Manuscript Collections

The Elihu Spicer papers document the maritime and civic activities of Capt. Elihu Spicer (1825–1893), a prominent shipmaster, businessman, and political figure from Noank, Connecticut. The collection spans the mid-19th century and includes correspondence, shipping documents, financial records, and civic materials relating to Spicer’s career as a sea captain, shipowner, and later as a state legislator and local leader.

Correspondence, accounts, receipts, bills of sale, ship’s papers, deeds, mortgages, ledgers, daybooks, printed materials, and other papers, relating to the West Indies and coastal trade, whaling, sailmaking, charter-parties, Mystic, Connecticut town affairs, probate court in Groton, Connecticut, and other family business and domestic matters. Persons represented include shipmasters Amos Clift (1768-1818), Amos Clift (1808-1878), Amos Clift (1830-1887), Nathaniel (1775-1837), Hiram, and Waterman Clift (1809-1890), sailmaker Isaac D. Clift (1824-1892), and Edmund, Horace H., Frederick D., Ira H., Lemuel, and Thankful Clift. Vessels mentioned include schooner POLLY, schooner AMELIA, brig LYON, smack ROVER, and clipper ship ANDREW JACKSON.

Papers, chiefly relating to the world wide voyages taken by Johnson and his wife, Electa, aboard their vessels: schooner YANKEE (sailed around the world 3 times before being sold in 1941), brigantine YANKEE (formerly a German North Sea pilot boat purchased in 1946 and used four additional circumnavigations in the next 11 years), and their dream ship, a 50′ ketch YANKEE, which cruised on Europe’s canals, waterways, and seas. Includes logbooks kept on brigantine Yankee, written by whomever was on watch, containing chiefly navigational and weather data, but also including comments on crew members, conditions on board, or stopovers; miscellaneous related documents (1930-1976) including account book for the 5th voyage, expense receipts for ketch YANKEE, provision lists (1947-1958), YANKEE surveys, charter parties, and newsletters written by Johnson; 364 items relating to Johnson’s early sailing career (1926-1931) including letters to his mother; and accounts of crew members, including Electa Johnson’s account of their circumnavigation.

Founded in 1933, the Off Soundings Club is a private sailing organization based in Connecticut and Rhode Island, dedicated to promoting offshore yacht racing and fellowship among sailors. The Club organizes two major regattas each year—one in early June and the other in mid-September—typically held along the New England coast, with courses that span the waters of Block Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, and the surrounding areas. The Off Soundings Club draws members from across the northeastern United States and maintains a long tradition of advancing amateur sailing.