L. Francis Herreshoff

For other Herreshoff family members, see Herreshoff (surname).

Lewis Francis Herreshoff
Born	(1890-11-11)November 11, 1890 Bristol, Rhode Island
Died	December 1, 1972(1972-12-01) (aged 82)
Occupation	Ship Designer
Father	Nathanael Greene Herreshoff

L. (Lewis) Francis Herreshoff (November 11, 1890 – December 1972), was a boat designer, naval architect, editor, and author of books and magazine articles.

Biography

Herreshoff was born on November 11, 1890, in Bristol, Rhode Island, to Clara Anna DeWolf (1853–1905) and Nathanael Greene Herreshoff (1848–1938).

During his early career, Herreshoff worked for the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, founded by his father and uncle, where he gained valuable experience and knowledge in boat design and construction. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company was known for producing high-quality yachts and racing sailboats. Later on, Herreshoff also worked for the naval architect Starling Burgess, further honing his skills in the field of naval architecture. In 1926, he went into business for himself in Marblehead, Massachusetts, as a designer of racing and pleasure yachts, canoes, kayaks and other small craft. Herreshoff died December 1972.

In addition to his practical work in boat design, L. Francis Herreshoff also made significant contributions as an editor and author. He wrote numerous books and articles on boat design, sailing, and yacht racing, sharing his expertise and insights with the wider boating community. His writings often incorporated his own design philosophies and ideas.

Herreshoff's designs were characterized by their elegance, practicality, and attention to detail. He had a deep understanding of yacht design principles and a keen eye for aesthetics. Many of his designs are considered classics and are still revered today.

Herreshoff was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014.

Notable designs

Herreshoff's designs included:

• A series of graceful clipper-bowed ketches: Ticonderoga 72 ft, Tioga/Bounty 57 ft, Mobjack 45 Ft and Nereia 36
• A shoal-draft leeboarder: Meadowlark
• Arguably the original "passagemaker"; the inspiration for Beebe's book, and an indirect inspiration for Perry's "container boat": Marco Polo.
• His answer to Hanna's ideas about the ideal homebuilt boat: H-28
• The 73-foot (22 m) Merlin, sunk on July 7, 1999, by a humpback whale in Whale Bay, Baranof Island, Alaska.
• Buzzards Bay 14
• Herreshoff Prudence
• Herreshoff Rozinante
• Stuart Knockabout

Publications

His books include The Common Sense of Yacht Design, The Compleat Cruiser, Capt. Nat Herreshoff: The Wizard of Bristol, The Writings of L. Francis Herreshoff, Sensible Cruising Designs and An L. Francis Herreshoff Reader. The Common Sense of Yacht Design, published in 1947, became a seminal work in yacht design literature and continues to be highly regarded by both designers and enthusiasts.

He published numerous magazine articles, notably the 'How To Build' series in the magazine The Rudder. Herreshoff's success as an author is especially impressive in one sense; his dyslexia had led his father to shunt him into agricultural school.

See also

• Herreshoff Castle
• Herreshoff family
• Herreshoff anchor