She was known to be the largest pilot boat under the American flag at 104 feet long and the fastest of the Boston fleet.

The owners of the Hesper were: Captains George W. Lawler, Augustus Hooper, and Lewis Smith.

[1][5] The Hesper was a departure from earlier Lawlor designas as she was longer, deeper and more narrow than other Boston pilot boats.

[6] The wooden half-model of the Hesper (TR.076037) was a gift by D. J. Lawlor to the "United States National Museum" now the Smithsonian Institution.

[7] In September, 1885, in the fifth America's Cup, Captain Lawler sailed the Hesper, flying a balloon-jib topsail, to New York with some friends aboard, to watch the race between the Puritan and the British challenger, Genesta.

[5][10] On September 26, 1889, there was a race between the pilot-boat Hesper against the fishing schooner Fredonia, which was owned by John Malcolm Forbes.

[11][12] On September 26, 1888, the Massachusetts Humane Society awarded a silver medal to Captain William M. McMellen of the pilot-boat Hesper and bronze medals to Franklin "Frank" Fowler and George W. Lawler of the crew.

The Curtis sank in heavy weather and the crew had taken safety on a raft before being picked up by the Hesper.

On May 13, 1901, the Hesper, was sold to Andrew C. Wheelwright, a retired merchant of Rowes Wharf, in Boston, Massachusetts.

[15][5] On May 5, 1919, the Hesper was struck on the point of Cape Henlopen of the Delaware Bay and became a total wreck.