Like all Mackay’s wonderful creations, the Sovereign of the Seas was at her best in the roaring forties, and on the run to the Horn she made 3144 miles in 10 days, her best 24-hour runs being:—
| March 11 | 332 miles. |
| „ 12 | 312 „ |
| „ 16 | 396 „ |
| „ 17 | 311 „ |
| „ 18 | 411 „ |
| „ 19 | 360 „ |
During this time she had strong quartering winds and a heavy following sea, which drove her at times as much as 19 knots through the water.
After rounding the Horn, she had the usual weather up through the tropics, and arrived at New York on 6th May, 1853, having made the record passage of 82 days from Honolulu.
As she was considered to be too big for either the San Francisco or China trades, she was at once loaded for Liverpool, there to take part in the booming Australian emigrant trade.
And crossing the Western Ocean she once more made an extraordinary passage, as the following epitome shows:—
| June 18 | —Sailed from New York, passed Sandy Hook at 6.30 p.m. |
| „ 24 | —Sighted Cape Race at 6 a.m. |
| „ 26 | —Becalmed on the Banks. |
| „ 28 | —Distance run 344 miles—ship close-hauled under single reefed topsails. |
| „ 30 | —Distance run 340 miles, under all sail to skysails and royal stunsails off Cape Clear at 6 a.m. |
| July 2—Anchored in the Mersey at 10.30 p.m. | |
| Passage New York to Liverpool, from dock to anchorage, 13 days 22 hours50 minutes, and 5 days 17 hours from the Banks of Newfoundland. | |
Donald Mackay crossed the Atlantic on the ship and spent his whole time watching her every movement, and it was probably the experience gained on this passage which had much to do with the wonderful success of his later vessels.
On her arrival in Liverpool the Sovereign of the Seas was at once chartered by the Black Ball Line. Captain Lauchlan Mackay, however, did not remain in her, but returned to New York, his place being taken by Captain Warner, who had been in the ship since she was launched.
Captain Warner sailed from Liverpool on 7th September, 1853, with 25 first cabin, 40 second cabin passengers and a cargo valued at £200,000, and wrote the following account of his passage to the Liverpool Mercury:—