Champion of the Seas

An extreme clipper ship built in 1854 by Donald McKay, East Boston, for the Black Ball Line of Liverpool. Dimensions: 252'×45'7"×29' and tonnage 2448 tons. Built with three decks. The figurehead was a sailor with a hat in the right hand and the left extended. The ship was painted black outside and white inside, with blue water-ways.

1854 April 19: Launched at the shipyard of Donald McKay, East Boston, for the Black Ball Line, Liverpool.
1854 June: Sailed from New York to Liverpool in 29 days under command of Captain Alexander Newlands.
1854 October 11 - December 26: Her maiden voyage Liverpool - Melbourne took 75 days during which a 24 hour run of 465 miles was recorded.
1855: Sailed Melbourne-Liverpool in 84 days.
1855: Sailed Liverpool-Melbourne in 83 days under command of Captain John McKirby.
1855: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool where she arrived on January 25, 1856, in 90 days.
1856: Sailed Liverpool-Melbourne in 85 days.
1857 August 10: Sailed with troops for India from Portsmouth to the Bay of Bengal together with James Baines. Arrived at Sandheads after 101 days.
1860 January 1 - March 26: Sailed 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 until September 1868, after which she was put into general trading.
1874 February: After having found that she was badly affected by dry rot she was subsequently sold to A. Cassels of Liverpool for £ 7500.
1875 July: Arrived at San Francisco from Hong Kong after 39 days under command of Captain Wilson.
1875 October 5: Arrived at Callao after 45 days from San Francisco.
1877 January 3: Abandoned off Cape Horn in leaking condition with a cargo of guano. The crew was saved by the British barque Windsor.

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
"The Editor": Was she Really the Champion of the Seas.
Sea Breezes Vol. 64 (1990), pp 453-456, ill.
McLean, Duncan: The New Clipper Champion of the Seas. The Boston Daily Atlas, Vol. XXII, No. 274, Saturday, May 20, 1854.
Reprinted in NRJ Vol. 25 (1979), pp 33-35.
Stammers, Michael K.: The Passage Makers. Teredo Books, Brighton, 1978.

Updated 1998-01-15 by Lars Bruzelius.

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