Correspondence
Sailing Ship "Cutty Sark"
Dear Sir,
In your issue of 25th July reference is made by W.L. to the Thermopylae, that famous little ship whose passage out to the Colonies caused such an amount of talk in the old days, and states that she had run out from London to Sydney in seventy-two days.
Thinking some of your numerous seafaring readers might like to know something of another famous little ship of the same period, I take the liberty of laying before them some of the runs of the Cutty Sark, built by Messrs. Scott and Linton, of Dumbarton, and launched towards the end of 1869.
Cutty Sark, in 1877, made the run from London to Sydney in 68 days, four days less than Thermopylae. A writer in one of the Glasgow papers claims that "...the fastest long voyage--12,000 sea miles or over--was accomplished in 1869-69 by the Thermopylae." She ran from Gravesend to Port Phillip Harbour in 63 days 4 hours and 20 minutes. One who sailed in Cutty Sark writes me that she was 50 miles south of Port Phillip Harbour 54 days after leaving Gravesend. When meeting with strong head winds and being bound for Sydney, she put about and went round the south of Tasmania. Cutty Sark's run of 54 days to the south of Port Phillip Harbour beats Thermopylae's long distance run by at least six days. Only on two occasions were these two vessels pitted against each other on what might be termed fair racing conditions. The first race was on leaving Shanghai within an hour of each other, on the 18th June, 1872. Cutty Sark. however, was unfortunate in carrying away her rudder in a heavy sea on the morning of 15th August, when in lat. 34� 26 S., long. 28� 1 E., being at the time a considerable distance ahead of Thermopylae. After spending fully five days in rigging up a jury rudder, and although being compelled to reduce her speed to about 8 knots, she arrived in London less than a week behind her rival. It therefore seems that, but for her accident, Cutty Sark must have beaten Thermopylae by several days. The second race was homeward from Sydney in 1885. Cutty Sark, leaving Sydney on 17th October, was signalled off the Lizard on 23rd December, 67 days out. Thermophylae, leaving Sydney on 18th October, and arriving at London 6th January, 1886, in 80 days.
Mr. Basil Lubbock, in his admirable book, "China Clippers", published by Messrs. Jas. Brown and Sons, of Glasgow, gives numerous records of the sailings of these two vessels--copied from their logs--from which the number of days for the following passages have been taken:
| 1876-7 | Thermopylae:
London to Melbourne---85 days Cutty Sark: London to Sydney---84 days |
| 1877-8 | Thermopylae:
London to Melbourne---76 days Cutty Sark: London to Sydney---68 days |
| 1883-4 | Thermopylae:
Sydney to London---87 days Cutty Sark: Newcastle, N.S.W. off Beachy Head---82 days |
| 1885 | Thermopylae:
London to Melbourne---79 days Cutty Sark: off Start to Sydney---78 days Thermopylae: Sydney to London---80 days Cutty Sark: Sydney off Lizard---68 days |
| 1889 | Thermopylae:
London to Sydney---83 days Cutty Sark: London to Sydney---79 days |
In comparing Cutty Sark's runs to Sydney with those of Thermopylae to Melbourne it should not be forgotten that the distance to Sydney from London is 485 miles greater than to Melbourne. Of the best days' runs of the "China Clippers", Mr. Lubbock, in his book already referred to, says that Cutty Sark holds the record with 363 knots, on one occasion doing 362 and 363 knots on two consecutive days. Thermopylae's best was 358; Ariel, 340; and Sir Lancelot, 336 knots.
As there has been a good deal said and written about the great speeds of the celebrated American clipper ships, it may not be out of place to compare the recorded runs of the Cutty Sark. The American records have been taken from "Haswell", published by Harper Bros., New York, 1873.
