Cutty Sark

Designed by Hercules Linton and built by Scott & Linton at Dumbarton in 1869 as a composite built extreme clipper ship for "Old White Hat" Jock Willis of London at a cost of £ 21/ton. Her dimensions are 212'5"×36'0"×21'0" and tonnage 963 GRT, 921 NRT, and 892 tons under deck.

Sailed on the China Tea Trade for a couple of seasons without distinguishing herself. Was moved over to the Australian wool trade when the tea trade was taken over by the steam ships. Here she proved to be a regularly fast sailer.

1869 November 23
Launched at Dumbarton, for John Willis, London. Assigned the official British Reg. No. 63557 and signal JKWS.
1869-1872
Captain George Moodie.
1870 June 25 - October 13
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 110 days.
1870 November 10 - February 16
Sailed from the Downs to the North Saddle in 98 days, or 101 days from London to Shanghai.
1871 September - December 27
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 110 days.
1872 June 18 - October 18
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 122 days.
1872 August 15
Lost her rudder off the Cape of Good Hope when racing Thermopylae to London with the first tea.
1872-1873
Captain F.W. Moore.
1873-1878
Captain W.E. Tiptaft.
1873 July 9 - November 3
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 117 days.
1874 June 24 - October 21
Sailed from Woosung to London in 119 days.
1874 November 14 — February 2
Sailed from London to Sydney in 73 days.
1875 June 21 - October 22
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 123 days.
1876 June 9 - September 26
Sailed from Woosung to London in 109 days.
1877 June 6 - October 24
Sailed from Woosung to London in 127 days.
1878-1880
Captain J.S. Wallace.
1879 September 23 - January 12
Sailed from Manilla to New York in 111 days.
1880 March
The lower masts were shortened 9 feet 6 inches, 7 feet off her lower yards and the rest of the spars were shortened in proportion. The skysail yard was removed.
1880 June 7 — August 16
Sailed with coal to from Lundy Island to Anjer for orders in 69 days.
1880 September 5
Captain Wallace committed suicide on voyage Anjer to Yokohama.
1880-1882
Captain Bruce.
1882-1885
Captain E. Moore.
1883 December 28 — March 20
Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to London in 82 days.
1884 June 15 — September 5
Sailed from London to Newcastle, NSW, in 79 days from Lizard.
1884 December 9 — February 27
Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to London in 80 days.
1885-1895
Captain Richard Woodget.
1885 October 16
Sailed from Sydney to the English Channel in 67 days [Lubbock has 68 days].
1887 March 26
Sailed from Sydney to London in 72 days [Lubbock has 70 days to the English Channel].
1887 August 17 — November 17
Sailed from London to Newcastle, NSW, in 89 days.
1887 December 28 — March 7
Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to London in 69 days.
1888
Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to Dungeness in 71 days.
1888 October — January 20
Sailed from Sydney to London in 86 days.
1890 May 14 — August 2
Sailed from London to Port Jackson in 75 days.
1890
Sailed from Sydney to Start in 74 days.
1890 December 15 (17) — March 17
Sailed from Sydney to London in 93 days.
1891 April 23 — July 13
Sailed from London to Port Jackson in 79 days.
1891 November 5 — January 29
Sailed from Sydney with 4638 bales of wool to London in 85 days.
1892-1893
Laid up for six months in London and Antwerp.
1894 December 9 — March 26
Sailed from Brisbane to London in 84 days.
1895 July
Sold Ferreira & Co., Lisbon, for £ 2100 and was renamed Fereirra.
1914-1918
Captain Frederico di Sousa.
1916 May
Dismasted in a gale off the Cape of Good Hope and was sold. The new owners had rerigged her as a barquentine and renamed Mario do Ambaro.
1922
Purchased by Capt. Wilfred Dowman 1922 for £ 3750 and restored for use as a stationary training ship, first at Falmouth later in 1938 moved to The Thames where she remained until 1949 when she was permantly dry-docked at Greenwich as a museum ship.

References:


Updated 2000-05-17 by Lars Bruzelius.


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Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.