|
The extreme clipper ship
Red Jacket was designed by Samuel H. Pook and built by George Thomas
at Rocklane, Maine. She was launched November 2, 1853 and towed
to New York to receive spars and rigging. The owners were
Seacomb & Taylor of Boston.
The maiden voyage of the Red Jacket is one of the most famous in clipper ship
annals. Captain Asa Eldridge,
a Cape Cod skipper of world wide reputation, was in command
and she left New York on January
11, 1854, bound for Liverpool.
Through the fearsome winter gales of the North Atlantic with snow,
hail or rain every day, the Red Jacket tore along carrying every bit of
canvas she could wear. Exactly 13 days, 1 hour and 25 minutes later she
dropped her hook in Liverpool Harbor, an all time record smashing run. During this
voyage she logged 413 sea miles in 24 hours, thereby becoming one of the
seven fastest sailing ships in history. The other six that logged over 400
miles in 24 hours were: Flying Cloud, Great Republic, Donald McKay, Lightning, James Baines, and Sovereign of the Seas.
After this convincing performance the Red Jacket was immediately chartered
for a voyage to Melbourne and at the completion of that voyage, was
purchased by the White Star Line for $30,000. She continued in the Australian
passenger trade for some time and later made voyages to Calcuttaa and other
ports. Later she was used in the timber trade from Quebec
to London and, after 1882, eventually went to Cape Verde
as a coal hulk.
The Red Jacket was named for a Seneca Indian chief, Sagoyewatha, of
Revolutionary War fame who habitually wore a red jacket given to him by the
British. The Red Jacket was celebrated for the delicate beauty of her
graceful lines. To the end of her sailing days she was considered the
handsomest of the large American built clippers.
1/96
SCALE
3
SHEET PLAN
CR-30
PRICE:
$ 30.00
|
|
|