Beschreibung:

Approx. 123 handwritten pages. 28x26 cm (11½x10¼"), 1 logbook, several envelopes of ephemera and photographs, as well as a set of dog tags. Original handwritten log book kept by retired United States Navy Captain, Dr. Walter Clarke Tilden of Hartsdale New York, who piloted his ocean going yacht Bluefish out of its home base in Mamaroneck, New York. The logbook section of this huge collection of maritime material covers his sailing adventures over a number of years commencing in 1936. Notebook has photos which are adhered to the pages, (although some have fallen off over time) Loose photos of the Bluefish , other sailing vessels and people, post cards and correspondence received from people with memories from their time on the yacht. Additional cards, an original poem about the Bluefish from an admirer, advertisements, a pamphlet on knots, correspondence on charters, letters from the government when he sells the ship to the Navy, a couple of maps, a whistler print of an engraving, 3 first covers, navy dog tags etc. Tilden recounts running into gales, fog, high seas, seeing the wreckage after the September hurricane of 1936, ("houses gone, beach wiped out,) etc.; having a close call with a brick wall due to not paying attention. He records all his mileage; where and when they would go ashore; etc. and included in his log book is a guest book full of names (some famous) in a rare seafaring compilation complete with his son's Navy dog tags from World War Two. Incredibly detailed and painstakingly compiled log book is absolutely fascinating. Dr. Walter Clarke (Clark) Tilden was an officer in the United States Navy, and served in World War One in battle in Belgium, in Flanders as medical personnel. He was a retired United States Navy Captain, and in 1940 when he sold his sail boat the Bluefish , he sold it to the United States Navy; the transaction paperwork is with this journal. His yacht Bluefish was built in 1929, and Dr. Tilden purchased this sloop a few years later. The bill of sale states it was purchased from William H. Hand, Jr. for $1.00 but included in the sale several other items that were not elaborated on. This log book is overflowing with ephemera, and also includes correspondence from a notable boat builder Slade Dale and a card depicting a schooner sent to Tilden by his friend, the renowned maritime artist Frank Vining Smith Dr. Tilden cruised to Lloyds Harbor; Saybrook, CT; Newport, Jamestown & Block Island, RI; Nantucket; Cape Cod; Martha's Vineyard; Vineyard Haven; Marblehead; Provincetown; Hingham Yacht Club, Boston; Woods Hole; Captains Harbor, Greenwich, CT; Oyster Bay; Kittery Point, & Portland, ME; Port Jefferson, NY; Essex, New Haven, Thames River & New London, CT; and beyond. The original bill of sale is included in this incredible archive. It has some tears on the folds but is readable. This yacht was 60 feet long and had the Registry number of 22863. It would appear that Tilden kept every piece of paper connected in any way to the Bluefish . The designer of this ship was William H. Hand, Jr., Bedford, MA, and the builder was Hall-Scott. Notably William H. Hand Jr. (1875–1946) was an American yacht designer. Hand has been described as one of the most prolific yacht designers of the 20th century with an exceptionally good eye for handsome boats. His career began around 1900 with the design of small sailboats, but he soon shifted to V-bottomed powerboats.The New England Hurricane of 1938 and accompanying tidal surge damaged or destroyed a good deal of Hand's design work and records. Hand's surviving drawings are at the Hart Nautical Collections, MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts.