Trenton (pilot boat)
{{short description|New Jersey Pilot boat}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Trenton Pilot Boat.jpg |Ship caption=Pilot Boat Trenton, No. 4., formerly the fishing schooner Kernwood. }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship owner=New Jersey Pilots |Ship country=United States |Ship flag={{USN flag|1904}} |Ship name= Trenton |Ship namesake=Trenton, New Jersey |Ship christened= |Ship builder= Oxner & Story |Ship operator=Charles O. Beebe |Ship original cost= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 1904 |Ship out of service= 1934 |Ship captured= |Ship renamed= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honors= |Ship fate=Sold |Ship struck= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Header caption= |Ship class=schooner |Ship tonnage=83-tons TM |Ship length={{convert|87|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= |Ship draft= |Ship depth= |Ship sail plan= |Ship propulsion=Sail and auxiliary motor |Ship complement= |Ship armament= |Ship notes= }} |
The Trenton was an auxiliary motor pilot boat built in Essex County, Massachusetts for a company of New Jersey Sandy Hook pilots in 1907. She was formerly the fishing schooner Kernwood, designed by Thomas F. McManus of Boston in 1904. As a pilot boat, she spent twenty-five years in pilot service before being placed out of service in 1934.
Construction and service
The pilot-boat Trenton, No. 4, was an auxiliary motor pilot boat purchased for the New Jersey pilot service in late 1907. She was formerly the fishing schooner Kernwood, which they renamed Trenton.{{cite book|last=Allen|first=Edward L.|date=1922|title=Pilot Lore From sail to Steam |url=https://archive.org/stream/pilotlorefromsai00unit/pilotlorefromsai00unit#page/87/mode/1up/search/Trenton |location=New York |publisher=The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations}}{{rp|p87}}
Captain Herbert Thompson was captain of the schooner Kernwood, that went out on her maiden voyage in June 1904. The Kernwood was designed by Thomas F. McManus of Boston and was built by Oxner & Story in Essex County, Massachusetts. The boat was 87 ft. in length, 83-tons, and had a round bow.{{cite book|last1=Dunne|first1=W. M. P.|last2=Patrick|first2=William Matthew|date=1934 |title=Thomas F. McManus and the American fishing schooners: an Irish-American success story|url=https://archive.org/details/thomasmcmanusame00wmdu/page/118/mode/1up?q=%22John+H+McManus%22|publisher=Mystic, Conn., Mystic Seaport Museum|page=229}}
Captain Charles O. Beebe was assigned to the pilot boat Trenton, and sailed to Long Branch, New Jersey on 10 October 1910, looking for incoming steamers. The Trenton, had a crew of six and six Apprenticeship boys under the instruction of Captain Beebe. Captain Walter Earl, of East Orange, New Jersey was one of the pilots. Charles Beebe was the son of James D. M. Beebe, who sailed with his father, one of the best known pilots in the New York Harbor.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/495548325/?terms=%22pilot%20boat%20Trenton%22&match=1 |title=Pilots Land Here. Captain Charles Beebe and East Orange Friend Anchor Offshore.|work= The Daily Record, Long Branch |place=New Jersey|date=27 Oct 1910|page= 3|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=limited|access-date=2021-01-13}}
In 1931, in place of what was once thirty pilot boats, there were only three steam pilot boats, the Trenton, New York, and Sandy Hook, remaining in the pilot fleet.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=4244807&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjU3NTcwOTEyLCJpYXQiOjE2MTA1MTM4MjMsImV4cCI6MTYxMDYwMDIyM30.NBMkZem3WTzKdKgpv47pN97vtUbKwo2uPpybCg2NcYg|title=Harbor Pilots Cheat Death-Dealing Reefs.|work= The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|place=Brooklyn, New York|date=9 Jul 1931|page= 69|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=limited|access-date=2021-01-13}}
End of service
During 1934, the reserve pilot boat Trenton, was judged unfit for pilot use and was replaced by the auxiliary schooner Wanderer.{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |date= |title=Monthly Bulletin Volumes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BJkiAQAAIAAJ|publisher=New York Chamber of Commerce|journal=Monthly Journal|volume=26-27 |issue= |pages=339 |access-date=2021-01-13}}
On the November 22, 1934, the Trenton and two other boats, sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts to Cape Verde Islands off the African coast with passengers of Portuguese and African descent.{{cite book|last=Guillet|first=Edwin C.|date=1937|title=The Great Migration (1937)|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.507500/page/n281/mode/2up?q=%22Pilot+boat+Trenton%22|location=New York|publisher=University Of Toronto Press|access-date=2021-01-13}} On December 29, 1934, the Trenton was the only boat that arrived safely at Cape Verde after a five week journey.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/431941969/?terms=%22schooner%20%27Trenton%22%2C&match=1|title=New Bedford Packet Founders Off Africa|work=The Boston Globe|place=Boston, Massachusetts|date=15 Mar 1935|page= 17|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=limited|access-date=2021-01-13}}
On February 6, 1935, the Trenton struck a reef, which caused her to capsize. The crew on board were able to escape in lifeboats and reached land near Dakar, a city in West Africa.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/431761299/?terms=%22schooner%20%27Trenton%22%2C&match=1 |title=Tell Thrilling Stories of Disasters At Sea|work=The Boston Globe|place=Boston, Massachusetts|date=5 Apr 1935|page= 18|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=limited|access-date=2021-01-13}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot Boats}}
Category:Individual sailing vessels
Category:Schooners of the United States