Four of these ships lived to a good old age, whilst the other two came to early and tragic ends.
When sailing ship freights began to fall, the Lochs Katrine, Tay, Ness and Lomond were converted into barques, but in spite of losing the yards on the mizen, they continued to make good passages right into the twentieth century.
The Loch Katrine made her best passage in 1893, from the Channel to Melbourne in 71 days.
In 1907 she was nearly lost running her easting down when bound out to Australia. It was blowing hard from the S.W., and a heavy sea broke aboard, tearing up the standard compass and washing it into the scuppers, besides smashing up a lifeboat and floating the gig out of its chocks. The next roller came right over the stern, crumpling up the wheel and binnacle and breaking in the cabin skylight. The men at the wheel were washed away, and the ship broached to, filling her main deck to the rail. All hands were called to save the ship, and as usual in such cases, it meant risking life and limb to venture along the flooded main deck and man the braces. However Captain Anderson managed to get his ship off before the wind and by the following night a jury wheel of capstan bars had been lashed on to the remains of the old wheel.
Three years later, in 1910, the Loch Katrine was dismasted off Cape Howe. After a perilous trip of three days, a boat in charge of her mate was picked up near the land by a Swedish steamer, and a tug was sent out from Sydney, which found the disabled ship and towed her into Port Jackson. The Loch Katrine was then sold in Australia, and for some years earned a living carrying coal round the coast. So far as I know she is still afloat.
The fastest of these six ships, in my opinion, was the Loch Ness. In 1874-5 she beat the time of her maiden voyage by going out to Melbourne in 67 days. The following voyage she went out in 74 days; but what is more astonishing is the time of her passages, in her old age when cut down, rigged as a barque and with small and indifferent crews.
Under these conditions she made the following five runs home from either Melbourne or Adelaide:—1893, 85 days; 1894, 87 days; 1895, 85 days; 1899, 90 days; 1900, 91 days; and she finished her active career by two splendid passages. In 1906 she came home from Melbourne to Hull, laden with wool and wheat, in 79 days; and on 20th May, 1907, she left the Tail of the Bank for Adelaide, crossed the equator 28 days out, passed the Cape meridian on 9th July, and arrived at the Semaphore anchorage on 4th August, 76 days out. On 16th June when in lat. 3° N. she fell in with a 9-knot tramp steamer bound to the southward; and the two ships were constantly in company for 2000 miles, and it was not until they were south of lat. 30° S. that the steamer saw the last of the old Loch Ness.
Running her easting down the Loch Ness averaged 245 knots for 18 consecutive days, her best day’s work being just under 300 miles. Captain M. Heddle, who had previously commanded the Loch Rannoch, was in charge of the Loch Ness and deserved great credit for this fine performance as a wind up to the old clipper’s career. The Loch Ness was sold in Adelaide along with her sister ship, the Loch Tay, and the celebrated pair are ending their days together as coal hulks for the N.D.L. Co. at Adelaide.