Biografía Oscar Siches
Partner and manager of two marinas in Mallorca for 15 years Oscar has been designer and consultant for marina projects in various countries, and designer of customized marina elements. He has shared his experience through more tan 30 conferences in 12 countries and has written numerous articles for Marina World and other international nautical magazines.
Oscar is a Certified Marina Professional, was founder director of the Global Marina Institute, member of ICOMIA’s Marinas Committee, member of PIANC Recreational Marine Committee, Convenor of ISO TC228 WG8 “Yacht Harbours”, member of the Global Marine Business Advisers (GMBA) group and founding member of the Asia Pacific Superyacht Association.
John Brown Herreshoff was born in the USA in 1841, in an area (Rhode Island) with a seafaring tradition, 250km east of New York. John became blind in one eye due to illness, and a few years later (aged 15) in the other eye, by accident. However, at the age of 18 he accepted the request to design and build a sailboat. He leased a nearby shed, hired shipwrights and founded the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company – all in the midst of the Civil War. The first year (1863) they built nine small sailboats from 7 to 11m in length. In 1868, his first (steam) motorboat was built. In 1874, the Herreschof Manufacturing Company had already built 250 boats, most of them yachts and fishing boats.
In 1878, John’s brother Nathaniel, an engineer specialising in steam engines, an inventor, and an excellent sailboat designer, became a partner. They built the first torpedo boat for the US navy, which, given its success, was also sold to the navies of Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Peru.
John’s capacity for work and mental agility is legendary; he had grown the company from 30 to 400 workers and he mentally carried out the calculations of the budgets of each ship. It is said that one day a diplomat came to ask for a torpedo boat that could be disassembled into pieces and easily transported on the deck of a freighter. John did not answer anything for a few minutes, and when the diplomat reiterated the question, the blind man blurted out: -“I am finishing the design of the exploded view to be able to give you a deadline and price, please let me work in peace, it will take a few more minutes.” And the proposal was delivered a few minutes later!
Nathaniel, on the other hand, designed what would later be the winners of the America’s Cup between 1893 and 1920. A curious fact is that their desire to innovate (they designed hollow aluminium and steel masts) made them build the 37m Defender. This was the winner of the America’s Cup 1895 with steel frames, bronze plate hull and aluminium superstructure. Strong, fast. . . but electrolysis ate her up a couple of months after winning the race. She was scrapped in 1901.
Among other things, the brothers invented bulb keels, the folding propeller, and torpedo boats. And what really touches me, and what I admire is that Nathaniel’s excellent designs didn’t go into production until they had the approval of John Brown Herreshoff. To do this, a model was made, which John traced with his fingertips from stem to sternpost, from gunwale to keel, absorbing the graceful curve of the hull with a love that his mind and soul had already transformed to life. His judgement was final and unanswerable.
John Brown Herreshoff died in 1915, at the age of 74. His brother Nathaniel in 1938, at the age of 90. The Herreshoff Museum is located in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA. From time to time one of these wonders -the product of the brain and soul of these two brothers- can be seen afloat in our waters.
Tel: +34 667 494858
