Vamoose (yacht)

''Vamoose'' was a fast steam-powered private yacht built for William Randolph Hearst by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, she was based on an earlier torpedo boat commissioned by the United States Navy. At one point, ''Vamoose'' was claimed to be the fastest boat in the world, and her exploits drew attention from newspapers and yachting enthusiasts of the day. The majority of her life was spent in New York metropolitan area; as a member of the American Yacht Club, she participated in regattas as both a competitor and a press boat. In 1896, ''Vamoose'' was outfitted as a private dispatch boat for the New York Evening Journal to cover the Cuban War of Independence.

Design and construction

''Vamoose'' was commissioned from Herreshoff Manufacturing Company by a young William Randolph Hearst in the winter of 1890. Unlike many yachts of the Gilded Age which were built on a grand scale to luxurious standards (like SY ''Liberty'', owned by Hearst's soon-to-be rival Joseph Pulitzer), ''Vamoose'' was designed for performance. Her purchase contract reportedly stipulated a minimum speed of , with a bounty of $2,000 per excess half-knot attained.

In order to satisfy these requirements, lead engineer Nathaniel Herreshoff based the yacht on his earlier design for the U.S. Navy torpedo boat USS ''Cushing''. The new project, known as hull number 168, would be 28 feet shorter and have one less engine & propeller than ''Cushing'', but would also feature less than half the displacement of the warship. It retained a narrow beam to minimize drag and maximize hull speed. The ship also featured a wood hull framed by steel in order to balance weight with cabin temperature management. A single 875-horsepower quadruple-expansion steam engine was chosen as a powerplant. Thanks to these efforts, ''Vamoose'' was reportedly Herreshoff's fastest-yet design. During initial sea trials off Newport, Rhode Island she achieved an average speed of .

Delivery

At the time of Vamoose's commissioning, Hearst primarily resided in his native San Francisco and had yet to begin his East Coast media empire. The yacht's initial delivery was therefore accepted in New York (on August 29, by her chief engineer Theodore Heilbron) with the intention of relocating her to California soon after. Two plans were devised for the transcontinental journey: the first involved fitting her with masts and sailing around Cape Horn. The shorter alternative called for steaming to the Isthmus of Panama, then hauling-out and placing her on a specially-designed crib spanning 3 rail cars for an overland crossing on the Panama Canal Railway (PCR) to the Pacific ocean. The second plan was ultimately chosen, and multiple bridges over the rail line were even partially-disassembled to accommodate the odd freight dimensions.

Upon reaching Panama, ''Vamoose'' was refused passage by railway superintendent Alfred Rives. Shortly beforehand, Hearst's '' San Francisco Examiner'' had reportedly published a poor review of his daughter Amélie Rives' book, and the refusal was interpreted as an act of retaliation. With no way to the Pacific, ''Vamoose'' returned to New York.

Service life

Racing career

Shortly after her delivery in New York, ''Vamoose'' attracted media attention stemming from her high-profile ownership and high performance. The yacht's first exploits occurred in early September 1891 when she unofficially challenged the fast passenger steamer ''Mary Powell'' on the Hudson River. After losing an initial bout in unfavorable conditions, ''Vamoose'' would earn revenge a week later while she hosted Hearst and a number of guest journalists for a cruise around New York Harbor. After paying a visit to the White Squadron at anchor nearby, the crew spotted ''Mary Powell'' departing her berth at 22nd Street (now Chelsea Piers) laden with passengers—many of whom had booked passage just to see the rumored rematch. ''Vamoose'' promptly "ran circles" around the steamer (and even outran a northbound New York Central Railroad train).

''Norwood'' rivalry

With news of her speed quickly making rounds, Hearst received a challenge from fellow publisher and yacht owner Norman Munro. Munro's steam yacht, ''Norwood,'' was not only an earlier Herreshoff design, but was also theorized to be the fastest boat in the world. In order to settle the debate, a race was proposed. By September 29, 1891, the challenge had grown into a highly publicized steam regatta proposed and sponsored by the American Yacht Club with a $500 cash prize (). In addition to ''Vamoose'' and ''Norwood'', other potential participants were rumored to included USS ''Cushing'', USS ''Stiletto'', and several other private steam yachts. An initial date was set for October 3, 1891 and advertised in newspapers by the Iron Steamboat Company and Sandy Hook Line, who each sold spectator tickets to watch the event from their steamers. On the day of the race, ''Norwood'' ran aground on her way to the starting point due to the actions of an unqualified pilot. The mishap destroyed her propeller and initiated a series of postponements that would last years.

In the weeks following the failed meetup, each yacht conducted independent speed trials but no true consensus was achieved. After many months of delays attributed to poor weather and mechanical mishaps, the race ultimately failed to materialize. In September 1893, Munro purchased ''Vamoose'' from Hearst for $10,000 () and vowed to race them against each other in order to "satisfy public curiosity," but his death in February 1894 apparently prevented that from happening.

Private use

On May 28, 1893, the yacht hosted President Grover Cleveland, Secretary of State Walter Gresham, Secretary of the Treasury John Carlisle, and Ambassador to Great Britain Thomas Bayard for an afternoon cruise on the Potomac River.

War of Cuban Independence

''Vamoose'' gained international significance in October 1895, when the New-York Tribune published a "rumor" that Phoebe Hearst (mother of William Randoph) contributed $15,000 () worth of aid toward the efforts of Cuban rebels seeking independence from Spain—including a refit of ''Vamoose'' for use as a dispatch boat and potential blockade runner. In 1896 she was engaged by The New York Journal and repositioned to Key West, Florida, where the paper intended to use her on frequent trips to Havana to gather correspondence from its sources in Cuba. As a fast, privately-owned yacht, she would be free from interference by Spanish authorities, and could make the journey back to Key West in around four hours (whereafter breaking news could reach the paper's offices instantly by telegram).

On December 12, 1896, ''Vamoose'''s journey southward was delayed in Wilmington, North Carolina when the U.S. Treasury Department ordered her inspected on suspicion of arms trafficking. No contraband was found, and she was released that day.

Ownership

Between her construction and last-recorded whereabouts, ''Vamoose'' changed ownership several times. Her final appearance in a published ship register was the 1917 edition of Lloyd's Register of American Yachts.

References

Further reading

* {{cite book, last=Simpson, first=Richard V., url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P0xGvgAACAAJ, title=Herreshoff Yachts: Seven Generations of Industrialists, Inventors and Ingenuity in Bristol, date=31 July 2007, publisher=The History Press, isbn=978-1596293069, location=, pages=
*New York Evening Post Company (1903). United States: J.H. Richards
The Growth of Steam Yachting
''The Nation, 76''(1980) p. 470.

1890 ships
Ships built in Bristol, Rhode Island
Former yachts of New York City