The Loch Awe is known for her record passage to Auckland, New Zealand, under Captain Weir.
| Gravesend to Auckland | 73 days. |
| Pilot to pilot | 69 days. |
As far as I know this record still holds good.
Captain Weir was a great driver, and the Loch Awe came into Auckland with everything washed off her decks, including hen coops, spare spars and all her boats. She was carrying emigrants who had had a terrible time, having been battened down for days on end. On her arrival she was delayed a week, as she had reached Auckland before her papers, the mails in those days coming via Panama to New Zealand.
The Famous “Patriarch”—First Iron Ship of the Aberdeen White Star Line.
In 1869 the Aberdeen White Star Line gave their first order for an iron clipper ship, the result of which was the famous Patriarch. George Thompson was only contented with the very best, and Patriarch was no exception to his rule. Built of the best iron plating at a cost of £24,000, she was considered the finest iron ship in the world when she first came out. She had a poop 90 feet long, under which extended a magnificent saloon. In her rigging plan she was a long way in advance of her times. Her topmasts and lower masts were in one, and her topgallant masts were telescopic, fitting into the topmasts; and in the seventies she was fitted with double topgallant yards on fore and main, whilst she still carried stunsails in the eighties when most ships had discarded them.
As a sea boat she proved herself on numberless occasions, notably in the Indian cyclone of 1892, which she weathered out with only the loss of a lifeboat, whilst the fine Loch liner, Loch Vennachar, was totally dismasted 70 miles away. She possessed that very rare quality in iron vessels—dryness. And during her life of 29 years under the Red Ensign she never had a serious accident and never made a bad passage.
Patriarch’s best 24 hours’ run was 366 miles, and her best week’s run was 2060 miles, her main royal being set the whole time.
“PATRIARCH.”