Author: admin

Sail Number: 3

Type: J Class

LOA: 130’0” / 39.62m – LOD: 130’0” / 39.62m – LWL: 86’0” / 26.21m – Beam: 21’8” / 6.60m – Draft: 15’6” / 4.72m – Displacement: 158 tons – Ballast: – Hull material: Mahogany planking / steel frames. – Sail Area: 7335 sq. ft. – Designer: L. Francis Herreshoff – Built by: George Lawley & Son, Neponset, MA – Year Launched: May 7, 1930 – Current Name: – Original Owner: Whirlwind Syndicate: Landon K. Thorne, Alfred Loomis, Paul Hammond, George M. Pynchon, Elihu Root, and Marshall Field.

Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection

Historical:

“Whirlwind” was designed by L. Francis Herreshoff, and was built of composite construction at George Lawley & Son in Neponset, MA for syndicate members Landon K. Thorne, Alfred Loomis, Paul Hammond, George M. Pynchon, Elihu Root, and Marshall Field, in response to Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton’s fifth challenge for the America’s Cup in 1930. A total of four defenders, Enterprise, Yankee, Weetamoe and Whirlwind were built within a month of each other; Weetamoe and Enterprise from the Herreshoff yard in Bristol, and Yankee and Whirlwind from Lawley & Son’s yard in Neponset.

Enterprise was launched first on April 14th, allowing her more time to be tuned, which may have been a factor in her becoming the successful boat to defend the Cup. Whirlwind, launched May 7th…the second J, was the most revolutionary of the four. She was skippered by Paul Hammond with John Muir as his sailing master, while Landon K. Thorne managed the boat. Her launching was delayed due to Lloyd’s inspectors who insisted she should have an entire new set of lower scantlings, which had to be rushed through and fitted.

Once all were commissioned the yachts were thoroughly tuned, then an intense trial period began against one another.

The mutual cooperation, and sportsmanship amongst the defenders were unheard of before the 1930 Cup Races. All four potential defenders were on display at the New York Yacht Club and secrecy was abandoned.

During this time Francis L Herreshoff had moved away from conventional yachts to design a vessel which took the new rating rule to its extreme.

Whirlwind, a name derived from a previous vessel that head of the syndicate Landon Thorne once owned, combined many new ideas and Herreshoff experimented with hull shape and rig. She was the longest of the early J’s at 86ft on the waterline and remained so until Ranger and Endeavour II were built in 1937. She was built of semi-composite construction (the other three American Js were built out of the highly expensive Tobin bronze), was double-ended and had a permanent backstay.

L. F. Herreshoff “although there is little variation possible in the complete and complicated rule under which these boats are built, I believe that Whirlwind embodies more of the recent developments in small boats, such as those in the R and Q Classes, than the other three boats in the class. I have therefore tried to make Whirlwind appear longer, lower and racier than the type of boat normally expected under the Universal Rule, with its present requirements of freeboard.”

Time Magazine, Sport: Launchings “Mrs. Edwin Thorne, mother of Landon Ketchum Thorne, Manhattan banker, broke the bottle, and the America’s Cup contender in which her son owns the biggest share tilted easily down its ways in the shipyard of George Lawley & Son at Neponset, Mass. Head up, like a horse freed in pasture, the Whirlwind checked up off Squantum Island, her waterline standing out between her white topsides and the green paint on her mahogany underbody.”

Uffa Fox “Very pleasing to the eye, the stem sweeping down to the keel in a very sweet line, and to a man who, like myself, believes that a pointed stern is a logical ending for all vessels, her stern is a joy to behold.” He predicted, “If the Yacht Racing Rules govern well and wisely, we shall see Whirlwind racing 50 years hence. If they do not she will probably be cruising then.”

Paul Hammond “We changed the position of the mast six times and that was time lost when we should have been racing.” “She was a bitch to steer. I used to start her and then Landon Thorne would take over and within half an hour he was worn out.”

New York Times March 1930 “there has been much mystery about her”

In a letter from N. G. Herreshoff to Paul Hammond he advised not to have her ‘cut up,’ asserting that she was the right length and only her steering gear needed altering, unfortunately no one tried to put matters right, not even her new owner Mr. Pynchon, the owner of Istalena

Whirlwind met an early demise, she was often out-performed when close hauled, her steering gear making her difficult to steer.

She was eventually scrapped along with Enterprise in 1935. However, her unusual double-headsail rig was later adopted by the rest of the Js.

