The Hudson River Ice Yacht Manhasset was built in Poughkeepsie, NY by George Buckhout in 1906. It was noted by George Buckhout in his last year of life that it was built for William Gardner, a naval architect. She is the only double cockpit yacht that Buckhout built.
Letter to the Scott family from 1947. George Buckhout recollects building Manhasset. I love his dig at Percy Ashley, the builder/designer from Orange Lake.
Manhasset first appears in the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club 1913 Club book. It was owned by J.W. Alker (and, seemingly, others). Alker was the son of the original founder and commodore of the MBYC; J.W. became commodore at a later point in time.
According to a letter from George Buckhout (as recorded by his son Fred Buckhout and sent to the Scott family in 1947), Buckhout built the boat for William Gardner, a renowned Naval architect. Gardner sailed out of the MBYC, although I have yet to see his name attached to Manhasset in any records. He is shown as owning the ice yacht Cold Wave and sailing in Manhasset ice yacht races in 1914 (from Yachting magazine Feb. 1914.) This may be the same Cold Wave still sailed out of Lake Ronkonkama by HRIYC member Fred Krause.
Alker was a competitive soft water sailor as well. He raced both winter and summer! By 1930 the Manhasset was owned and sailed by Edmund Lang. Lang is listed in the 1926 MBYC book as owning the Scooter Tout de Suite. Lang took Manhasset to Greenwood Lake to sail. See videos (below) of Manhasset sailing on Greenwood Lake in 1930. There is also footage of Lang sailing his Scooter. I'll venture that it was Lang that sold Manhasset to the Scott's, of Lake View Iowa, where she sailed out of until this year, when she was purchased by the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club.
1913 Club book of Manhasset Bay Yacht Club. They listed both hard and soft water boats in the club.
Still owned and sailed by J.W. Alker in the 1926 MBYC book.
Rudder article 1913. Knickerbocker is now in the collection of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and can be seen there.
From Rudder Magazine, Feb. 1913 Double cockpit design clearly shown.
Race results from Yachting, February 1914.
Race results from NYTimes, January 21, 1918. Knickerbocker is now in the collection of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and can be seen on display.
Mystic Seaport has old 8mm film of Manhasset, shot at Greenwood Lake circa 1930. The movies came from a woman interviewed by Seaport staff in the 1980s. Her family went sailing with Edmund Lang in the 1930s. Her father worked for Lang in his small motors business. I acquired aVCR copy about 10 years ago. There is video of sailing on Lang's scooter as well.
Note - this is a low budget filming of the movie with my iphone off of the vcr playing on my old TV.... (I'll get a better digital transfer one of these days...)
Hanging with the big rigs.....Sept. 2016 trip, Iowa to NY (photo courtesy Kate Shuter)
It was with much excitement that we waited for the long journey of the Ice Yacht Manhasset back to NYS. HRIYC club members Dock & Kate Shuter hauled the yacht, snugly encased in its custom 45' long trailer, on a 1200 mile journey from Lake View Iowa to the Hudson River.
Manhasset was built in Poughkeepsie in 1912 by George Buckhout. Its history is well documented and the boat remains virtually as it was built 104 years ago.
It has been in the Scott family since 1946, when EE Scott purchased her in Long Island and car topped, on a 1941 Ford, the 32' boat back to his home in Iowa. The family has sailed her on Black Hawk Lake ever since. Jim & Margaret Scott were long time (long distance) members of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club. I got to know them a bit through short notes Margaret often wrote to accompany annual dues they sent each winter. I was always curious about this double cockpit Buckhout built boat. I eventually met the two when they passed through Hyde Park about 12 years ago. They told stories of the boat and we had a nice lunch together. Jim passed away several years back and it was about a year ago that I received an email from his son Eric Scott, inquiring as to whether the HRIYC would be interested in acquiring the yacht. Of course we were! After 12 months of discussions with club members and John Scott in Iowa we reached an agreement and a price. The hard part - towing the boat in its custom 45' long trailer - was taken on by Kate & Dock. They had a smooth journey back over 2 days.
Now the club will begin restoration of this unique boat - the only double cockpit yacht built by Buckhout. We look forward to seeing her sail on the Hudson for the first time some winter's day soon!
Manhasset, atop a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Sedan, on its 1946 journey from Long Island to Iowa. Think about that!
Safely home in Iowa, 1946.
Manhasset rigged and sailing on Black Hawk Lake circa 1950?
Marge Scott passes on the tiller of Manhasset to Doc Shuter of the HRIYC. (photo courtesy of John Scott)
Just returned home to the Hudson after 1200 mile journey. Note crane unit on aft end of trailer!
Tiller post and Buckhout's builder plate.
second cockpit in trailer; it had been removed from the backbone.
