page_title: Robert Fish (shipbuilder)
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: Robert Fish (shipbuilder) / Career
caption_attribution_description: English: Chromolithograph of the yacht Sappho of New York published by Currier &amp; Ives. Original from Library of Congress. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.
context_page_description: Robert ""Bob" Fish was known as the oldest and most successful of the 19th-century American yacht modelers and shipbuilders. He was well known for remodeling of the Sappho that won 3 successive international races.
context_section_description: Fish started his career as a boatbuilder and opened a shop in Front Street and in 1840, moved to Water Street. In 1850, he started a shipyard at Pamrapo, New Jersey. His earliest boats he worked on were the yacht Annie and yacht Julia. He built a yacht for the  Duke of Wellington, another for the Prince of Wales Club, and another for Sir Francis Sykes, of England.
  Fish was noted for the remodeling of the 300-ton schooner Sappho after several unsuccessful races. He modeled her by widening her hull so that the boat was able to hold up against stronger winds and make her faster. In 1870, he sailed her to England for its owner, W. P. Douglas to help win 3 successive international races at Cowes defeating the English yacht Cambria. He was the captain of the boat in these races.
  Fish made the models for the Truant, Challenge, Eva, Enchantress, and the Meteor. He sold the Challenge, Eva, Enchantress to the yachtsman George L. Lorillard. From 1868 to 1873, he was listed as the Captain of the schooner Challenge. On October 9, 1873, the Enchantress was one of the boats that participated in the New York Ocean Regatta, which was a race from Owl's Head Point around to Cape May Lighthouse in New Jersey, and back to the Sandy hook Lightship. The Enchantress won the cup valued at $1,000. The Meteor made the fastest sailing time between Cowes and Lisbon.
  On February 15, 1874, Fish left by the steamer Herman to Cowes where he took command of the Enchantress owned by  Joseph F. Loubat, of the New York Yacht Club. Fish was visiting England to see the improvements made in yacht designs.
caption: Sappho leaving Sandy Hook July 28 1869, bound to Europe.
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