Provenance

Owner/Guardian: (1930-1935) – Syndicate: Landon Thorne, Alfred Loomis, Paul Hammond.
Owner/Guardian: George M. Pynchon

Resources

Enterprise to Endeavour: The J Class Yachts, Ian Dear
America-Scoop.com – Yves GARY – great grandson of Landon Thorne.
Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II
Photo credits: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection

Historical

In 1914 five Buzzard Bay 25s were launched as a longer sleeker version of the Alerion. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company signed a contract for a fourth BB25, White Cap, at the same time as Bags. White Cap (hull no. 738) is now called Aria and resides in the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol. MP&G has restored all four of these BB25s. One other, Tarantula (hull no. 741), is listed on the Herreshoff Registry as having been built later in 1914, but its fate is unknown.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1914) – C. R. Holmes
Owner/Guardian: (1992) – Herreshoff Marine Museum

Comments

Carl Weathers. – March 24, 2016

No greater Nautical Engineer/Architect ever lived. Put America on the map in sailing/yachting; plus America’s Cup! Salute!

Historical:

When and If was commissioned after the Arcturus, with Patton and his wife Beatrice aboard, was badly damaged in a storm while en route to San Diego. Patton was hospitalized as a result, and while there, Beatrice contacted John Alden, the “world’s most celebrated marine architect” at the time, to recruit him to design a new yacht along with Patton in the hopes of cheering him up.

Patton intended to sail the schooner around the world with his wife “when and if I return from the war”, this phrase being the source of the yacht’s name. He confided his plans to Clifford Swain, who drew the lines for the yacht. As Swain later recalled:

“He was passed over twice for promotion to brigadier general by President Roosevelt and that if, as anticipated, he were passed over a third time, he would resigned from the army and cruise in (When and If) around Cape Horn to the West Coast and Catalina Island, which his family once owned.”

Patton never fulfilled his dream in 1945 near Speyer, Germany, shortly after the end of World War II, after suffering from depression. To lift his spirits, another commander suggested going hunting for pheasant. On the drive, the car veered and collided with a truck. Patton struck his head and broke his neck.

“This is a hell of a way to die,” he reportedly said, and spent twelve days in traction, paralyzed from the neck down.

Beatrice flew to see visit him in a German hospital, where he died in his sleep, and both never realized their dream of sailing the When And If around the world.

Captain/Owner Seth Salzmann – In his will, Patton had three things for the boat. He said, “When I die, I want one of three things to happen to the boat. I either want it to stay in the family or two, get donated for educational purposes, or three, be scuttled.”

When and If remained in the harbor at Manchester-by-the-Sea in Massachusetts and was passed successively from Patton’s wife to her brother Frederick Ayer and then on to his son. Frederick Ayer Jr., who donated it to the Landmark School in Beverly, MA in 1972, where she was used for sail training programs for children with dyslexia. (Patton himself was dyslexic.)

Due to financial difficulties, arrangements were made share ownership with Jim and Gina Mairs. However, in 1990 she broke loose in a gale and was wrecked. Assessed as a total loss, she was successfully salvaged and towed to the Gannon & Benjamin shipyard in Martha’s Vineyard. Describing the state of the yacht Jill Bobrow wrote:

There was a huge gaping hole in her port side, broken frames, twisted cabin sole, thoroughly demolished interior, destroyed rudder, smashed keel – problems galore. After a three-year rebuilding process, she was re-launched in 1994.

Early in 2012 Doug Hazlitt, well known in yachting circles for his complete restoration of another famous Alden schooner, Malabar X, purchased the When And If with plans to return the vessel to its original and Bristol condition.

Following an extensive 2 year restoration When and If is back in all her glory and ready for you to come and sail her away!

Purchased by Captain Seth Salzmann in 2015, she has been a part of Tall Ships Festivals in both 2015 and 2016, and in 2017 When and If sailed with Sail Training International to Bermuda, Boston and on to all corners of the Canadian Maritimes. Her home port in the winter is now Key West, where she offers public and private charters….see website

When And If, Owner/ Guardian

To all our loyal sailors and followers,

In the 81 year life of the Schooner When & If, she has seen her share of tough times. The yacht spent the duration of World War II waiting patiently in an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay while her owner, General Patton commanded the 3rd army. She rode out a severe hurricane in 1957 offshore of Manchester by the Sea, MA, only barely surviving due to the eye of the Hurricane allowing her Captain and first mate to move her to safety. When & If taught students for 20 years what it’s like to work hard and navigate coastal New England through teamwork and endurance – we still receive from her alumni extolling the lifelong values of such an experience. She survived her near-death at the hands of a November gale in 1992 due to the determination of a (at the time) small shipyard in Martha’s Vineyard. After many tens of thousands of miles of Ocean passages she has survived knockdowns, hurricanes and countless gales. The unique beauty of When And If has made her a beacon of ambition for proud captains and crew up and down the East Coast. She has trained new sailors and provided a platform for improvement and education in the skills of her Captains.

