Doan Salvage Yard, unknown years

Doan's Salvage Yard was located in Fieldsboro, NJ. Sadly, the bottom photo is very damaged, probably older than the upper photo, and shows at least five large ships. Photos: Collection of Yapewi Aquatic Club.

An interesting piece from The Milwaukee Journal, 19 August 1953 - at least for sailing enthusiasts:

YACHT THAT HELD ATLANTIC RECORD SOON TO BE BROKEN UP FOR JUNK

Bordentown, NJ. (UP)

A sleek yacht that set a record by crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1905 to win a gold cup offered by Kaiser Wilhelm II has made her last port - at a junk yard.

The Atlantic, one of the fleetest, proudest yachts ever to sail the seas, is at the wrecking pier of the Doan Salvage Co., Fieldsboro, NJ. In a few months this one time blue ribbon ship will be junk, but her record in crossing the ocean to England in 12 days plus still stands for sailing vessels. The Atlantic will be broken up for scrap.

It was obvious in 1903 that Wilson Marshall parted with $750,000 to see the Atlantic slide down the ways and break out his colors as commodore of the Atlantic Yacht Club of Brooklyn. The Atlantic was a luxury yacht in every sense. Her centerboard reached for the bottom at 37 feet. The masts towered at 126 feet above the waterline. The fitting (sic) on her teakwood deck were of a special German alloy.

The Atlantic's water line flowed aft for 137 feet adn her overall length was 188 feet. Designed to carry 18,500 square feet of canvas, the 260 ton ship responded to the slightest air with an eagerness for action that was pretty to see.

Marshall chose Capt. Charles Barr, New London, Conn., to skipper the Atlantic. The big trial for ship and veteran skipper came in short order. Kaiser Wilhelm offered a gold cup to the winner of a race from Sandy Hook (NJ) to England. Eleven ships made the run.

All wasn't smooth sailing at the start. It was hard to sign on a crew. The perils of ocean racing had taken six lives in the first such venture in 1886 and more since then. Even when fearless sailors could be found, there were wives, sweethearts and friends to be reckoned with. Often, a captain would sign on a crew, train them and then, on sailing day, have a tearful wife, sweetheart or parent persuade a key man to stay home.

Capt. Barr kept his crew incommunicado while he trained them for the big event. There was a well trained crew aboard when the Atlantic set sail.

Frederick M. Hoyte, one of the seven passengers on the trip, wrote in his diary on May 24, 1905:

"Wednesday - Of all days, today is the day which will ever be fixed in our minds with greatest pride and joy for the great yacht Atlantic broke the record held by the old Dauntless since 1887 for the greatest day's run on the passage from New York to England, traveling during 23 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds from noon the 23rd to noon the 24th, 341 miles, or 14.2 miles per hour, the former record being 328."

Late in the afternoon of the 29th, the Atlantic crossed the finish line off England, a clear winner. She was timed in 12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds for the 3,104 miles. Experts say the Atlantic sailed the shortest distance and the sweetest race the navigator of a windship could contrive.

The Atlantic won many other races, and served in both World Wars as an auxiliary fighting ship. After World War II, she was purchased from the government by Robert Jenkins, for the United Boat co., of which he was vice-president. Jenkins had served as launch boy aboard the Atlantic in 1916. He actually intended to junk the once proud schooner, but he didn't have the heart to order the job. He sold the Atlantic to North American Smelting Co., which assigned the salvage job to Doan.

Done