Biography of Frederic A. Fenger
Frederick A. Fenger was a yacht designer, sailor, and author. His main contribution to yacht design are his use of the dhow-form hull, the wishbone rig, and the main trysail rig. Fenger was an inventive designer, and while some of his innovations never became popular, they did enjoy a following, and the wishbone rig has recently had a revival of interest in commercially produce yachts. Fenger was particularly interested in rigs which would be manageable when sailing short handed. The collection consists of personal papers, including copies of correspondence and photographs, with a large part of it related to Fenger’s design for sailing rigs.
In 1911 Fenger sailed the canoe YAKABOO in the Caribbean, and this collection include the log of the YAKABOO as well as a draft of his book written about the cruise, Alone in the Caribbean.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Corporate Bodies (Including Vessels):
Yakaboo (Canoe)
Howadji (Canoe)
Ouinnatka (Canoe)
Subjects:
Masts and rigging–Design and construction
Voyages and travels
Yachting
Yachts–Design and construction
Document Types:
Logs (records)
Charts
Occupations:
Yacht designers
Administrative Information
Coll. 223, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
Indexes
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Papers re. YAKABOO; ca. 1911-1950 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
1 | 1 | Papers, letter and various; 1911 | |||||||||||
2 | Papers, Original Log of the YAKABOO; 1911 | ||||||||||||
3 | Papers, typed Log of the YAKABOO; 1911 | ||||||||||||
4 | Papers, miscellaneous sheets from the original Log of the YAKABOO; 1911 | ||||||||||||
5 | Paper, First half of draft fro Alone in the Caribbean, about voyage of the YAKABOO | ||||||||||||
6 | Paper, Second half of draft fro Alone in the Caribbean, about voyage of the YAKABOO | ||||||||||||
Correspondence, Frederic A. Fenger; ca. 1930-1960 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
2 | 1 | Correspondence re. construction of main trysail ketch THREE BROTHERS for Hutchinses; 1934 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence re. construction of main trysail ketch THREE BROTHERS for Hutchinses; 1934-1935 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence re. construction etc.; 1935-1936 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence re. construction of main trysail ketch for G. A. M. Mueller; 1934-1936 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence re. construction of main trysail rig for William E. Mueller; 1941-1950 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence re. construction of STORMSVALA with Dhow hull and main trysail rig for Alexander Forbes; 1935-1938 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence with Nordjaerg, builders of STORMSVALA re. her construction; 1937-1938 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
3 | 1 | Correspondence re. construction of STORMSVALA for Alexander Forbes; 1938 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence re. improvements to and upkeep of Alexander Forbes’ STORMSVALA; 1946-1947 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence re. improvements to STORMSVALA; 1948 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence re. improvements to STORMSVALA; 1949 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence re. improvements to STORMSVALA; 1950-1952 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence re. improvements to STORMSVALA; 1953-1955 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence re. improvements to STORMSVALA; 1955-1962 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
4 | 1 | Correspondence with Paul Hammond re. twin spinnakers and trade and after twins; 1932-1957 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence re. conversion of J. H. Winfield’s CHAUVE SOURIS and B. G. TOO to twin spinnakers; 1935-1954 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence with Waldo Howland re. construction of twin spinnakers; 1956-1957 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence with F. Spaudling Dunbar re. twin spinnakers; 1956-1960 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence re. conversion of C. W. Eshom’s MON REVE to wishbone rig; 1953 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence with J.S. Jenson re. conversion of SIBYL OF CUMAE to wishbone ketch; 1956-1959 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence re. construction of wishbone-rigged yacht D’VARA for Stanley Bradfield; 1956-1960 | ||||||||||||
8 | Corrspondence re. Bradfield’s wishbone-rigged yacht D’VARA; 1961-1965 | ||||||||||||
9 | Corrspondence re. adaptation of E. W. A. Smith’s QUINTILA for a split-sprit; 1957-1963 | ||||||||||||
