The Cutty Sark in its dry dock at Greenwich
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For the article on the brand of whisky, see: Cutty Sark
The Cutty Sark (Scots for "short shirt") was, in 1869, one of the last sailing clippers to be built, and she is the only classic clipper still surviving. She is now preserved in dry dock at Greenwich in England.
History of the Cutty Sark
The ship is named after the fleet-footed witch featured in the poem Tam o' Shanter written by Robert Burns. She was designed by Hercules Linton and built in 1869 at Dumbarton in Scotland, by the firm of Scott & Linton, for Captain John Willis , and launched November 23 of that year.
The Cutty Sark was destined for the China tea trade , at that time an intensely competitive race across the globe from China to London, with immense profits to the ship to arrive with the first tea of the year. However she did not distinguish herself in this trade; in the most famous race, against Thermopylae in 1872, they left Shanghai together on June 18, but after two weeks Cutty Sark lost her rudder after passing through the Sunda Strait, and arrived in London on October 18, a week after Thermopylae, for a total passage of 122 days. Her legendary reputation is supported by the fact that her captain chose to continue this race with an improvised rudder instead of putting into port for a replacement and still managed to only be beaten by one week.
In the end, clippers lost out to the steamships, which could pass through the recently-opened Suez Canal and deliver reliably, if not quite so quickly, which as it turned out was better for business. The Cutty Sark was then used in the Australian wool trade , and did very well, posting Australia-to-England times of as little as 67 days. Her best run, of 360 nautical miles in 24 hours, was said to have been the fastest of any ship of her size.
In 1895 Willis sold her to the Portuguese firm of Ferreira, where she was renamed after the firm, then in 1916 she was dismasted off the Cape of Good Hope, sold, re-rigged in Cape Town as a barquentine, and renamed the Maria do Amparo. In 1922 she was bought by Captain Wilfred Dowman , who restored her to her original appearance and used her as a stationary training ship. In 1954 she was dry-docked at Greenwich.
Cutty Sark is also preserved in Literature in Hart Crane's long poem "The Bridge" which was published in 1930.
The Cutty Sark today
The Cutty Sark is today preserved as a museum ship, and is a popular tourist attraction. She is located near the centre of Greenwich town, in south east London, adjacent to the Gipsy Moth IV, the National Maritime Museum, the former Greenwich Hospital and Greenwich Park. She is also a prominent landmark on the route of the London Marathon.
Kept in a de-watered dry dock since 1954, the Cutty Sark has deteriorated considerably, and conservation efforts are underway. She flies signal flags on her ensign staff reading "JKWS", which is the code representing Cutty Sark.
The Cutty Sark has inspired the name of a brand of whisky. An image of the ship appears on the label, and the maker has sponsored the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race.
Access to the Cutty Sark
The Cutty Sark is open to the public. Open hours and admission charges can be found on the ship's website (see External links).
The Cutty Sark station on the Docklands Light Railway is a minute's walk away, offering connections to central London and the London Underground. Greenwich Pier is immediately adjacent to the ship, and is served by scheduled river boats from piers in central London. A tourist information office stands to the east of the ship.
General characteristics
- Tonnage: 921 tons (935.8 tonnes)
- Hull length: 212.5 ft (64.8 m)
- Beam: 36 ft (11 m)
- Depth: 21 ft (6.4 m)
(in yards)
External links
Other Clipper Ships
Last updated: 05-14-2005 14:12:40
