Ships from the Age of Sail and Steam

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Search result for any reference to: clipper
Antelope: Clipper; Length: 140 ft; Beam: 29 ft; Draft: 19 ft; 587 tons; Boston Massachusetts, United States; 1851

Antelope sailed on San Francisco and the Far East. Abandoned on August 6th 1858, when she struck Discovery Reef near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
Challenge: Clipper; Length: 230.5 ft; 2,006 bm tons; New York, United States; 1851

Built for the California trade, she was the largest merchant ship ever launched. She was 20.5 ft longer than the USS Pennsylvania, which was the largest ship in the U.S. Navy. She was renamed 'Golden City' in 1860 and sailed to the Orient for another 10 years before she grounded near Ushant and sank after having been pulled off the rocks.
Champion of the Seas: Three-masted Clipper; Length: 76.8 m; Beam: 13.9 m; Draft: 8.9 m; 2447 tons; Boston, United States; 1854

Champion was initially designed as a passenger ship and ordered by James Baines of the Black Ball Line for service between Liverpool and Melbourne. On her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne she recorded a fastest single day run of 465 nautical miles, December 10-11, 1854. She was later used as a merchant vessel for general trade. Champion was abandoned by her crew off Cape Horn on January 3rd 1877 when she was leaking badly. The crew was rescued by the British bark Windsor. Champion's figurehead was a sailor with the left hand extended while holding a hat in the right hand. Her hull was painted black with white inner works and her waterways were painted blue.
Chasseur: Baltimore clipper; 356 tons burthen; Crew: 115; Armament: 16x12pdr; Baltimore, United States; 1812

The most notorious or famous (depending on who's writing history) of the American privateers was probably captain Thomas Boyle, who sent a notice to the King of England, George III, that the entire British isles were under naval blockade by his Baltimore clipper 'Chasseur'. More about Baltimore clippers
Cutty Sark: Clipper; Length: 212.5 ft; 963 gross tons; Crew: 19-28; Dumbarton, Scotland; 1869

One of the most famous sailing ships ever built, Cutty Sark (Scottish for "short shirt", don't ask ...) was one of the last clippers specifically built for the China tea trade between the 1840s and 1870s.

Cutty Sark model

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Flying Cloud: Clipper; Length: 235 ft; 1,782 om tons; Baltimore, United States; 1851

Possibly the fastest clipper ever built, she sailed from New York to San Francisco in 89 days. She was also the largest merchant ship afloat until the launch of the Challenge shortly before her first voyage. In June 1874 she ran aground on Beacon Island and after she returned to St. Johns, she was burned for her metal fittings and fastenings a year later.
Flying Fish: Clipper; Length: 207 ft; Beam: 22 ft; 1,505 om tons; East Boston, United States; 1851

Sister ship to the Flying Cloud, she sailed from New York to San Francisco in 92 days, a few days longer than her bigger sister.
Lightning: Clipper; Length: 235 ft; Beam: 44 ft; Draft: 26 ft; 2084 tons; Donald McKay shipyard, East Boston, United States; 1854

Built for the Black Ball Line (James Baines & Co.), Liverpool, she sailed on the Liverpool to Melbourne trade. On the 31st October 1869, moored at Geelong on a calm and otherwise uneventful night, she caucht fire and was completely destroyed.

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Rainbow: Clipper; Length: 159 ft; Beam: 32 ft; Draft: 18 ft; 757 bm tons; Smith & Dimon shipyard, New York, United States; 1845

The Rainbow traded between New York and the Far-East for a couple of years when on March 17th, 1848 she left New York bound for China but was never seen or heard of again.
Red Jacket: Clipper; Length: 76.6 m ; Beam: 13.4 m ; Draft: 9.4 m; 2305 grt; crew 98; Rockland, ME, United States; 1853

This fast and beautiful clipper was named for Sagoyewatha, a Seneca chief known for wearing a red British Army jacket. Finished her career, somewhat unremarkably, when she was turned into a hulk in the Cape Verde Islands in 1886.

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Thermopylae: Clipper; Length: 64.6 m; Beam: 11 m; Draft: 6.4 m; 991 grt (948 nrt); crew 36; Aberdeen, Scotland; 1868

The tea clipper Thermopylae was named for the site of the Greek victory over the Persians in 480 BC. She was the largest of the tea clippers and best known for her 63 day record run from London to Melbourne and her rivalry with the Cutty Sark. She was rigged carrying royal sails, single topgallant and double top-sails.

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Universe: Clipper Packet; Length: 186 ft 6 in; Beam: 38 ft 7 in; Depth of hold: 28 ft 8 in; 1,298 tons; New York, United States; 1850

Universe was built as a packet between New York and Liverpool for Williams & Guion's Black Star Line. Sold to British interests in 1875.

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Vigilant: Baltimore Clipper; 300 tons burthen; Crew: 110; Armament: 8x12pdr; Baltimore, United States; 1794

Having been built in the 1790's, VIGILANT possibly was a former American slave trader and privateer called Nonsuch sold in 1824 to Danish interests. However, many other versions exist. We do know that she survived for more than 130 years until she went down during a hurricane in September 1928 in Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Young America: Clipper; Length: 243 ft; 1,961 om tons; crew 75; New York, United States; 1853

Built for the trade between New York and San Francisco she averaged 118 day return passages, setting records twice for 86 and 82 days. She also set a record of 99 days between San Francisco and Liverpool. On February 17 1886, after two transatlantic voyages under new ownership, she left Delaware and disappeared.
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Concept, content & Design: The Art of Age of Sail