The Colonial Clippers

by Basil Lubbock

Double topsail yards were followed before very long by double topgallant yards, then came the eclipse, and the seas became covered with stump topgallant mast horrors and that pathetic sight, the full rig ship masquerading as a barque.

I give a mainyard table, which may be of interest as showing the development of width in sail plans.

MAINYARD TABLE.
Length of Mainy’d in feet	Ship	Tonnage	Date Built	Description.
120	Great Republic	3357	1853	American 4-mast barque
108	British Ambassador	1794	1873	British iron “jute” clipper
102	Preussen	5081	1902	German 5-mast ship, nitrate clipper
100	Royal Sovereign	1637*	1637	Brit. 1st rate man-of-war
„	Daylight	3756	1902	Brit. steel 4-mast barque. Oil tank
„	James Baines	2515	1854	“Black Ball” pass. clipper
„	Donald Mackay	2598	1855	“Black Ball” pass. clipper
96	Prince Royal	1187*	1610	Brit. 1st rate man-of-war
„	Glory of the Seas	2103	1869	Amer. “C. Horn” clipper
95	Lightning	2084	1854	“Black Ball” pass. clipper
„	Champion of the Seas	2448	1854	“Black Ball” pass. clipper
„	Royal Charter	3000	1855	Brit. full-rigged auxiliary
„	Roanoke	3559	1892	Amer. wood 4-mast barque
94	Shenandoah	3258	1890	Amer. wood 4-mast barque
92	Dirigo	3005	1894	American steel 4-mast barque (British design)
90	Challenge	2006†	1851	American wood clipper
„	Sovereign of the Seas	2421†	1852	American wood clipper
89	Star of the East	1219	1853	New Bruns. wood clipper
88	Mermerus	1671	1872	Brit. iron “wool” clipper
„	Loch Torridon	2000	1881	Brit. iron 4-mast barque
84	Ben Voirlich	1474	1873	Brit. iron “wool” clipper
„	Loch Maree	1581	„	Brit. iron “wool” clipper
„	Port Jackson	2132	1882	British iron 4-mast barque
82	Cimba	1174	1878	British iron “wool” clipper
„	Flying Cloud	1793†	1851	American wood clipper
81	Salamis	1079	1875	British iron “wool” clipper
„	Witch of the Wave	1500†	1851	American wood clipper
80	60-gun ship	1500*	1800	Brit. 4th rate man-of-war
„	Thermopylae	948	1868	British tea clipper
„	Typhoon	1610†	1851	American wood clipper
79	Dreadnought	1413†	1853	Amer. Atlan. packet ship
78	Cutty Sark	921	1869	British tea clipper
„	Hallowe’en	920	1870	British iron tea clipper
„	Surprise	1361†	1850	American wood clipper
75	Roscius	1100†	1836	Amer. Atlan. packet ship
74	Norman Court	834	1869	British tea clipper
72	Ariel	852	1865	British tea clipper
* Old.			† American.

The “Ironsides,” First Iron Sailing Ship.

The first vessel to be constructed of iron was launched in 1838, and appropriately named the Ironsides. She was built at Liverpool by Messrs. Jackson, Gordon & Co., and in appearance differed very little from wooden ships of that date. She was very short, with heavy stern and low bow, out of which cocked an extremely long bowsprit and jibboom, whilst her masts in contrast to her hull seemed to rake the heavens. However she was the pioneer of the new material and at one time her picture was a common sight in shop windows. It is doubtful if she was altogether a success, and iron ships were still a rarity 20 years later.

The “Martaban.”

In 1853, an iron sailing ship was launched from the yard of John Scott, of Greenock, with intercostal plates and stringers. This was the Martaban, of 743 tons register, built for the well-known firm of Carmichael. Her specifications were the product of the brains of Matthew Orr, brother-in-law of the first Thomas Carmichael, and of John Ferguson, who was afterwards a member of Barclay, Curle & Co., the famous shipbuilders. The Martaban was classed nine years A1 at Lloyd’s, being rated equal to a nine years wooden ship.

At that time Lloyd’s had no rules or class for iron ships, so they retained Martaban’s original specification as a basis for their rules concerning iron ships. That the Martaban was a success is proved by the fact that she received £4 a ton for a cargo of coffee and cotton from Bombay to Havre, and was offered a Diplomé d’Honneur at the local exposition for delivery of her cargo in perfect condition.