PS Chauncey Vibbard

Chauncey Vibbard prior to her 1880 rebuild
History
Name:	Chauncey Vibbard
Namesake:	Railroad executive Chauncey Vibbard
Owner:	1864–65: A. Van Santvoord 1865–79: A. Van Santvoord, J. McB. Davidson 1879–90: Hudson River Day Line 1890–93: Lincoln Steamboat Company 1893–97: Lincoln Park and Steamboat Consolidated Co. 1897–1900: The Everard Steamboat Co.
Builder:	Lawrence & Foulks (New York)
Completed:	1864
Maiden voyage:	20 June 1864
In service:	1864–1900
Out of service:	1900–1902
Refit:	1866, 1872, 1880
Fate:	Broken up at Cramer's Hill, 1902
General characteristics
Type:	Passenger sidewheel steamboat
Tonnage:	1864: 794 tons 1866: 1,181 tons
Length:	1864: 265 ft (81 m) 1866: 281 ft (86 m) 1872: 300 ft (91 m)
Beam:	35 ft (11 m)
Depth of hold:	9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
Propulsion:	1864: 1 x 55-inch bore, 12-foot stroke vertical beam steam engine 1866: 1 x 62-inch bore, 12-foot stroke vertical beam steam engine; 30 foot diameter paddlewheels
Speed:	23–25 mph (20–22 knots); top speed of around 28 mph (24 kn)
Capacity:	2,000 passengers

Chauncey Vibbard, often abbreviated as C. Vibbard or just Vibbard, was a steamboat built in New York in 1864 for passenger service on the Hudson River. The first steamboat built specifically for what later became the Hudson River Day Line, Chauncey Vibbard quickly established herself as the fastest steamboat on the river, if not the world, with a record run from New York to Albany in 1864. Her popularity was such that after only two years of service she was lengthened to accommodate more passengers.

Chauncey Vibbard was lengthened again in 1872, but in spite of these alterations, continued to set a variety of new speed records on the Hudson until at least 1876. In 1880, she was given another major rebuild. In 1890, after 26 years' service on the Hudson, Chauncey Vibbard was sold to the Lincoln Steamboat Company, which ran her as an excursion steamer between Philadelphia and Lincoln Park. Laid up in 1900, she was broken up in 1902, having accumulated some 36 years of service.

After purchasing the steamboats Armenia and Daniel Drew in 1863 and running them on the Hudson for a number of months, Alfred Van Santvoord decided to build a new steamboat to operate in conjunction with Daniel Drew. Accordingly, a steamboat "with the same general arrangements and appearance" as Daniel Drew was ordered from the Williamsburg, New York shipyard of Lawrence & Foulks. Completed in early 1864, the new steamer was named Chauncey Vibbard after the prominent railroad executive, who at the time was one of Van Santvoord's partners.

When completed, Chauncey Vibbard had a length of 265 feet, a beam of 35 feet, a hold depth of 9 feet 6 inches, and a tonnage of 794 tons. She was powered by a single cylinder vertical beam steam engine with 55-inch bore and 12-foot stroke. Steam was supplied at a relatively high pressure of about 55 psi by two boilers, one on each guard, just aft of the 30-foot diameter paddlewheels. Both engine and boilers were supplied by Fletcher, Harrison & Co. of New Jersey.