Ship Model, Fishing Schooner <I>Dauntless</I>
date: label: Date made
content: 1894
label: date made
content: 1855
label: model built
content: ca 1855
label: schooner was lost at sea
content: 1870-09
name: label: master of schooner's crew
content: Craig, Jas. G.
label: sailor
content: La Pierre, John
label: sailor
content: Costello, Martin
label: sailor
content: Todd, Jr., John
label: sailor
content: Todd, George
label: sailor
content: Herrick, Daniel
label: sailor
content: Smith, Edward
label: sailor
content: Smith, James
label: sailor
content: Welch, James
label: sailor
content: Goodwin, George
notes: label: Description
content: This model represents the fishing schooner <I>Dauntless</I>, built at Essex, Mass., about 1855. Its hull is of the “sharpshooter” type, meaning the bottom has a sharp V-shape, as distinct from the rounded hulls of most fishing craft built in New England. The model shows the typical deck arrangement for a schooner sailing to or from the offshore fishing grounds, with the dory boats nested together and lashed bottom-up on the deck. All of the sails are set, including the jib and flying jib on the vessel’s long bowsprit.
label: Description
content: Fishing on the shallow banks stretching from Georges Bank east of Massachusetts to the Grand Bank off the coast of Newfoundland was a dangerous enterprise. Thousands of lives were lost in the race to catch more fish and deliver them to market before the competition. The demand for fast schooners led to designs that favored speed over safety. The <I>Dauntless</I> is an example of a mid-century schooner with a fast hull and a great deal of sail. The sailing rig would have required crewmen to venture out on the bowsprit to furl the jib, a dangerous proposition, especially in rough weather.
label: Description
content: Details of what happened to the <I>Dauntless</I> and its crew in September 1870 are unknown. But the schooner was lost at sea with all hands aboard, while making a passage to the Bay of St. Lawrence from Gloucester. Those lost included Jas. G. Craig, master, John La Pierre, Martin Costello, John Todd Jr., George Todd, Daniel Herrick, Edward Smith, James Smith, James Welch, George Goodwin, and two others, whose names are unknown.
place: label: where the model was built
content: United States: Massachusetts, Essex
label: schooner en route to when it was lost at sea
content: Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador, Saint Lawrence
topic: label: related event
content: The Development of the Industrial United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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content: Work
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content: Natural Resources
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content: On the Water exhibit
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from U.S. Fish Commission
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.076244
label: catalog number
content: 076244
label: accession number
content: 028022
objectType: label: Object Name
content: schooner
label: Object Name
content: model, rigged fishing schooner
label: Other Terms
content: schooner; Maritime; Fishing
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: textile (sails material)
label: Physical Description
content: metals (fittings material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 47 in x 75 in x 12 in; 119.38 cm x 190.5 cm x 30.48 cm