No doubt, because of the great care of her proud custodians – myself, her devoted captain, and her crew, she will also survive these tumultuous times. As was always the goal with purchasing the When And If and making her available to the public, her preservation takes precedence. She is a fine vessel with a great history and, now more than ever, we look to maintain her through this crisis.

With time, we will get people out on the water again and hope that our loyal fans, customers and shipmates will help us though the coming obstacles. We will for the next week honor our existing bookings, however with a maximum capacity of 10 guests. After that we will go into maintenance and project mode. We will reopen our T-shirt sales online and will sell gift certificates for any future sailing in an effort to maintain our crew pay and the vessel’s expenses.

We will all get through this and dream of setting sail with full loads of happy people very soon. Until then, please be safe, heed the suggestions of your local governments and please, please, support local!

Always the sailor,
Capt. Seth Salzmann

Provenance

• Owner/Guardian: (1939-1945) – Colonel/ General George S. Patton, Jr., Manchester-by-the Sea
• Owner/Guardian: (1945-1953) – Beatrice Ayer
• Owner/Guardian: (1953-1972) – Frederick Ayer (brother-in-law), Frederick Ayer Jr.
• Owner/Guardian: (1972-1990) – Landmark school, Prides Crossing, MA (Gifted by the General’s nephew, Frederick Ayer Jr.)
• Owner/Guardian: Jim Mairs/Gina Webster/Gannon & Benjamin (shared ownership) restored by G&B.
• Owner/Guardian: (2007-2012) – Candace and Paul Ruitenberg (acquired for $650,000)
• Owner/Guardian: (2012-2015) – Doug Hazlitt, Watkins Glen, Hazelit Winery. Cayuga Wooden Boatworks, Beacon Bay Marina replanked and caulked. (acquired for $180,000.)
• Owner/Guardian: (2015) – Captain Seth Salzmann

Friends of When and If

Sail When and If (bookings and purchases through the online store help continue her legacy)

https://sailwhenandif.com/

Resources

The Woodenboat – Issues 176-181 – Page 104
John G. Alden and His Yacht Designs – Page 14
Around Wiscasset: Alna, Dresden, Westport Island, Wiscasset – cited
Jill Bobrow Associates – cited
The Cronicle Express – cited
True Ink (Welcome aboard the When and If) – cited
Cornell University – Preservation News – cited
Classic American Sailing Craft
HaveWindWillTravel.com
AldenDesigns.com – cited
Democrat and Cronicle – cited
Northshore Magazine

Historical:

WATER GYPSY was designed in 1929 by John G. Alden for William McMillan. She was built in 1931 by Hodgdon Brothers, East Boothbay ME., for Mr. William McMillan, of Baltimore, MD.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1931) – William McMillan, Baltimore, MD. A Detroit-born architect, 1928 graduate of the St. George School in Newport, R.I., and earned his master’s degree in architecture from Princeton University, in 1931. His wife Grace G. Roosevelt, was granddaughter of Theodore Roosevelt and cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her father, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who had been a decorated World War I hero and was later to become a World War II hero, had met Mr. McMillan while hunting in Indochina and introduced him to his daughter.
Skipper: Sam Wetherill (1931 Fastnet Yacht Race)
Owner/Guardian: F. Trubee Davidson, was an American World War I aviator, assistant United States Secretary of War, director of personnel for the Central Intelligence Agency, and president of the American Museum of Natural History.

Historical:

Wanderer III, a 30-foot (9.1 m) Laurent Giles sloop, carried the Hiscocks around the world via the tropics at a time when few people were cruising the world for pleasure on small sailboats. The voyage and book accorded them a degree of popular celebrity, and was the first of their three circumnavigations. It was also the start of a series of books detailing their later voyages on their sailboats Wanderer III, Wanderer IV and Wanderer V. The trips in Wanderer III, together with previous voyages, provided much technical information for his technical how-to volumes on small boat sailing and ocean cruising, Cruising Under Sail and Voyaging Under Sail (later combined and published as Cruising Under Sail).

About the Video

Thies Matzen and Kicki Erickson, longtime adventure sailors and current owners of Wanderer III talk about the boat and their 30 years of adventure sailing aboard her. Twice circumnavigators, Lin & Larry Pardey talk about their friendship with the Hiscocks when they were young cruisers just starting out, what they learned from them, and the Hiscock’s accomplishments aboard Wanderer III.

The original owner of Wanderer III, British Sailors, Eric and Susan Hiscock became pioneers in making long trans-oceanic passages in a small sailboat to what was then quite remote destinations. The Hiscocks shared their sailing adventures in several books and made “Beyond the West Horizon,” a 16mm color documentary about their 3-year circumnavigation aboard their 30 foot wooden sloop, Wanderer III. Available from TheSailingChannel.TV.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1952) Eric Hiscock
Owner/Guardian: Thies and Kicki Matzen