator of Education Amy David was responsible for research and programming, and Jeannette Twachtmann, Museum Relations, served as graphic designer. Over the past months, local residents Richard Houston, Clewis Howell and Fred Martin were graciously available to reminisce about boating in Tampa Bay. John Snow of Marblehead, Massachusetts and Dr. Madeline Burnside, Key West, Florida also generously loaned objects from their collections. – Cynthia Gandee, Executive Director [adore simplepleasures; they are the last refuge ofthe complex. Oscar Wilde Henry B. Plant Museum 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, FL 33606 813.254.1891 www.plantmuseum.com This Exhibit has been financed in part with Historical Museum Grant-in- Aid Program assistance provided by the Museum of Florida History, Bureau of Historical Museums, Florida Department of State; the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners; and the City of Tampa. 4/01