10 | Correspondence re. conversion of Arch Speirs’ boat to wishbone rig; 1959 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
5 | 1 | Correspondence re. construction of motor sailer model by Herbert U. Smith; 1934-1940 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence with Fernando Sagrera re. plans for Dyer Dhow Senior; 1953-1954 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence re. construction of boat according to Fenger’s D-12 design for Philip Goodell; 1938-1939 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence re. construction of boat according to Fenger’s D-12 design, for Philip Goodell; 1939-1940 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence with Philip Goodell re. D-12; 1948 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence with H. Newton-Scott re. SILVER GULL; 1946-1952 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence with H. Newton-Scott re. SILVER GULL; 1953-1961 | ||||||||||||
8 | Correspondence with H. Newton-Scott re. NEW SILVER GULL; 1960 | ||||||||||||
9 | Correspondence with Martin Haase re. DIABLESSE; 1949-1950 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
6 | 1 | Correspondence with Martin Haase re. DIABLESSE; 1951-1957 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence re. rig of Peter Clarke’s JIHAN; 1958-1960 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence re. rig of Peter Clarke’s JIHAN; 1960-1963 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence re. improvements of Stephen Donvan’s NOMAD (PUSTACAUN), sister of DIABLESSE; 1959-1963 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence re. Stephen Donvan’s NOMAD (PUSTACAUN), sister of DIABLESSE; 1960-1961 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence re. improvements of and sale of Stephen Donvan’s NOMAD (PUSTACAUN), sister of DIABLESSE; 1960-1965 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence with Herbert Jackson, new owner of NOMAD (PUSTACAUN), sister of DIABLESSE; 1962 | ||||||||||||
8 | Correspondence re. Nicholas Fredyberg’s YANKEE | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
7 | 1 | Correspondence re. Amateur Yacht Research Society (AYRS); 1956-1963 | |||||||||||
2 | Correspondence with John Morwood; 1959-1965 | ||||||||||||
3 | Correspondence with Douglas Birt re. his book; 1954-1955 | ||||||||||||
4 | Correspondence re. Sir Frederick Browning’s modified wishbone-rigged yacht JEANNE D’ARC; 1951-1965 | ||||||||||||
5 | Correspondence with W. J. H. Dyer re. design of Dyer Dhow Senior; 1945-1957 | ||||||||||||
6 | Correspondence with J. A. Rouse re. his education as a designer; 1953-1963 | ||||||||||||
7 | Correspondence with wife Kitty; 1958 | ||||||||||||
Rigs: data, calculations, and applications; 1926-1963 | |||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
8 | 1 | Rigs, main trysail rig, research; 1926 | |||||||||||
2 | Rigs, main trysail rig, appliation; 1926-1962 | ||||||||||||
3 | Rigs, main trysail rig, application and adaptation; 1930-1943 | ||||||||||||
4 | Rigs, D-5 (Dhow, main trysail), data and calculations; ca. 1930 | ||||||||||||
5 | Rigs, 60′ main trysail ketch, data and application; ca.1940 | ||||||||||||
5 | Rigs, D-7 (main trysail) data and application; 1934 | ||||||||||||
6 | Rigs, D-7 (main trysail) data for Hutchinses’ THREE BROTHERS; ca. 1934 | ||||||||||||
7 | Rigs, main trysail rig, appliation; 1940-1947 | ||||||||||||
8 | Rigs, main trysail halyards, data and calculations; 1945-1952 | ||||||||||||
9 | Rigs, main trysail standing rigging, data and calculations; 1945-1950 | ||||||||||||
10 | Rigs, handling the main trysail, data; 1947 | ||||||||||||
11 | Rigs, main trysail rig, application (W. E. Mueller’s DAWN); 1947-1948 | ||||||||||||
12 | Rig, main trysail batten sprit, data and calculations; 1947-1951 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
9 | 1 | Rigs, main trysail rig, data and applications; 1951-1952 | |||||||||||
2 | Rigs, main trysail rig, data, calculations and applications; 1954-1958 | ||||||||||||
3 | Rigs, main trysail rig, data, calculations and applications; 1951-1955 | ||||||||||||
4 | Rigs, main trysail sheeting, data, and applications; 1956 | ||||||||||||
6 | Rigs, main trysail, cored and shroudless | ||||||||||||
7 | Rigs, main trysail, application (H. Newton-Scott’s SILVER GULL); 1947-1956 | ||||||||||||
8 | Rigs, main trysail, application (H. Newton-Scott’s SILVER GULL); 1954-1958 | ||||||||||||
9 | Rigs, main trysail, application (H. Newton-Scott’s SILVER GULL); 1956-1957 | ||||||||||||
10 | Rigs, Dhow and main trysail patents and copyrights; 1927-1934 | ||||||||||||
11 | Rigs, Dhow and main trysail, applications; ca. 1930-1950 | ||||||||||||
12 | Rigs, 60′ Dhow, data and application; 1921-1923 | ||||||||||||
13 | Rigs, Dhow model, data and calculations; 1926-1929 | ||||||||||||
