Pantooset is considered one of the finest steamship yachts ever made. She was built in 1902 at the Bath Iron Works for A.S. Bigelow, EYC Commodore 1901-1903. She led the Eastern's annual cruise down east to Bar Harbor in June 1902.

Pantooset is known as a hermaphrodite yacht—that is, a combination of diverse elements, from the god Hermes and goddess Aphrodite, Greek deities of myth—because she combined a coal-fired steamship engine with pole masts and riding sails. Pantooset was 175 feet on the waterline. She boasted ornate trailboards, a clipper bow with a snub bowsprit, and an elegant fantail.

As luxurious below as she was impressive above, Pantooset was finished in an array of exotic woods: Hungarian ash, bird's eye maple, mahogany.  A library extending the entire beam of the ship was finished in burl mahogany, the center capped with a dome skylight with cathedral glass. The main saloon was finished in white enamel with mahogany trim, and furnished with—among other things—two wide sofas. The guests' quarters included four staterooms finished in white enamel with green paneling, with a bathroom for each pair of rooms.  The officers' mess table could seat 12.

Photo Above:
Pantooset in her glory. Willard B. Jackson photo.



Rudder Magazine of 1903.