Samuel Plimsoll

An iron full-rigged ship built in 1873 by Walter Hood & Co., Aberdeen. Dimensions 241'3"×39'0"×23'1" and 1510 GRT, 1444 NRT and 1343 under deck. Rigged with royals and with double topgallant sails on the fore and main masts.

1873 September: Launched at the shipyard of Walter Hood & Co., Aberdeen, for Aberdeen White Star Line (G. Thompson & Co.), Aberdeen. Assigned the official British Reg. No. 65097 and signal MKDH. The first master of the ship was Captain R. Boaden late of the Star of Peace.
1873 November 19 - February 1: Sailed from Plymouth with 180 emmigrants to Port Jackson in 94 days.
1875 August 6: Sailed from Plymouth with 360 emmigrants on board and ran into and sank the Italian barque Enrica the same day. The crew of the Enrica was rescued by the Samuel Plimsoll and landed at Falmouth.
1876 June 2 - August 19: Sailed from Plymouth to Sydney in 78 days. Made 2245 miles in a week while easting down along the 41 parallel.
1877 June 9 - August 27: Sailed from Plymouth to Sydney in 79 days.
1880 April 29 - July 9: Sailed from Plymouth with 384 emmigrants to Sydney in 72 days.
1883 April 6 - June 17: Sailed from Plymouth to Sydney in 72 days.
1884: Captain John Henderson late of the Thermopylae assumed command.
1885 April 4 - June 21: Sailed from Start to Sydney in 78 days.
1887 October 25 - January 27: Sailed from Sydney to London in 74 days.
1888 March 2 - May 22: Sailed from London for Melbourne and arrived in Hobson's Bay 79 days out from the Start.
c1891: Captain John Henderson late of the Pericles returned as master of the ship.
1899: Caught fire in the Thames and had to be scuttled.
1899: Sold to Savill, London
1902: Dismasted and damaged on voyage to Port Chalmers. Towed to Sydney and subsequently to Fremantle where she was used as a coal hulk.

References:

Square-rigged ships, general references.
Lubbock, Basil: The Colonial Clippers.
Brown, Ferguson & Son, Glasgow, 1948 (2nd).

Updated 1997-05-06 by Lars Bruzelius

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