'BLACK MARIA,' SLOOP, BEATING 'AMERICA,' SCHOONER, IN TEST RACE, NEW YORK, 1850.
132 tons. Built 1848. (Commodore Stevens, N.Y.Y.C.)
(Contributed by E. A. Stevens, of Hoboken, U.S.A.)
Commodore Stevens with his famous craft took part in many races and matches during the first six years of 'Maria's' life; she usually beat all her competitors, the few failures she suffered being attributable to the failure of one or other of some new devices in her rigging or fittings; for her owners were for ever trying something new in way of experiment.
At one time the ballast of 'Maria' was disposed in a layer on the outside of her planking, the lead being about 2 in. thick at the rabbit and tapering to a half-inch about half-way out to the turn of the bilge. 'Maria' had several test matches with the schooner 'America,' just before that vessel departed on her eventful voyage to England in 1851; 'Maria' usually beat the schooner easily, particularly in smooth sea and moderate wind. It is related of 'Maria' that on one day when conditions favoured her she sailed three times completely around 'America' in a comparatively short distance, which performance forms the subject of a spirited picture here given.
After the death of Commodore Stevens, and when 'Maria' was the property of his brother Edward, the yacht was lengthened about 6 ft. or 7 ft., and finally rigged as a schooner. She was then sold and used in the fruit trade, making voyages to the coast of Honduras; but in October 1870, as she was bound to New York with a load of cocoa-nuts, a storm overtook her when in the vicinity of Hatteras, in which she succumbed, and vessel and crew were never more heard of.
James Waterbury was also a prominent yachtsman in those early days. The sloop 'Una' was built for him in 1847 by George Steers, 64 ft. long, lengthened in 1851 to 68 ft., and again in 1854 to 71 ft. 9 in.; tonnage, 70. The sloop 'Julia' was built for Mr. Waterbury in 1854 by George Steers, and designed by Nelson Spratt; her length was 78 ft. 8 in. extreme, and 70 ft. on water-line. This wonderful vessel seems to have sprung into existence by chance; her designer was a quiet, obscure man, whose ideas of naval architecture appear to have been far in advance of his time.
'America,' 170 tons, 1851 (Commodore Stevens, N.Y.Y.C.)
'Julia' was one of the handsomest yachts of her day, and the fastest when proper allowance for difference of size was made. It is true that 'Maria' nearly always beat her, but in those days the system of allowance favoured the larger vessel, which error exists in allowance tables in use at present. The sloop 'Rebecca' was built in 1855 by William Tooker, a brother-in-law of George Steers, for J. G. van Pelt. Her length over all was 72 ft., 65 ft. on water-line, 19 ft. 2 in. beam, 5 ft. 8 in. deep, 6 ft. 3 in. draught, 3297.62 sq. ft. of sail spread, tonnage 77.6. The schooner 'America,' the most famous yacht of her day, was built by George Steers and W. H. Brown, designed and superintended by George Steers, launched May 3, 1851, for John C. Stevens, Hamilton Wilkes, George L. Schuyler, James Hamilton, J. Beekman Finlay, and Edward A. Stevens, brother of Commodore Stevens.
The 'America' was 94 ft. long on deck, 83 ft. water-line, 22 ft. 6 in. beam, 9 ft. 3 in. depth of hold, 11 ft. 6 in. draught; her mainmast was 81 ft. long, 76 ft. 6 in. foremast, her main topmast was 33 ft. 6 in. long, no foretopmast, 58 ft. main boom, no fore boom, 28 ft. main gaff, 24 ft. fore gaff, 17 ft. bowsprit outboard, 170 tonnage. After 'America' finished her brilliant career in England in August 1851, she was sold there to Lord De Blaquiere and remained in foreign waters for ten years; she then fell into the hands of the Southern Confederacy, and when the U.S.S. 'Ottawa' visited Florida in 1862 'America' was found sunk in St. John's River. She was raised, pumped out, and sent to Port Royal, thence to Annapolis, Maryland, where she remained in Government service for several years, and was finally sold to General B. F. Butler. She still remains in yachting service as staunch as ever, and by no means the least handsome nor slowest of the national pleasure fleet; in fact, she is to day a monument to the skill of her designer and excellent thoroughness of her builder.