Overview of the Collection
| Repository: | Ships Plans Division, Mystic Seaport |
| Creator: | Backus, James |
| Title: | James Backus Collection |
| Dates: | 1982- |
| Extent: | 125 sheets |
| Abstract: | Original plans drawn by James Backus for, primarily, pleasure craft, including the Victory tugs, Cigarillo, Gatsby and Kodiak boats. |
| Identification: | Coll. 144 |
Biography of James Backus
James Backus was born in 1946. He attended Bryant College in Providence, Rhode Island, working for residential architects while attending Bryant. Jim applied for, and was accepted to, the Rhode Island School of Design Masters Architecture program but was then drafted into the US Marines. To complete college, Jim joined the US Marines on a 180-day delay program, with grad school put on hold. A near fatal helicopter incident caused Jim to fear heights so he turned his attention to yacht design. Jim graduated from the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, apprenticed with Pearson Yachts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and worked as a designer with Robert H. Perry, Yacht Designers, Seattle, Washington. In 1982 Jim opened his own office and his first design was the Victory 37 tug. Jim designed production and custom boats, commercial fishing boats and pleasure boats, in fiberglass, aluminum, traditional wood and plywood. Jim moved back to Connecticut when a recession hit, accepting the Chief Instructor position at Westlawn while continuing to design. He became president of Westlawn and held that position for seven years. Much of his later work was in conceptual design development having transitioned from traditional hand drawing to computer-developed designs.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Ships Plans Division.
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Ships Plans Division.
Index Terms
This collection is not included in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers who are interested in finding library material about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Document Types
Ships plans
Occupations
Naval architects
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Coll. 144, Ships Plans Division, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
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Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Vessel designs
| 144.1 | 37′ Victory Tugboat, cruising power boat | Designer: James Backus; for Admiralty Ltd, commercial contract #2; 27 sheets of plans, dated 1982-1985. | ||
| 144.2A | 23′ Gloucester fisherman, design 38 | Designer: James Backus; for Nowak and Walls Yacht Sales; 8 sheets of plans, dated 1983-1986 | ||
| 144.2B | 23′ Kodiak Fisherman Cruiser, design 38 | Designer: James Backus; for Andrew Nowak and Kodiak Ventures; 7 sheets of plans, dated 1983 – 1986 | ||
| 144.2C | 23′ Kodiak Cruiser, design 38 | Designer: James Backus; design 38; for Andrew Nowak and Kodiak Ventures, 4 sheets of plans, dated 1983. | ||
| 144.3A | 14′ Cigarillo high speed planing hull | Designer: James Backus; design 39; for Peter Buck, ©Cigarello Boat Co. 5 sheet of plans, 1984. | ||
| 144.3B | 22′ Cigarillo high speed planing hull, Des. 39, | Designer: James Backus; design 39; for Peter Buck, ©Cigarello Boat Co., Inc. 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.4 | Ski-Cat 4.2M | Designer: James Backus; for Buck Enterprises, 2 sheets dated 1986. | ||
| 144.5 | 42′ houseboat | Designer: James Backus; design 85-1, 9 sheets of plans dated 1985-03 thru 1985-06. | ||
| 144.6 | Bull Dog 26′ | Designer: James Backus; built by Benchmark Marine Inc.; 6 sheets of plans dated 1986-07-1986-09. | ||
| 144.7 | 49′ Victory tugboat, cruising power boat | Design contract #2; for Admiralty LTD., /Lord Nelsom Yachts; 19 sheets, plans dated 1982-1986. | ||
| 144.8 | 18′ Livingston fishing, bass boat | Designer: James Backus; for Jim Sandman; 8 plans dated 1987-06 – 1987-08. | ||
| 144.9 | 36′ ketch | Designer: James Backus; for Jim Sandman; 17 sheets, plans dated 1985-10 – 1988-03. | ||
| 144.10 | 54′ Liberty Gatsby | Designer: James Backus; for Liberty Yachts; 1 plan dated 1987-10. | ||
| 144.11 | Gatsby 46 | Designer: James Backus; for Admiralty Ltd., 1sheets, dated 1987-12. | ||
| 144.12 | Doge of Vince | Designer: James Backus; for Gregory R. Caron and F James & Association; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.13 | 36′ sailing power yacht; ©1986-01-24 | Designer: James Backus; for Liberty Yachts; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.14 | 52 diesel powered Passage Maker | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.15 | 53′ Long Distance yacht; ©1984 US Patent Office | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.16 | 27′ fisherman | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.17 | 42′ Police / Rescue /Fire/Pilot boat | Designer: James Backus; builder: Island Marine Industry, Albany NY; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.18 | 21st Century Floating Home | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.19 | 45′ express yacht | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated. | ||
| 144.20 | Futuristic passenger launch | Designer: James Backus; 1 sheet, not dated; Drawing of Futuristic passenger launch showing passenger seating accommodations. | ||
| 144.21 | Gatsby Models Illustrations | Designer: James Backus; 4 sheets, profiles of Gatsby 46 and Gatsby 39. |