The painting depicts the schooner IROQUOIS off Boston closely pressed by the old schooner Palmer in the summer of 1892. The famous dome off Boston's State House along with the spires of Park Street Church and Old North Church can be clearly seen. Along the waterfront, the Wharf buildings on India, Central, Long , T and Commericial Wharfs can all be clearly identified.
IROQUOIS:
IROQUOIS designed by A. Cary Smith and launched on December 2nd 1886 from the yard of Harlan and Harlingsworth yard at Wilmington on the Delaware.
Originally named Julia , IROQUOIS was commissioned by her owner C.W Chapin to be a good winter cruiser. IROQUOIS lines showed her to be a real innovation combining deep lines , with a centreboard passing through her ballasted keel. She was one of the first generation of steel built compromise yachts.
After her launch she cruised down the American East Coast to Havana where she spent the winter.On her return to New York Chapin sold Julia to T. Jefferson Coolidge. Coolidge had larger spars put in her and under the new name of Iroquois raced her competitively throughout 1887, having many good races against the schooner Sachem.
In March 1888 her seaworthiness was put to the test when she safely rode out a hurricane which, was responsible for the loss of many ships including the Yawl Cythera.
Coolidge continued to race IROQUOIS with great success in 1888, 89 and 90. In 1891 he sold her to the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Clubs Vice Commodore Ralph Ellis. He in turn sold her to Vice Commodore Henry C Rouse in 1895. Iroquois continued to race against the latest schooners including Herreshoffs Colonia in 1897. In 1897 Rouse turned his schooner over to The Seawanhaka Yacht Club for use as the clubs flagship.
PALMER
PALMER named after the famous Seaman Capt Nat Palmer was launched in 1865 from the yard of Hilman and Streaker of Philadelphia. Her commissioning owner Richard Fanning Loper was responsible for her model. Loper had already modelled the highly successful Centre board Schooners MAGIC, MADGIE and JOSEPHINE.
Like his other schooners PALMER was a traditional American Centre Board Schooner. Like most centerboard schooners she proved herself very fast in light winds and was particularly fast down wind. She was also a good sea boat being quite formidable on the wind being very quick in stays, and both pointed and footed well. These qualities secured her selection to defend the Americas Cup against the LIVONIA in 1871, along with Columbia, Sappho and Dauntless. (Columbia's performance against Livonia resulted in PALMER not being called upon)
After racing her with much success, Loper sold her in 1869 to Rutherford Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant would race her hard for well over 20 years, keeping her in top condition and fully upto date with the latest trends in yachting design. He had the Yacht Americas famous designer "George Steers to update her in 1871, 73 and 1875,. A complete rebuild took place at Henry Peipgrass Yard in 1887
Specifications
PALMER L.O.A: 107'7" L.W.L: 100'4" Beam: 24'1" Draft: 8'4"
IROQUOISL.O.A.: 107' 7"L.W.L.: 100' 4"BEAM: 24'1"DRAFT: 9' 9"