14 | Rigs, Dhow, data and application; 1927-1932 | ||||||||||||
15 | Rigs, Dhow model trials (D-4), data; 1927-1933 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
10 | 1 | Rigs, Dhow displacement curves, data and calculations; 1931 | |||||||||||
2 | Rigs, Dhow hull, data; 1942-1958 | ||||||||||||
3 | Rigs, Dhow lateral plane, data and calculations; ca. 1935 | ||||||||||||
4 | Rigs, Dhow model photos; ca. 1930 | ||||||||||||
5 | Rigs, twin spinnakers, data and applications; 1934-1956 | ||||||||||||
6 | Rigs, twin spinnakers vs. twin staysails, data; 1934-1961 | ||||||||||||
7 | Rigs, trade and after twins, data and calculations; 1952 | ||||||||||||
8 | Rigs, weather twins, data; 1951 | ||||||||||||
9 | Rigs, weather twins, data and applications; 1951-1953 | ||||||||||||
10 | Rigs, weather twins and self steering, data; 1961-1963 | ||||||||||||
11 | Rigs, old design sketches; ca. 1915 | ||||||||||||
12 | Rigs, 60′ main trysail, motor sailers, auxiliaries; 1934 | ||||||||||||
13 | Rigs, D-6, built for DeLamarter, data, calculations, and applications; ca. 1930 | ||||||||||||
14 | Rigs, D-10, main trysail-rigged STORMSVALA; 1938-1947 | ||||||||||||
15 | Rigs, D-14, main trysail, wishbone gaffs, application; ca. 1945 | ||||||||||||
16 | Rigs, D-15, data and calculations; 1951-1953 | ||||||||||||
17 | Rigs, D-15, data and calculations; 1951 | ||||||||||||
18 | Rigs, Dyer Dhow Senior, data and calculation; 1945-1954 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
11 | 1 | Rigs, Dyer Dhow Senior, data and application; ca. 1945 | |||||||||||
2 | Rigs, Wishbone rig, data and applicaton; ca. 1960 | ||||||||||||
3 | Rigs, Wind tunnel trials, calculations; ca. 1960 | ||||||||||||
4 | Rigs, Double rig halyard toggle, data; ca. 1950 | ||||||||||||
5 | Rigs, cored masts, data and calculations; 1946-1958 | ||||||||||||
6 | Rigs, cored masts, data and calculations; 1927-1959 | ||||||||||||
7 | Rigs, bending masts, data; 1957-1963 | ||||||||||||
8 | Rigs, bending masts, data; 1961 | ||||||||||||
9 | Rigs, cored masts for offshore yachts, data; 1963-1964 | ||||||||||||
10 | Rigs, wind curves; 1929-1952 | ||||||||||||
11 | Rigs, true and apparent wind and windward ability in relation to the main trysail; 1936-1955 | ||||||||||||
12 | Rigs, apparent wind shift vs. C. E. heights, data; 1951 | ||||||||||||
13 | Rigs, velocity and pressure curves, data; 1952 | ||||||||||||
14 | Rigs, leech contours, data and calculations; 1949 | ||||||||||||
15 | Rigs, sail design, data; 1951 | ||||||||||||
16 | Rigs, angle of incidence, data and calculations; 1951 | ||||||||||||
17 | Rigs, leech curvature and contour, data; 1952 | ||||||||||||
18 | Rigs, sail reductions and heeling angles, data and calculations; 1953-1954 | ||||||||||||
19 | Rigs, mizzen reverse flow, data; 1954 | ||||||||||||
20 | Rigs, draft allowance, data; ca. 1950 | ||||||||||||
21 | Rigs, shrouds and stays, data and application; 1948 | ||||||||||||
22 | Rigs, sheet-vang; 1951 | ||||||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
12 | 1 | Rigs, fore and aft stays, data and calculations; 1955 | |||||||||||
2 | Rigs, sheet pull, data; 1958 | ||||||||||||
3 | Rigs, forestaysail sheet, data; 1957 | ||||||||||||
4 | Rigs, drogues, data and application; 1932-1933 | ||||||||||||
5 | Rigs, drogues, data and application; 1932-1955 | ||||||||||||
6 | Rigs, design data (glues, propellers, etc.); ca. 1925-1955 | ||||||||||||
7 | Rigs, heeled waterlines; ca. 1935 | ||||||||||||
8 | Rigs, tang design, data and application; ca. 1945 | ||||||||||||
9 | Rigs, clew lever, data and calculations; 1946 | ||||||||||||
10 | Rigs, catalogs from Macwhyte – rigging, tie rods, cables, etc.; 1947 | ||||||||||||
11 | Rigs, construction notes on cruising yacht design; 1948-1953 | ||||||||||||
12 | Rigs, speed-length ration, data and calculations; 1949 | ||||||||||||
13 | Rigs, sail power and draw-bar pull, data and calculations; 1951 | ||||||||||||
14 | Rigs, runners and runner take-up, data and calculations; 1951-1954 | ||||||||||||
15 | Rigs, runners and runner take-up, data and calculations; 1954 | ||||||||||||
16 | Rigs, sprit ends, data; 1955 | ||||||||||||
17 | Rigs, triangular mizzen boom, data and calculations; 1955 | ||||||||||||
18 | Rigs, swinging spreaders, bending masts, data and calculations; 1956-1957 | ||||||||||||
19 | Rigs, CLR and CE, data and calculations; 1956-1957 | ||||||||||||
20 | Rigs, model tank test data from Stevens Institute; 1956-1963 | ||||||||||||
21 | Rigs, self-steering, data and application; 1957 | ||||||||||||
22 | Rigs, mizzen stay traveler and brackets, data; 1957 | ||||||||||||
13 |
23
1 2 3 |
Rigs, pitch and toss, data and application; 1960
Howadji logs, 1893, 1903-06 Ouinnetka photos, invoices 1902-03 Charts, log of Ouinnetka 1903 |