Friend (pilot Boat)

The ''Friend'' was a 19th-century pilot boat built by Daniel D. Kelley & Holmes East Boston shipyard in 1848 for Boston pilots. She helped transport Boston maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the Boston Harbor. The ''Friend'' was one of the last of the low sided, straight sheared schooners built in the 1840s for Boston pilots. The second Boston pilot boat ''Friend'' was built in 1887. Her name came from the older ''Friend'' that was in the service in the late 1840s. Captain Thomas Cooper sold the ''Friend'' to New York pilots in 1893. Cooper replaced the ''Friend'' with the pilot-boat ''Columbia'' in 1894.

Construction and service

Boston pilot-boat ''Friend'' was built in January 1847 by Daniel D. Kelley of the Daniel D. Kelley & Holmes East Boston shipyard. She was launched on May 5, 1847. Her dimensions were 60.9 ft. in length; 17.9 ft. breadth of beam; 7.4 ft. depth of hold; and 68-tons Tonnage. The ''Friend'' was one of the last of the low sided, straight sheared schooners built in the 1840s for Boston pilots.

Captain John Sherman was on the ''Friend'' from 1847-1866. Captain William Abbott was a boat keeper on the ''Friend'' in 1858. The ''Friend'' was low sided, which made it easier to launch a yawl without hoisting it.

Franklin B. Wellock was a Boston pilot for more than 55 years. In 1855, he began his career as a pilot on the pilot-boat ''Friend''.

James Lawrence Fowler was one of the owners of the ''Friend''. She was sometimes hired for a pleasure cruises. She was used by Daniel Webster and his associates for outings down the Boston Harbor, where Webster made them fish chowder.

One of the pilots who served on the ''Friend'' was Captain James M. Dolliver. On February 2, 1859, Dolliver and Patrick Henry Chandler launched a yawl from the ''Friend'' to rescue the captain of the British schooner ''Caroline'' that went ashore on the rocks near the Boston Light in heavy weather approaching Boston. They received a silver medal from the Massachusetts Humane Society for their brave efforts.

Artist Alfred Waud did a marine pencil drawing of the Boston Pilot Boat Fleet in 1859, which appeared in the Ballou's Pictorial of 1859. The story in the Ballou's Pictorial said:

The drawing lists the schooner-rigged boats with their number on the mainsail. They included the ''Phantom,'' No. 5; ''Syren,'' No. 1; ''William Starkey,'' No 6; the ''Coquette'' and the ''Friend,'' No. 7.

On March 31, 1860, one of her pilots boarded the bark ''St. Jago,'' off Cape Cod coming from Matanzas for Portland.

On January 15, 1861, Captain James M. Dolliver was on the ''Friend'' when he met up with the ship ''Flying Dragon'', which was going from New Orleans to Boston. As Dolliver was hailing the ship, the foresail struck him throwing him into the water. He was rescued by a yawl that was lowered from the pilot boat.

The pilot boat ''Friend'' from Boston was reported as lost on the beach of Santa Rosa, Florida on November 20, 1868.

New pilot boat Friend

The new pilot boat ''Friend'' was built at the Dennison J. Lawlor's shipyard on Condor street in East Boston in early 1887 for Captain William R. Lampee and Captain Thomas Cooper. She was designed by Ambrose Martin and built at a cost of $8,000. Her name comes from the older pilot boat that was in the service in the late 1840s. The ''Friend,'' No. 7, was launched on November 15, 1887. After the launch, she was taken to Fisk wharf to be fitted with masts and rigging. Her dimensions were 67 ft. length on deck; and 48.84-tons Tonnage.

The trial trip of the new pilot boat ''Friend'', No. 7, was on January 12, 1888. Captain William R. Lampee was in command during the trip. There were a dozen friends aboard the boat during the trip down as far as the middle ground.

In May 1888, the pilot boat ''Friend'', began her pilot service at the port of Provincetown, Massachusetts. At Provincetown, she boarded the bark ''Benjamin Dickerman,'' 12 miles from the Highland Light, headed for Portland.

After Captain Lampee died in 1892 and Cooper sold the ''Eben D. Jordan'', Cooper became the new Captain of the ''Friend'' and used her on cruises from 1892 through 1893.

On May 15, 1893, pilot-boat ''Friend,'' with pilot Joe Fossett, picked up the two-masted schooner ''Modesty'' of Bangor, Maine, that was full of water. They were able to bring the vessel into East Boston with the help of the tugboat ''Piscataqua''.

Sold to New Jersey pilots

On October 21, 1893, Captain Thomas Cooper sold the ''Friend,'' No. 7, to the New York Pilots. Cooper wanted a more up-to-date vessel to challenge the ''Hesper'', ''Varuna'', and other boats in the Boston fleet. In 1894, Cooper replaced the ''Friend,'' with the pilot-boat ''Columbia'' built by Ambrose D. Martin at East Boston for Thomas Cooper.

As a New York pilot boat, the ''Friend's'' boat number changed to No. 4. On June 5, 1894, Pilot Robert Sylvester, of the pilot-boat ''Friend'', No. 4, was out on a cruise when he sighted George Gould's steam yacht ''Atlanta''.

In November 16, 1895, Captain John Ashcraft of the pilot boat ''Friend'', was reported looking for a steamboat for the now consolidated pilots' association of New York and New Jersey pilots, which was merged on December 1, 1894.

End of service

On November 15, 1896, the pilot-boat ''Friend'' ended her service as a pilot boat and was altered to be a pleasure boat.

See also

* List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot Boats

References

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Service vessels of the United States
Schooners of the United States
1848 ships
1887 ships
Individual sailing vessels
Pilot boats
Ships built in Boston