James Stafford (pilot boat)

The James Stafford was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1888 for the New York Pilots. The Stafford was one of the oldest pilot-boats still in service in a time when they were being replaced with steam pilot boats.

New York Pilot-Boat No. 18, James Stafford, by Conrad Freitag, c. 1889.
History
US
Name: James Stafford
Owner: Joseph Nelson, Frederick Ryerson, Charles Anderson, James Mitchell, Oscar Stoffrelden
Launched: 3 Nov 1888
Christened: Flora P. Stafford on 3 Nov 1888
Out of service: 1898
General characteristics
Class and type: schooner
Tonnage: 56-tons TM
Length: 81 ft 0 in (24.69 m)
Beam: 21 ft 2 in (6.45 m)
Depth: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Propulsion: Sail
Notes: Hull is black with a golden stripe

Construction and service

The New York pilot-boat James Stafford, No. 18, was launched on November 3, 1888 in Noank, Connecticut. She was christened by Flora P. Stafford, daughter of Frank Stafford of Brooklyn, New York. Two thousand people witnessed the launch including many prominent shipping merchants from the city. She took a trial trip to the Sandy Hook lightship. On return, a race took place between the new boat and the pilot-boat Hope, No. 1. Afterwards, she then arrived at her berth at Pier 8 in East River, New York City.[1]

The boat was named after James Stafford, one of the oldest and prominent shipping men of Brooklyn. The Stafford, then took a position on the pilot station at Sandy Hook. The James Stafford took the place of the Enchantress, No. 18, that was lost in the Great Blizzard of 1888 (see section below).[2][3]

The James Stafford was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping from 1890 to 1900 to the port of New York.[4]

On February 10, 1895, Pilot-bat Stafford, No. 18, while acting as a station boat outside Sandy Hook, was blown out to sea because of a blizzard. Pilot Gus Peterson and six crewmen were on board.[5] She was missing for several days and arrived at Stapleton, Staten Island in tow by a tugboat. She was not damaged in the storm.[6]

On February 1, 1896, the New York Pilots discarded James Stafford, along with other pilot-boats and moved them to the Erie Basin in Brooklyn. They were replaced with steam pilot boats. The James Stafford, was sold for $5,500.[7]

End of service

On February 5, 1898, the pilot-boat James Stafford, No. 18, sank near Sandy Hook when she was sailing into port in the fog after bringing in the steamship Fallodon Hall. She ran into the Dry Romer shoal, a sandy area near the Beacon, causing her to fill with water. The crew escaped in a yawl. The Stafford was one of the few pilot-boats still in service.[8]

Pilot Boat Enchantress
Pilot Boat Enchantress.

On November 14, 1851, the pilot-boat Enchantress, was launched from the shipyard of Westervelt & McKay, at the foot of Seventh Street. She was 70 tons burden.[9] She was built by Daniel Westervelt of New York.

The Enchantress was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping from 1876 to 1895 to T. H. Metcalf as master and to New York Pilots as owners. She belonged to the port of New York and was built in 1851.[10]

In 1852, the Enchantress was listed as a 75 tons, 60 feet long, 19 feet to beam, and 7 feet deep.[11]

The pilot boat Enchantress No. 18, was one of the oldest boats in the service and one of twenty-one New York pilot boats in 1860.[12]

On April 1, 1884, the Sandy Hook pilot-boat Enchantress, one of the oldest pilot-boats in the service, went adrift in a winter storm when she hit the schooner Sarah and Lucy. The crew of the pilot-boat consisted of six men. Pilots Martineau and Frank Van Pelt jumped into the water and were picked up by the schooner and brought into port.[13]

On March 13, 1888, the pilot-boat Enchantress went down with all hands in the Great Blizzard of 1888. Pilot Daniel V. Jones was among those that were lost.[14] The pilot-boat James Stafford, was built to take the place of the Enchantress.

See also

References
  1. "An Ideal Pilot Boat". New York Times. New York, New York. 25 Nov 1888. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-10-08 – via ProQuest.
  2. "Launch Of A Brooklyn Boat". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 4 Nov 1888. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  3. "City And Suburban News". The New York Times. New York, New York. 22 Nov 1888. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  4. "Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1884". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  5. "Blown Out To Sea". The Buffalo Commercial. Buffalo, New York. 12 Feb 1895. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  6. "Pilot-Boat Stafford Safe". The Evening World. New York, New York. 13 Feb 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  7. "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.
  8. "Mishaps Upon The Romer. Pilot Boat Sunk Near Where The Two Liners Grounded". The Sun. New York, New York. 7 Feb 1898. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  9. "The pilot-boat Enchantress". The New York Times. New York, New York. 14 Nov 1851. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  10. "Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1884". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  11. "Nov. 13". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 1 Jan 1852. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  12. Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. p. 68. OCLC 3804485.
  13. "A Pilot Boat Adrift Empty. Collision of the Enchantress with a Schooner, Crew and Pilots Saved". 1884-04-01. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  14. Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. p. 18.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.