Half Hull Model ofSchooner “America”

divisor line

Half Hull Model

of Schooner

“America”

Dimensions    Backboard: 30″ x 7″ x 3/4″

 Model:  25 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ Beam x 4″ Depth

Presented is a contemporary Half Hull model of the Schooner America, arguably the most famous racing yacht in American history.  This is a brand new model in original packing.

Well known as the American entry put together by a syndicate from the New York Yacht Club, “America” won the English Royal Yacht Squadron 53-mile regatta around the Isle of Wight, August 22, 1851,  The Squadron’s “One Hundred Sovereign Cup” was later renamed after the original winning yacht giving birth to the great international yacht challenge race, “The America’s Cup”.

Half Hull Model of Schooner America

Bow and Name Plate

America was designed by James Rich Steers and George Steers (1820-1856). George Steers’ pilot boat designs had a concave clipper bow with the beam (widest part of the hull) of the vessel at midships. She was designed along the lines of the pilot boat Mary Taylor, with a concave clipper bow and the beam of the vessel at midships.   The Scchooner-rigged pilot boats were among the fastest and most seaworthy of their day. They had to be seaworthy for they met inbound and outbound vessels in any kind of weather. These vessels also had to be fast, for harbor pilots competed with each other for business.

Half Hull Model of Schooner America

 

Back of Mounting Board

America was captained by Richard Brown, who was also a skilled member of the Sandy Hooks Pilots group, renowned worldwide for their expertise in manoeuvering the shoals around New York Harbor.  They were highly skilled racers as a result of impromptu races between pilots to ships in need of pilot services. Brown had sailed aboard the pilot boat Mary Taylor, designed by George Steers of whom he was a personal friend. He chose as first mate Nelson Comstock, a newcomer to yacht racing.

 

Half Hull Model of Schooner America

America with 1887 rig

In 1860, she returned to the States and was sold to the Confederate States of America the same year for use as a blockade runner in the American Civil War. The yacht was renamed Memphis, but the details of her Confederate service are unclear.

In 1862, she was scuttled in a creek in north Florida.  When Union troops took the city of Jacksonville, she was raised, repaired, and renamed America by the Union and served the United States Navy on the blockade until May 1863.  She was assigned to the federal blockading squadron off Charleston and was on patrol the night of March 19, 1863, when she spotted the smoke of a blockade runner near Dewees Inlet,  South Carolina. She immediately launched colored signal flares to alert the rest of the fleet. This resulted in the loss to the confederate of its most powerful ship.   In 1863 America became a training ship at the U.S. Naval Academy.  On August 8, 1870, the Navy entered her in the America’s Cup race at New York Harbor, where she finished fourth.  America remained in the Navy until 1873 when she was sold to Benjamin Butler for $5,000.

Information taken from Wikipedi

divisor line
Shipping & Packaging

The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, will be calculated point to point and is an additional charge. You may email us to get these costs. We price our shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling.

Our Unconditional 'No Nonsense' Guarantee

If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. Only a prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Shipping charges are refundable if due to our error within the continental United States.

International buyers welcome, but inquire first. We have satisfied customers worldwide.

Standard Forms of Payment

Bank wire transfer, cashier’s check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. Our prices are quoted net to us so that the use of credit cards or PayPal incur extra charges. Terms on overseas sales are different.

Established in 2003

Celebrating 18 Years of Exellence in Nautical Antiques

Join Our Mailing List


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Land and Sea Collection. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact