“Loch Maree”—the Fastest of the Lochs.
The Loch Maree was also launched in September, 1873. She was an especially beautiful ship in every way and the fastest probably, of all the “Lochs, Barclay, Curle were instructed to spare no expense in making her as perfect as an iron ship could be, and she certainly came up to her owners’ expectations, both in her looks, her outfit as an up-to-date passenger clipper, her speed, and her behaviour as a sea boat.
Underneath a poop of over 50 feet in length, she had her first class passenger accommodation arranged on the plan adopted in the P. & O. steamers.
She crossed three skysail yards, had a full outfit of stunsails and other flying kites, and the following spar plan will give one an approximate idea of her sail area.
| SPAR PLAN OF LOCH MAREE. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spars | Fore | Main | Mizen | |
Mast—deck to truck | 148 feet. | 153 feet. | 130 feet. | |
Lower mast | 63 ft. | 68 ft. | 59½ ft. | |
Doubling | 16 ft. | 16 ft. | 13 ft. | |
Topmast | 54 ft. | 54 ft. | 44½ ft. | |
Doubling | 11 ft. | 11 ft. | 9 ft. | |
Topgallant mast | 34 ft. | 34 ft. | 28 ft. | |
Doubling | 6 ft. | 6 ft. | 5 ft. | |
Royal and skysail masts | 30 ft. | 30 ft. | 25 ft. | |
Lower yard | 84 ft. | 84 ft. | 69 ft. | |
Lower topsail yard | 71 ft. | 71 ft. | 57 ft. | |
Upper topsail yard | 68 ft. | 68 ft. | 54½ ft. | |
Lower topgallant yard | 55 ft. | 55 ft. | 43½ ft. | |
Upper topgallant yard | 51 ft. | 51 ft. | 40 ft. | |
Royal yard | 41 ft. | 41 ft. | 31½ ft. | |
Skysail yard | 30 ft. | 30 ft. | 24 ft. | |
| Jibboom 70 feet | Spanker boom 50 feet | Spanker gaff 36 feet | ||
Loch Maree’s start in life was an unfortunate one. On 5th November, 1873, she sailed from the Clyde for Melbourne under Captain MacCallum with a full cargo, 11 saloon and 30 second cabin passengers, and the following is an account of her maiden voyage, which was given me by one of her apprentices:—
On the tenth day out, we were bowling along sharp up on the starboard tack, near the Island of Palma in the Canary group, when a squall struck her flat aback with such violence, that in a few moments her tall masts with their clothing of well-cut canvas lay a hopeless tangle over the side. Everything above the lower masts disappeared under the magic breath of the squall. When the wreckage was finally cleared away, the driving power was limited to a foresail, a crossjack and a lower mizen topsail. The mainyard had been snapped in the centre, one half lay on the rail and the other hung by the slings, rasping and tearing with every roll. But the crippled sailer, unlike the crippled steamer, can usually make a very creditable effort for safety. A course was set for Gibraltar. Improvised canvas, mostly of the fore and aft variety, was rigged up, and in 14 days the Rock was reached in safety. To show her wonderful sailing qualities, when two days from Gibraltar, we overhauled and easily passed a 600-ton barque under royals.
Captain MacCallum watched the barque as she fell away astern, and remarked: “If I had only thought she could sail like this, I would have kept on for Australia.”
The Loch Maree arrived at Gibraltar on the last day in November, and after being refitted sailed from the Straits on 20th January, 1874, and ran out to Melbourne in 74 days, arriving there on the 4th April, 150 days out from the Clyde.