Champion of the Seas
File:ChampionOfTheSeas ca1854 EastBoston Southworth Hawes MFABoston.png Champion of the Seas. Photo by Southworth & Hawes ca.1854 | |
| Career | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Owner: | Black Ball Line, Liverpool |
| Builder: | Donald McKay of East Boston, MA |
| Launched: | 1854 |
| Out of service: | 1877 |
| Status: | Abandoned off Cape Horn |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Extreme clipper |
| Tons burthen: | 2447 tons |
| Length: | 252 ft. (76.8m) |
| Beam: | 45.6 ft. (13.9m) |
| Draft: | 29.2 ft. (8.9m) |
| Notes: | Held speed record for 130 yrs. for day's run: 465 nautical miles (861 km) in 24 hours, Dec. 10-11 1854 |
Champion of the Seas was the second large clipper ship destined for the Liverpool, England - Melbourne, Australia passenger service. Champion was ordered by James Baines of the Black Ball Line from Donald McKay. She was launched April 19, 1854 and was abandoned January 3, 1877, leaking badly off Cape Horn.
Champion of the Seas is credited with one of the fastest day's run in 24 hours: 465 nautical miles (861 km) noon to noon December 10-11, 1854 under the command of Captain Alexander Newlands. This record stood until August 1984, nearly 130 years.
Statistics
| Builder: | Donald McKay of East Boston, MA |
| L.O.D.: | 252 ft. (76.8m) |
| Beam: | 45.6 ft. (13.9m) |
| Draft: | 29.2 ft. (8.9m) |
| Tonnage: | 2447 tons |
| Masts: | 3 |
Champion of the Seas's figurehead was the full figure of a sailor "with his hat in his right hand, and left hand extended...It was certainly a most striking figurehead, the tall square-built mariner, with dark curly hair and bronze clean-shaven face" as quoted from Some Famous Sailing Ships by Richard C. McKay.
History
James Baines, owner of the Black Ball Line of Liverpool, ordered Champion of the Seas from Donald McKay of East Boston in the U.S.A. She was similar in appearance to McKay's other clippers, Lightning and James Baines, but set no sails above the royals. She held the record for the longest day's run, 465 nautical miles (861 km) on December 10-11 , 1854 on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne.
From her launching to 1868, Champion served in the passenger trade. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the British government chartered the three Black Ball clippers to carry troops to Calcutta. Before embarking about 1,000 troops, she and James Baines were reviewed by Queen Victoria. In 1868 she entered the general shipping trade, until January 1877 when she was abandoned leaking badly and with a load of guano off Cape Horn.
| Date | Log | Master |
|---|---|---|
| April 19, 1854 | Launched at the shipyard of Donald McKay, East Boston, for the Black Ball Line, Liverpool. | |
| June, 1854 | New York to Liverpool in 29 days. | Captain Alexander Newlands |
| October 11, 1854 – December 26, 1854 | Her maiden voyage Liverpool - Melbourne took 75 days during which a 24 hour run of 465 miles (748 km) was recorded. | Captain Alexander Newlands |
| 1855 | Melbourne-Liverpool in 84 days. | Captain Alexander Newlands |
| 1855 | Liverpool-Melbourne in 83 days. | Captain John McKirdy |
| 1855 - January 25, 1856 | Melbourne-Liverpool in 90 days. | Captain John McKirdy |
| 1856 | Liverpool-Melbourne in 85 days. | |
| August 10, 1857 | Portsmouth-Bay of Bengal together with James Baines. Arrived at Sandheads after 101 days. | |
| January 1, 1860 – March 26, 1860 | Melbourne-Liverpool in 85 days. | |
| 1866 | Sold to Thomas Harrison and Thomas Sully Stowe for £ 9750, but chartered back to the Black Ball Line for three more voyages | |
| September 1868 | Put into general trading. | |
| February 1874 | After having found that she was badly affected by dry rot she was subsequently sold to A. Cassels of Liverpool for £ 7500. | |
| July 1875 | Arrived at San Francisco-Hong Kong in 39 days. | Captain Wilson |
| October 5, 1875 | San Francisco-Callao in 45 days. | |
| January 3, 1877 | Abandoned off Cape Horn in leaking condition with a cargo of guano. The crew was saved by the British barque Windsor. | |
References
Some Famous Sailing Ships by Richard C. McKay.
External links
- "The Champion of the Seas Times" Weekly newspaper produced on board ship
- Ships of the World: Champion of the Seas
- Sailing Ships: Champion of the Seas
- The Boston Daily Atlas, Vol. XXII, No. 274, Saturday, May 20, 1854 Newspaper article w/extensive details of spars, rigging, etc.
- First voyage of the Champion of the Seas
- Steve Fossett Challenges
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