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Cutty Sark: 50-miles south of Port Phillip Harbour, 12200 miles in 54 days. Lightning, of Boston, in 1854: Liverpool to Melbourne, 12190 miles in 73 days. Lightning, of Boston, in 1854: Melbourne to Liverpool, 12190 mlies in 64 days. Flying Cloud, of Boston, ran 13610 miles in 80 days 18 hours. Andrew Jackson, of Boston, ran 13610 miles in 80 days 8 hours. Dreadnought, of Boston, ran 13470 miles in 82 days. Northern Light, of Boston, ran 13550 miles in 76 days 8 hours. Nightingale, of New York, ran 12720 miles in 73 days. North Wind of New Yok ran 12500 miles in 67 days. Trade Wind, of New York, ran 13610 miles in 75 days. |
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Lightning, of Boston, ran 2827 miles in 13 days. Red Jacket, of New York, ran 3000 miles in 14 days. Mary Whitridge, of Baltimore, ran 3400 miles in 13 days 7 hours. Dreadnought, of Boston, ran 3000 miles in 13 days 7 hours. Mercury, of New York, ran 3068 miles in 12 days. |
The relative merits of the clipper ships carrying home the new season's tea from China used to create as much excitement as any race for the Derby, large sums of money often being wagered on the race. In one race, from Shanghai, between the British ship Challenger and the American ships Nightingale and John Bertram, stakes were laid to the extent of $20,000, which were won by the backers of the British ship.
The keen competition which took place in the voyage home, and the desire of the owners to outdo their competitors in the speed of their ships could not fail to lead to great improvements in their forms and sparring. No sooner did a new faster one appear on the scene than orders were immediately given for a still faster one to be built. Thermopylae proving the fastest one on her appearance led to Mr. John Willis having the Cutty Sark specially designed and built for the express purpose of beating Thermopylae, and Mr. Hector, said to be a cousin of Mr. John Willis, gave orders to Messrs. Hall, of Aberdeen, to build one for him with which he hoped to beat both of the fore-mentioned vessels. This vessel for Mr. Hector was called Caliph, of 215.1ft by 36.1ft of beam, having more rise of floor than usual, with a very lofty sail plan, but without width below. The after end of her house amidships contained an 8-horse power engine, to be used for working cargo, hoisting sails, etc., and was fitted with shafts for driving two screws, which could be placed overboard on each side, and used for driving her along in a calm. Caliph was lost in China Seas, after passing through the Straits of Sunda. As it was known there had been no typhoon about that time, it was generally supposed that she had been surprised in a calm and captured by pirates.
As soon as it was known in the woodyard, Dumbarton, that an order had been placed with Messrs. Hall for a vessel to beat Cutty Sark, excitement became intense, arising from the fact that four of the principal foreman, and two of the assistant foremen, as well as a large number of the skilled workmen in the various departments of the yard, were, like Mr. Linton, the builder, Aberdonians. Information as to the progress being made in building and details as to the fittings arrived almost every week, and was duly passed round. It is more than likely information of a similar kind reached Aberdeen from Dumbarton.
It is very questionable if ever there were two vessels more evenly matched for racing against each other than Thermopylae and Cutty Sark. it will be seen from the following particulars, copied from an old edition of "Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping", how nearly their principal dimensions approached each other.
| Cutty Sark | Thermopylae | |
| Class | 16 yrs A1 | 16 yrs A1 |
| Length | 212.5 ft | 212.0 ft |
| Breadth | 36.0 ft | 36.0 ft |
| Depth moulded | 22.5 ft | 23.2 ft |
| Tonnage, gross | 963 tons | 991 tons |
| Tonnage under deck | 892 tons | 927 tons |
| Tonnage, net | 921 tons | 948 tons |
| Raised Quarter deck | 40 ft | 61 ft |
Both vessels were of 1970 tons displacement at load draft, Cutty Sark having the same displacement as Thermopylae on seven inches less draft of water, was proportionally fuller at the load water line than her rival, and this gave her the appearance of being a much more powerful vessel. Cutty Sark was more heavily sparred and spread a greater sail area than any vessel in the tea trade at that time, yet she never lost a mast over the side like Titania, Sir Lancelot or Black Adder. Her mainmast, from load line to truck, measured 151ft 6 in. The fore and main lower yards were each 79 ft. long, the topmast stunsail boom was 47ft. long, 33ft of which was outside the lower yard arm. From the outer end of flying jibboom to after end of spanker book was 280ft.
So far as available printed records go to show, at the time she was built, there was no ocean-going vessel afloat, steam or sail, either in mercantile or naval marine services, could keep abreast of her in a good strong steady favourable breeze of wind, and although now nearly 45 years old, she is still actively employed in trading, and, let us hope, earning money for her owners.
Under the name of Feneira, and hailing from the port of Lisbon, she arrived in the Mersey in the month of May of the present year with a cargo from New Orleans, loading up again and sailing on July 18th for Mossamedes.
John Rennie,
Designer of the Cutty Sark's Sail Plan
You can e-mail me at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
or mail me at
70 Dumbarton St.
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1E 3T6
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