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A guide to the George H. Wayland naval architectural drawings, 1929-1947, and undated
HDC1534 (SAFR 22206)
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Title: George H. Wayland naval architectural drawings
Date: 1929-1947, and undated
Identifier/Call Number: HDC1534 (SAFR 22206)
Creator:
Wayland, George H.
Physical Description:
721.00 items
Repository:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department
Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Abstract: The George H. Wayland plans collection (HDC 1534) contains 721 items, the majority of which are original pencil on paper naval
architectural drawings of yachts and smaller motor craft designed by George H. Wayland between 1921 to 1947. Most are undated.
This collection is open for use without restrictions, except where noted for individual items at the file level.
Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department
Language(s):
In English.
This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other
case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.
Note on Description: The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information.
Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material
and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors
in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. P
lease cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.
[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item
Number], HDC1534 (SAFR 22206), George H. Wayland naval architectural drawings, San Francisco Maritime National Historical
Park
SAFR-02011
SAFR-2011. This material was created by George H. Wayland during the course of his professional life. Upon his death in 1947
the material passed into the possession of Myron Spaulding, a boat designer and builder who had apprenticed with George Wayland
and who subsequently owned a boat building yard in Sausalito at the old Marinship site. George H. Wayland plans were given
to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 2009 as part of a much larger donation from the Myron Spaulding estate.
Historical or Biographical Note
BIOGRAPHY: George H. Wayland (1885-1947). George H. Wayland was educated at the University of Washington and began his professional
career in the Seattle area. During World War I he worked for the Emergency Fleet Corporation at shipyards in Seattle and Tacoma,
where he rose to the position of assistant superintendent of the Tacoma yard. Following the War, Wayland joined the Seattle
design firm of Lee & Brinton, and was instrumental in opening their San Francisco office. In 1926 he left the firm to begin
a solo design practice. Over the next two decades, Wayland either worked with or did contract work for the following ship
and boat building yards on the west coast: Colberg Boat Works (Stockton); Geo. C. Boardman Co. (San Francisco); H.R. Fish
& Co.; Wayland for Haviside Company; J.H. Madden and Co.; Madden and Lewis (Sausalito); Nunes Bros.; and Rasmussen Boat Works.
Among the noted vessels designed by Wayland are Volante (1936, sloop), Tamalmar (1927, 57 foot schooner), Alotola (ex Water
Wheel, 1927, 57 foot schooner), Lady Jo (1932, schooner), Altair (1927, ketch), Mary Beth (1927), Marquita (1929, motor yacht),
Skeeter (1930), and Graemar (1940). During the 1930s, Wayland also completed a few commercial designs, including a 1937 design
for a 45 foot wooden tow boat, Telco, which was built at the Sausalito yard of Madden and Lewis for Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company. The Telco is a museum vessel at Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SAFR
20427).
George Wayland is particularly well remembered as the architect who redesigned John Alden's 1922 original Bird class design,
which measured 29 feet. In 1926 the Bird Boat association paid Wayland $100 to redesign the Bird Boat, which resulted in the
25 foot Golden Gate Design Class One, otherwise known as the Baby Bird design.
According to Thomas Skahill, George Wayland was "something of an unsung master during his lifetime [but his boat designs]
remain in high regard by the West Coast maritime community." He was an important mentor to noted Bay Area yacht designer and
builder Myron Spaulding; Myron Spaulding collected and preserved this collection of George Wayland's naval architectural plans.
Examples of George Wayland's design drawings can be found in other collections held by the park.
SOURCES:
(1) Gregory O. Jones, The American Sailboat (St. Paul, MN. : MBI Publishing, 2002).
(2) Lucia del Sol Knight and Daniel Bruce MacNaughton (editors), The Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers (New York : W.W. Norton,
2006).
The George H. Wayland plans collection (HDC 1534) contains 721 items, the majority of which are original pencil on paper naval
architectural drawings of yachts and smaller motor craft designed by George H. Wayland between 1921 to 1947. Most are undated.
This collection is open for use without restrictions, except where noted for individual items at the file level.
The bulk of the collection includes plans for 105 jobs identified by design or job numbers ranging from 65 to 396, with gaps.
Plans identified by vessel name include those designed by George H. Wayland, or for which he made redesign recommendations.
Vessels with associated design or job numbers are in series 1.01; vessels without associated design or job numbers are in
series 1.02.
