Snow Squall

An extreme wooden clipper ship built in 1851 by Alford Butler, at Cape Elizabete, Maine. Dimensions: 157×32×16'6" and tonnage: 742 tons.
1851
Launched at the shipyard of Alford Butler, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Bought when just launched by Charles R. Green, New York, for $ 30 410.
1852
Sailed from Boston to Honolulu in 135 days.
1852
Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 97 days.
1853 August 2
Arrived in San Francisco from New York after 155 days at sea.
1853
Sailed from San Francisco to Shanghai in 46 days.
1853/54
Sailed from Shanghai to London in 110 days.
1854/55
Sailed from New York to Sydney in 85 days.
1855
Sailed from Anjer to New York in 78 days.
1856 July 5
Left New York for San Francisco.
1856 September 5
Lost all three topmast in a pampero and had to put into Montevideo for repairs which took 49 days. When ready for sea the Spanish brig Cairo drifted across her bow and caused a further 21 days delay for repairs.
1857 January 30
Arrived at San Francisco after 206 days from New York.
1857
Sailed from San Francisco to Manila in 42 days.
1857
Sailed from Manila to New York in 111 days.
1859
Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 91 days.
1860
Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 92 days.
1861
Sailed from Amoy to New York in 82 days (70 days from Anjer).
1861/62
Sailed from New York to Melbourne in 82 days.
1862 September 5
Arrived at New York from Penang after 100 days.
1863 February 15
Arrived at Melbourne from New York after 75 days.
1863 September 15
Arrived at New York from Penang after a passage of 94 days. During this passage the Snow Squall managed to escape the CSS Tuscaloosa off the Cape of Good Hope due to her superior qualities in sailing by the wind.
1864 January 2
Left New York for San Francisco.
1864 March 1
Got ashore in the Straits of Le Maire and had to put into Port Stanley leaking badly. After her cargo had been discharged it was found that it was impossible to repair her. She was condemned in July and sold.
The preserved bow section was moved from the Spring Point Museum, South Portland, ME, USA, to the Maine Maritime Museum, Bath, MA, in 1995.

Updated 1999-06-03 by Lars Bruzelius


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Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.