| Mainmast, deck to truck | 164 feet. |
| Foremast „ „ | 151 „ |
| Mizenmast „ „ | 115 „ |
| Mainyard „ „ | 95 „ |
| Lower stunsail booms | 65 „ |
She spread 13,000 yards of canvas when under all plain sail. Donald Mackay had her rigged as a three skysail yard ship, but later Messrs. James Baines fitted her with a moonsail on the main by lengthening the skysail mast. This was also done in the case of James Baines. And these two ships had the proud distinction of being perhaps the only two ships afloat which regularly crossed a moonsail yard.
The Lightning was provided with iron water tanks holding 36,000 gallons of water—a novelty at that date. And in various other ways her accommodation for passengers was an improvement on anything attempted before.
The great Bully Forbes was sent out to Boston to superintend her outfit and take command of her, and he was lucky in finding a valuable friend and adviser in Captain Lauchlan Mackay, who made the trip to Liverpool in her as builders’ representative.
The “Red Jacket.”
The Red Jacket, Lightning’s great rival, was designed by Samuel A. Pook, of Boston, the well-known designer of Game-cock, Surprise, Northern Light, Ocean Telegraph, Herald of the Morning, and other famous clipper ships. She was built by George Thomas at Rockland, Maine, for Messrs. Seacomb & Taylor, and only took the water a few days before the Lightning.
Her measurements were:—
| Tonnage | (registered) | 2460 tons. |
| (burthen) | 5000 „ | |
| Length | 260 feet. | |
| Beam | 44 „ | |
| Depth | 26 „ |
Though her bow and stern were very sharp and beautifully modelled and she had concave bow lines, she was not so extreme a ship as the Lightning.