The named vessels represented in this collection are: Aloha (ketch, job number 199, 1935); Altair (48' ketch, 1928); Astoria
(job number 219, 1936); Averna; Bali (job number 205, 1935); Barbara (50 foot aux. schooner, job number 182); Belvedere One;
Blankenses (1929); Camarada (job number 134); Chinook (34 foot aux. sloop, job number 227); Conquista (job number 135); Duck
(34 foot yawl, job number 232); El Cita; Fearless and Fearless II redesign (1939); Fulton G. (cutter, job number 109, 1939);
Homeward Bound (aux. ketch, job number 245, 1939): Idalia (schooner, job number 203, 1935); Imp (ex Corinthian II, job number
163, 1922); Jimax III (1953, 1957); Kathanga or K'thanca (92 foot motor yacht); Lady Jo (40 foot schooner, 1932); Leader (70
foot tow boat; job number 224); Lombari (punt, 1938); Machy Export Tees; Malabar VII (barge conversion, job number 261); Margaret
E. (65 foot fishing vessel); Marilen, Mary Jane, Mary Beth (all design number 136); Marylin G.; Minerva (47 foot aux. ketch,
job number
187); Moonlight (job number 113); Orphans (23 foot); Otter; Skyblue (28 foot motor boat); Suds (job number 194); Telco (45
foot tow boat, job number 230, 1937); Truant (yawl; job number 133); Volante (42 foot aux sloop, 1936, job number 217); W.H.
Balowin; Wataridori; Water Witch (job 249); Yo Ho Ho (job number 244); and Zahma (yacht, job number 262, 1940).
Twenty nine (29) drawings are identified only by apparent design characteristics such as length or sail area, and are described
in series 1.03. 85 original drawings have no vessel identification or apparent design characteristics, and are described in
series 1.04.
Not all of designs represented in this collection were completed or resulted in built vessels. Nor were all of the drawings
done by George Wayland original designs; a portion of these drawings are probably modifications for existing vessels.
Thirty five (35) plans and drawings in this collection originate from other designers, and are described in series 2. In addition
to plans and vessel drawings, the collection includes charts and maps, described in series 3, and a small number of office
supplies and document files, described in series 4.
The collection is divided into four series, the first of which is divided into four sub-series.
Series 1.01 - George H. Wayland enumerated jobs. 484 items organized into 106 files by job number, described to the file level.
This sub-series includes named vessels that have associated job numbers.
Series 1.02 - George H. Wayland jobs, named vessels. 49 items organized into 17 files, described to the file level. The following
vessels are represented: Altair (1928); Averna; Belvedere One; El Cita; Fearless (1929) and Fearless II redesign (1939); Jimax
III (1953, 1957); Kathanga;); Lady Jo; Lombari (punt, 1938); Machy Export Tees; Margaret E. (65 foot fishing vessel); Marylin
G. ; Orphans (23 foot); Otter; Skyblue (28 foot motor boat); and W.H. Balowin.
Series 1.03 - George H. Wayland designs by design characteristics. 29 items organized into 14 files, described to the file
level. These plans have no associated job numbers or vessel names, and are described by common vessel characteristics like
vessel length or sail area.
Series 1.04 - George H. Wayland unidentified drawings. 85 items described at the series level.
Series 2 - Other designers and builders. 35 items, described at the series level. Businesses and individuals represented here
include Anderson and Christofani; Berkeley Street Construction Co., Inc.; Edwin Monk; John G. Alden; Lee and Britton; Sparkman-Stevens;
Stephen Brothers (Stockton, California); and W.F. Stone.
Series 3 - Charts and maps. 26 items, described at the series level. Annotated published charts and race courses, and one
hand-drawn survey map.
Series 4 - Office supplies, items and notes. 13 items and folders, described at the series level.
Collection of 721 plans is housed in 25 "A-size" map folders, 22 "B-size" map folders, 1 roll, and three boxes.
During processing 16 out of scope and/or duplicate maps and navigational charts were removed from the original accession and
transferred to San Francisco Maritime National Historical, Park J. Porter Shaw Library. Transfer paperwork is in collection
folder.
SAFR 17240 (HDC 322) Anders Rasmussen collection
SAFR 17227 (HDC 320) Simpson and Fisher Inc. records
SAFR 17124 (HDC 277) Stone Boat Yard records, 1913-1982
SAFR 22086 (HDC 1578) George H. Wayland naval architectural drawings of Marybeth (auxiliary yawl: 40-foot)
SAFR 22089 (HDC 1576) Myron Spaulding and Spaulding Boatworks records
SAFR 22090 (P08-003) Myron Spaulding and Spaulding Boatworks photographs
SAFR 22826 (HDC 1611) Jack Ehrhorn collection of Stone Boat Yard naval architectural drawings
SAFR 20427 Tug-towboat Telco.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is the sole custodian of all cited related archival collections and objects,
including the small craft Telco (towboat).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Small craft--United States--History--20th century--archives
Naval architecture--Designs and plans
Wayland, George H.
W.F. Stone & Son (Oakland)
San Francisco Bay (Calif.)
ships plans
Architectural drawings--Marine
Naval architecture drawings