Nathanael Greene Herreshoff (March 18, 1848 – June 2, 1938), was an American naval architect-mechanical engineer. "Captain Nat," as he was known, revolutionized yacht design, and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup defenders between 1893–1920. The yachts he designed were the largest, most expensive and most powerful ever created to defend yachting's supreme prize.
Herreshoff (pronounced "Herres-hoff") was born in Bristol, Rhode Isla...
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Nathanael Greene Herreshoff (March 18, 1848 – June 2, 1938), was an American naval architect-mechanical engineer. "Captain Nat," as he was known, revolutionized yacht design, and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup defenders between 1893–1920. The yachts he designed were the largest, most expensive and most powerful ever created to defend yachting's supreme prize.
Herreshoff (pronounced "Herres-hoff") was born in Bristol, Rhode Island, and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1870 with a 3-year degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, he took a position with the Corliss Steam Engine Company in Providence, Rhode Island. At the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he oversaw operation of the Corliss Stationary Engine, a 12-meter tall, 1400-horsepower dynamo that powered the exhibition's machinery.
In 1878, tragedy struck while Herreshoff was supervising speed trials of a 42-meter, 650 kW (875 horsepower) steamboat...
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