Salamis, one of the most beautiful little ships ever launched and without doubt the fastest of all Thompson’s iron ships, was really an enlarged Thermopylae in iron, as she was built from Bernard Waymouth’s lines with a few minor alterations and improvements. The following comparison of their measurements shows that Salamis was roughly 100 tons larger and 10 feet longer than Thermopylae:—

Measurements
of		Salamis
Iron Ship		Thermopylae
Composite Ship

Registered tonnage net

1079tons.948tons.

Registered tonnage gross

1130„991„

Registered tonnage under deck

1021„927„

Length

221.6feet.212feet.

Breadth

36„36„

Depth

21.7„20.9„

Depth moulded

23.7„23.2„

In Salamis, Thompson’s were determined to have an out and out racer, and she was not fitted for passengers, her raised quarterdeck being only 48 feet long as against Thermopylae’s 61 feet. She had a tremendous sail plan and of course spread a full suit of stunsails and other flying kites.

The following spar measurements show that she set even more canvas than Thermopylae, her mainyard being a foot longer, and the other yards in proportion:—

SPAR PLAN OF SALAMIS.

Mainmast—deck to truck

150Feet

Main lower mast

66„

Main topmast

52„

Main topgallant mast

34„

Main royal mast

23„

Main masthead

2„

Main lower doublings

15„

Main topmast doublings

12„

Mainyard

81„

Main lower topsail yard

72„

Main upper topsail yard

64„

Main lower topgallant yard

57„

Main upper topgallant yard

49„

Main royal yard

37„

Jibboom

66„

Messrs. Thompson, when they gave Hood the order for Salamis, intended her for the same round as Thermopylae—out to Melbourne with general cargo, then across to China and home again with tea. But by 1875 the steamers had got a firm hold on the tea trade, and the clippers were either being driven away into other trades or had to content themselves with loading at a cut rate in the N.E. monsoon; and practically only Cutty Sark and Thermopylae were still given a chance to load the new teas. This was not a bright outlook for a newcomer with her reputation all to make, and the only time Salamis loaded a tea cargo home was on her second voyage when she came home from Hong Kong in 110 days. In 1878 she made another attempt to get a tea cargo home, but freights were specially bad this year, and she was withdrawn from the berth at Shanghai, and finally came home with wool from Port Phillip.

“SALAMIS.”

Photo lent by F. G. Layton.

[Larger image] (243 kB)