Cutty Sark
The Cutty Sark was built in Scotland in 1869 and first launched in 1870. After reaching China on 31st May of the same year , she was loaded with 1,305,812 lbs of tea and after a brief stay in port, she arrived back in London on the 13th October. This was one of eight tea trips the ship made to China, the last being in 1877.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the invention of the steam ships sadly edged away the use of sailing ships for transporting tea. The canal was a quick, direct route into the Red Sea and because of the lack of the trade winds along the canal it was unusable for sailing ships. The Cutty Sark began to transport different cargos instead. These varied from coal from Japan to Shanghai and Australian mail from Calcutta to Melbourne.
During her early life the Cutty Sark had a tempestuous crew. Natural deaths,, bullying, murder, crewmen refusing to work and no wind, all led to the ship being stationary at sea for three days in 1880. The captain at the time realised that his time was up and jumped overboard into the waiting mouths of sharks. The following captain was no better. A drunk thief, he stole the crews wages and then half starved them. In 1882, a further captain was brought onboard and this began the Cutty Sarks most successful time period.
From 1885, the Cutty Sark had yet another captain and for the next ten years became one of the fastest ships dominating the wool trade. One voyage from England to Sydney took just 77 days and returning in 73. Famously in 1889 the Cutty Sark sped past a steam ship. A log from the steam ship reads, 'Sailing ship overhauled and passed us!'.
Sadly by the 1890's more and more steam ships took over the wool trade and in 1895 the Cutty Sark was sold for £2100 to a Portuguese firm who renamed her the Ferreira.
After carrying various cargos around the world, suffering storm damage, and a further name change to Maria do Amparo, the Cutty Sark was bought by a retired ships skipper for £3750. In 1923, and now under British ownership, the Cutty Sark took back her original name.
Kept in Falmouth at first, and then Greenhithe, the Cutty Sark was used as training ship for cadets training for sea careers. By 1951 the Cutty Sark was showing her age of 82 and The Cutty Sark Society was formed to help save her. Its patron, Prince Phillip took possession of the historical ship just before the Queens coronation in 1952.
After being towed to a dry dock in Greenwich in 1954, the Cutty Sark went through years of restoration to return her to her tea clipper days. Sadly in 2007 whilst undergoing further work she suffered fire damage. Through public donations and further funding, the Cutty Sark was saved again and reopened in 2012. She remains in a newly constructed dry dock overlooking the River Thames in Greenwich.
