Clipper City (schooner)
| 300px The 1984 replica of the Clipper City | |
| Career (USA) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Clipper City |
| Owner: | For sale |
| Ordered: | 1984 |
| Builder: | Haglund Boatworks, Green Cove Springs, Florida |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 200 tons |
| Length: | 158 feet (48 m) |
| Beam: | 27.5 feet (8.4 m) |
| Height: | 135 feet (41 m) from waterline |
| Draft: | 14 feet (4.3 m) w/ centerboard, 6 feet (1.8 m) w/o |
| Propulsion: | Sail; auxiliary engine |
| Sail plan: | Two-masted square-topsail gaff schooner, 9,836 square feet (913.8 m2) total sail area |
| Capacity: | 150 persons (including crew) |
| Crew: | 7 |
Clipper City is a modern replica of a nineteenth century cargo schooner.
The original Clipper City
The first Clipper City was a cargo schooner built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1854.[1] Manitowoc soon became known for its shipbuilding industry, and "Clipper City" was adopted as a nickname for the town itself. A replica cross section of the Clipper City is on permanent display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.[2]
The replica
In 1984, the plans for the original Clipper City were purchased from the Smithsonian Institution,[3] and naval architects DeJong & Lebet, Inc. were hired to adapt the design to meet modern safety requirements. The new vessel, also named Clipper City, was a steel-hulled schooner carrying eight sails on two steel masts: six fore-and-aft rigged sails, and two square topsails.[4]
The Clipper City offered passenger sails out of Baltimore, Maryland for over twenty years, with occasional trips to the Caribbean and other destinations.
Current status
In 2007, Clipper City's then owner, John Kircher, filed for bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure on the vessel by Regal Bancorp, Inc. Clipper City's Coast Guard certification was revoked shortly thereafter due to a hull failure.[5] Following a brief seizure by U.S. Marshals, the vessel was sold at auction to Regal Bancorp for $350,000.[6] The bank is marketing the boat internationally, but has yet to find a buyer.
"Clipper City" was purchased by ESV Corp and rebuilt to original condition. She operates as a day sail tour boat running out of South Street Seaport.
See also
References
- ↑ Gjerset, Knut (1979). Norwegian Sailors on the Great Lakes. Ayer Publishing, p. 66. ISBN 0405116365. Google Book Search. Retrieved on July 18, 2008.
- ↑ Wisconsin Maritime Museum Exhibits
- ↑ Former owner's website
- ↑ Naval architects DeJong & Lebet, Inc.
- ↑ examiner.com article, "Clipper City owner abandons fight to stay afloat"
- ↑ WJZ-TV article, "Baltimore's Clipper City Tall Ship Sold"
