Pet No. 9 was a pilot boat used by the New York Sandy Hook Pilots in the 19th century. The schooner was used to pilot vessels to and from the Port of New York and New Jersey.[3]

Pet, No. 9, by Elisha Taylor Baker (circa 1880)
History
United States
NamePet
OwnerNew York Pilots
OperatorJoseph Henderson[1]
BuilderEdward A. Costigan at Charlestown, Massachusetts
Cost$14,000[2]
In servicecirca 1876 - 1885
Fatesank at sea
General characteristics
Displacement54 tons
Length54 feet
Beam21 feet
Draft10 feet, 6 inches
Propulsionsails
Sail planSchooner-rigged
NotesSignal letters, 399-20-175

Construction and service

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The pilot boat Pet was built in 1866 by Edward A. Costigan at Charlestown, Massachusetts, for Boston pilot Captain Abel T. Hayden, the father of Abel F. Hayden.[4][5] She was 54 tons, steered by a tiller.[6] The sister pilot-boats, Pet and Phantom, were built on a model by Dennison J. Lawlor of East Boston, Massachusetts for the New York pilots. The vessels had a reputation for swiftness under sail.[7]

The Pet was in service for a number of years in Boston.[6]: p83  The Boston pilot-boat Pet was purchased by Captain Joseph Henderson on August 29, 1872.[8]

The pilot-boat Pet, was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping in 1876. She was listed as a pilot schooner built in 1868. The New York Pilots were listed as owners and Joseph Henderson was listed as Master.[9]

On November 21, 1889, the Pet, No. 9, stuck on the rocks in Newport, Rhode Island, harbor and sank and reported as having been abandoned.[10][11]

Specifications

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The Pet was 56 tons, 78 feet long, 21½ feet beam, 8½ feet depth of hold, draws 11 feet aft, and 6 ½ feet forward, and spreads about 1,800 yards of canvas to the three lower sails.[12]

See also

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List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot Boats

References

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Pilot Boat Pet, No. 9, watercolor on paper, by Conrad Freitag, ca. 1880.
  1. ^ "The Pilot Boat Pet - Number Nine of the New York Harbor Fleet" (PDF). Spirit Of The Times. February 3, 1877. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2014 – via Fultonhistory.com.
  2. ^ "Terrific Eastern Hurricane". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 7 Jun 1872. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-12-28 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Russell, Charles Edward (1929). From Sandy Hook to 62°. New York: Century Co. pp. 148–153. OCLC 3804485. From Sandy Hook to 62;̊ being some account of the adventures, exploits and services of the old New York pilot-boat.
  4. ^ "Have We A Vasa Among Us?". Bangor Daily Whig and Courier. Bangor, Maine. 5 Feb 1855. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-07-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "The American Yacht List Containing a Complete Register of the Yacht Clubs of the United States and British Provinces". L. H. Biglow & Co. New York. 1874. p. 136. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  6. ^ a b Eastman, Ralph M. (1956). Pilots and pilot boats of Boston Harbor. Boston, Massachusetts: Second Bank-State Street Trust Company.
  7. ^ Chapelle, Howard I. (1960). "The National Watercraft Collection". United States National Museum, Bulletin 219. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. p. 90.
  8. ^ "Local Summary". Boston Post. Boston, Massachusetts. 29 Aug 1872. Retrieved 2020-11-03 – via NewspaperArchive.
  9. ^ "Record of American and Foreign Shipping". American Bureau of Shipping. 1876. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  10. ^ "ASHORE NEAR NEWPORT". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 21, 1989. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  11. ^ "A New York Pilot Boat Sunk". The Sun. November 20, 1889. Retrieved 2020-01-30. Pilot Boat Pet, No. 9, of New York went ashore this morning on the east side of Conanicut Island, half way between Beaver Tail and Mackerel Cove.
  12. ^ "The Pilot-Boat Pet" (PDF). New York NY Spirit Of Times. 1877-02-03. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
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