James Stafford (pilot boat)
{{short description|Sandy Hook Pilot boat}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=New York Pilot Schooner No. 18 J. Stafford, by Conrad Freitag.jpg |Ship caption=New York Pilot-Boat No. 18, James Stafford, by Conrad Freitag, c. 1889. }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship owner=Joseph Nelson, Frederick Ryerson, Charles Anderson, James Mitchell, Oscar Stoffrelden |Ship country=United States |Ship flag={{USN flag|1888}} |Ship name=James Stafford |Ship christened=Flora P. Stafford on 3 Nov 1888 |Ship builder= |Ship original cost= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=3 Nov 1888 |Ship out of service=1898 |Ship renamed= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honors= |Ship fate= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Header caption= |Ship class=schooner |Ship tonnage=56-tons TM |Ship length={{convert|81|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|21|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship depth={{convert|9|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship sail plan= |Ship propulsion=Sail |Ship complement= |Ship armament= |Ship notes=Hull is black with a golden stripe }} |
The James Stafford was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1888 for the New York Pilots. She took the place of the pilot boat Enchantress, that was lost in the Great Blizzard of 1888. She was named after James Stafford, one of the oldest and prominent shipping men of Brooklyn. She sank near Sandy Hook in 1898 when she ran into the Dry Romer shoal. At that time, the Stafford was one of the oldest pilot-boats still in service in a time when they were being replaced with steam pilot boats.
Construction and service
File:Enchantress pilot boat.jpg.]]
The New York pilot-boat James Stafford, No. 18, was launched on November 3, 1888 in Noank, Connecticut. She was christened by Flora P. Stafford, daughter of Frank Stafford of Brooklyn, New York. The boat was named after James Stafford, one of the oldest and prominent shipping men of Brooklyn. Two thousand people witnessed the launch including many prominent shipping merchants from the city.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77116365/launch/|title=Launch Of A Brooklyn Boat. |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |place=Brooklyn, New York|date=4 Nov 1888|page=9|access-date=2021-05-05}}
She took a trial trip to the Sandy Hook lightship. On return, a race took place between the new boat and the pilot-boat Hope, No. 1. Afterwards, she then arrived at her berth at Pier 8 in East River, New York City. The James Stafford took the place of the Enchantress, No. 18, that was lost in the Great Blizzard of 1888. The pilot boat is ownd by Joseph Nelson, Frederick Ryerson, Charles Anderson, James Mitchell, Oscar Stoffrelden. Nelson was one of the owners of the Enchantress.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77116859/east-river/ |title=City And Suburban News|work=The New York Times |place=New York, New York|date=22 Nov 1888|page=3|access-date=2021-05-05}} The Stafford, then took a position on the pilot station at Sandy Hook.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77117798/pilot-station/ |title=Twenty Lives Lost. |work=The Evening World |place=New York, New York|date=26 Nov 1888|page=4|access-date=2021-05-05}}
The James Stafford was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping from 1890 to 1900 to the port of New York.{{cite web|url=https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l0179721890/535/|title=Record of American and Foreign Shipping 1884|work=Mystic Seaport Museum|place=New York|access-date=2020-10-06}}
On February 10, 1895, Pilot-bat Stafford, No. 18, while acting as a station boat outside Sandy Hook, was blown out to sea because of a blizzard. Pilot Gus Peterson and six crewmen were on board.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/269294271/?terms=%22pilot%2Bboat%2BJames%2BStafford%22|title=Blown Out To Sea.|work=The Buffalo Commercial|place=Buffalo, New York|date=12 Feb 1895|pages=1|access-date=2020-09-08}} She was missing for several days and arrived at Stapleton, Staten Island in tow by a tugboat. She was not damaged in the storm.{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1895-02-13/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1789&sort=date&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=3&words=boat+James+pilot+pilot-boat+Stafford&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=Pilot+Boat+James+Stafford&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title=Pilot-Boat Stafford Safe.|work=The Evening World |place=New York, New York|date=13 Feb 1895|pages=5|access-date=2020-09-08}}
On February 1, 1896, the New York Pilots discarded James Stafford, along with other pilot-boats and moved them to the Erie Basin in Brooklyn. They were replaced with steam pilot boats. The James Stafford, was sold for $5,500.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/542415723/?terms=%22William%2BH.%2BStarbuck%22|title=Not Up To Date. Why New York Pilots Are Discarding Sailboats.|work=The Standard Union|place=Brooklyn, New York|date=1896-02-01|pages=7|access-date=2020-09-08}}
End of service
On February 5, 1898, the pilot-boat James Stafford, No. 18, sank near Sandy Hook when she was sailing into port in the fog after bringing in the steamship Fallodon Hall. She ran into the Dry Romer shoal, a sandy area near the Beacon, causing her to fill with water. The crew escaped in a yawl. The Stafford was one of the few pilot-boats still in service.{{cite news|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1898-02-07/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1789&sort=date&date2=1963&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=6&words=boat+James+pilot+Stafford&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=Pilot+Boat+James+Stafford&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title=Mishaps Upon The Romer. Pilot Boat Sunk Near Where The Two Liners Grounded|work=The Sun|place=New York, New York|date=7 Feb 1898|pages=1|access-date=2020-09-08}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot Boats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:James Stafford}}
Category:Service vessels of the United States
Category:Individual sailing vessels