Archibald Cary Smith, professionally known as A. Cary Smith, was a naval architect and marine engineer. He studied marine painting for a short time and did some art work. He is known as the first American to develop the concept of designing a yacht on paper using calculations and comparisons. The method of drafting has since been followed in many educational institutions and universities for the teaching of yacht construction. Smith designed the first iron yacht in America. In his 55-year career he designed many yachts. One of those was for the German Emperor who had previously bought on the market a yacht Smith designed and was so pleased with it that he then ordered a bigger version. Smith was associated with several yacht clubs and societies.
Biography
Smith was born at New York City on September 4, 1837. He was named after Archibald Cary, an ancestor. Smith's parents were Rev. Dr. E. Dunlap Smith and Jane B. Cary Smith. He had several siblings. Smith's family came to New York City from Philadelphia. He was educated at the University Grammar School of New York City. Smith's paternal grandfather was an ironmaster and had gone to sea as a sailor. Smith was inspired to travel because of his grandfather's adventures and became interested in sailing. In New York City near his father’s church at a street corner was a community water pump. As a young boy, he and his companion friends would dam the streets and then pump water into them to make a small pond. They then would float a homemade sailing craft on their street pond. This was his first experience as a naval architect. Smith lived near the yard where the yacht America was being built. He spent his time at the yard watching its construction. He then went home and reproduced her in small models he would make of the yacht. He had a strong desire to build boats so was allowed to go to Pamrapo in New Jersey under the tutoring of Captain Bob Fish, a professional yacht skipper. From him he learned the practical side of yacht building and sailing. He later took one term of naval architecture under W.W. Bates, who was a shipwright and later Commissioner of Navigation. Smith built Comment early in his career in 1860. It was an 18-foot sloop. The craft defeated all rivals for years in competition races and built a reputation. In time Smith became known as a skilled helmsman of yachts in New York. Later he abandoned yachts and took up marine painting under Mauritz de Haas for a short time. It was during this time he came up with ideas other than being an artist. Robert Center came to America from Europe in 1870 and sought Smith's aid in designing and building an iron yacht in America based on the design of the English cutter Mosquito. Center had with him a copy of Marrett's English book on how to design a yacht using a drawing on paper. Smith then studied the book and designed in 1870 the cutter Vindex that was built for Center. It was built by Reaney, Son & Archbold in Chester, Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River in 1871. The Vindex was the first American iron yacht. It was designed by Smith as a systematic drawing instead of using the rule-o-thumb method of working off a wooden model as was done up to that time. The experience designing the Vindex started Smith on his career of designing yachts on drawings using calculation, which became the new method of all yacht construction. From that time on in his career he designed every class of yachts and schooners using systematic calculated drawings. This new method was then taught at Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Webb Academy at New York. After a 55-year career as a naval designer, Smith died in New York City on December 8, 1911.
Yachts designed
Smith as a naval architect and marine engineer designed several yachts and schooners. Among these were Comment, Intrepid, Mischief, Norma, Fortuna, Priscilla, Cinderella, Iroquois, Banshee, and the Yampa. He designed the steamers City of Lowell,Chester W. Chapin,Refuge and Free Lance that were used at Long Island Sound. He also designed and built the iron yacht Vindex. Smith designed the schooner yacht Meteor III for the German Emperor in 1902, which came about from the previous yacht Yampa. Smith had originally designed and built Yampa for Chester W. Chapin, which in time came into the hands of the emperor. The Kaiser desired to have an additional similar yacht as the Yampa, however bigger and faster, so contacted Smith to design one.
