Hesper was a Boston pilot schooner, designed for speed in order to be the first to reach offshore merchant vessels and escort them through the treacherous harbor islands into the port. The fastest boat got to the client first, and Hesper had the reputation of being the fastest of the fast throughout her working career. Designed in 1884 by Boston naval architect Dennison J. Lawlor, the schooner measured 102 feet on deck by 23 feet in beam, with a 12-foot draft.
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