William H. Starbuck (pilot boat)

William H. Starbuck was a 19th-century New York pilot boat. She was one of the few pilot-boats to take the offensive in the Great Blizzard of 1888, when she ran into the steamship Japanese and survived one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history.[2][3] She was one of the last pilot boats that were sold in an age of steam and electricity.[4]

Pilot Boat William Starbuck
History
US
Name: William H. Starbuck
Namesake: William H. Starbuck, a railroad financier
Owner: N. Y. Pilots, Jacob A Heath
Builder: J. S. Ellis & Son shipyard, New York
Launched: 30 May 1886[1]
Christened: By Emma Devere on 30 May 1886
Out of service: 1 February 1896
Fate: Sold
General characteristics
Class and type: schooner
Tonnage: 87 Thames Measurement
Length: 75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Beam: 20 ft 7 in (6.27 m)
Draft: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Depth: 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)
Propulsion: Sail
Sail plan: 75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Notes: Mahogany ash and cherry fittings; hackmatack timbers and white oak planking

Construction and service

The William H. Starbuck was built to take the place of the Mary and Catharine, pilot-boat No. 6, which sank by the steamer Haverton, off Absecon Lighthouse on November 5, 1885. The new William H. Starbuck, was launched from the shipyard J. S. Ellis & Son, at Tottenville, Staten Island on May 30, 1886. Emma Devere broke a bottle of champagne over her bow to christen her. About a thousand people witnessed the launching, including William H. Starbuck, Captain Josiah Johnson of the Edmund Blunt, No. 2, James Hawkins of pilot-boat No. 4, as well as others. She was named after William H. Starbuck, a railroad financier, who paid for the cabin and presented the colours, including the signal flags. The Starbuck was modelled after Hempton Ellis and her lines were drawn by Howard I. Chapelle. The owner was pilot Jacob M. Heath, and her captains were Archibald Heath, Henry Devere, James Devere, Frederick Ryerson, and Oscar Stoffreiden.[1][5]

On March 10, 1888, the William H. Starbuck, No. 6, was run down by the British steamer SS Japanese, off Barnegat, New Jersey during the Blizzard of 1888. Six men were on board, including Captain Oscar Stoffreiden and Pilot Jacob M. Heath.[6][7] Charles Edward Russell, describes this accident in great detail in his book From Sandy Hook to 62°. Russell said that "the stern of the steamer crashed down upon the bow of the pilot-boat and broke off her bowsprit, short." Some of the other men jumped to the Japanese, but Pilot Jacob M. Heath and three other men still aboard the Starbuck, pushed forward, made a sail on the foremast and sailed back to Sandy Hook.[3] A few months later, boatkeeper, Joseph Douglass fell overboard and drowned when the boat was off Absecon. Pilot Heath tried to save him but could not recover the body. The Starbuck came into port with her colours at half-mast.[8]

Out 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 new up-to-date steam pilot boats. The William H. Starbuck, was sold for $5,000.[4]

Mary and Catharine

Pilot-boat Mary and Catherine, No. 6, was built in 1848 by Jacob Aaron Westervelt. She would later be replaced by the William H. Starbuck, No. 6. On 26 September 1848, the Mary and Catherine was launched from the Westervelt and M'Kay shipyard.[9]

The Mary and Catherine, No. 6, was one of only twenty-one New York and New Jersey pilot boats in 1860.[3]

The Mary and Catherine was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping, from 1876 to 1882, with the New York Pilots as owners and John Taylor as the ship Master. She was 65.4 feet in length, 19 feet breadth of beam, 7.2 feet depth of hold and 41-tons.[10]

On 8 November 1885, the Mary and Catharine sank by a tramp trade steamer Haverton off Absecon Lighthouse.[2]:p23 Pilot Oscar Stoffenden was in charge of the boat when it went down. Her owners said they would build another pilot-boat.[7] The other pilots were: Oscar Stoffenden (pilot), Frederick Reinsen (owner), John J. Devere, Van Pelt, and John Taylor[11]

See also

References
  1. "She Looks Like A Racer. Launching Of The New Pilot Boat William H. Starbuck". The New York Times. New York, New York. 1886-05-30. Retrieved 2020-09-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  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.
  3. Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. OCLC 3804485.
  4. "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 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: WoodenBoat. p. 73. ISBN 9780937822692.
  6. Leng, Charles W. (1929). Staten Island and its people, a history, 1609-1929. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. p. 379. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  7. "Five Men Lost, The Sad Fate of the Pilot Boat W. H. Starbuck". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 1888-03-15. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  8. "Lost From A Pilot Boat". The New York Times. New York, New York. 1888-06-06. Retrieved 2020-09-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Marine Affaairs". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 25 Sep 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Index to Ship Registers". research.mysticseaport.org. Mystic seaport. Retrieved 6 Jan 2021.
  11. "The American Yacht List: Containing a Complete Register of the Yacht Clubs, List of Pilot Boats, Port of New York". 1874. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
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