Sunny South. -- New-York, September 7th, launched from the ship-yard of Mr. Geo. Steers, the clipper ship Sunny South, of about 750 tons.
This is the last and largest craft built by the celebrated builder of the yacht America, and is designed for the China trade. She is owned by Napier, Johnson & Co., and will be commanded by Capt. Michael Gregory. Having been eminently successful in modelling and building the various descriptions of pleasure boats, yachts, and pilot boats, Mr. Steers has not thought it necessary, in building boats of a larger size, to exchange his experience for doubtful dogmas of nautical art, but has boldly applied the same principles to the models of ships that had secured admirable seaqualities, in unison with grace and symmetry, in the outline and proportion of smaller crafts. All who have made the models of this builder their study, in various parts of the world, will have a tolerably fair conception of the form of this vessel, when they understand that she is only expanded in size, and built deeper, than vessels for mere pleasure purposes would require.
The dead flat frame, of which there is but one, is placed quite as far aft as midships, with a large degree of dead rise, and "tumble home" above the main breadth. The keel and stem are blended in an easy and graceful curve, as in the America, and finished into the carved folds of a hideous sea-serpent. The knight-heads curve forward, and the bulwarks twist gracefully aft to the cat-head, where the side begins to tumble home on a convex side-line to the taffrail. The stern-post is upright to the keel, defining a very clear run to the counter; the bulk of the ship's body is amidships, consequent upon sharp, hollow water-lines, and extremely light ends. The bow is exceedingly thin and sharp, and the fore body presents a capacious convex lifting plane to the impinging columns of the fluid. This is a property of easy section and diagonal lines, and calculated to sustain the leverage of sail under press of canvas, and keep the foreship dry by keeping above the sea. Bows like this skim like a shell, and cut as a knife.
The aft boady exhibits most of rotundity, with a short, rising transom, fine quarters tumbling home to the taffrail. The stern rakes handsomely, and is finished in yacht style.
The rising bottom, arching bilge, and convex side-line, supplies at once strength and adaption to the oscillating element. Her bottom is varnished up to the load-line, and top-sides are black. Although a ship of fair size, yet the symmetry of shape is such as to make her appear to the eye at least one-quarter less in bulk than many other examples that loom up to their full size.
The Sunny South is not heavily timbered, but is greatly strengthened by diagonal plates of iron upon the inner surface of the frame. She is provided with facilities for working a few guns on deck, and may either fight or run as occasion calls. We may add, that very high expectations are entertained as to her performances, and it will give us pleasure to chronicle the confident predictions of her friends.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius.
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