Summary
Donald McKay was an extreme clipper designed by Donald McKay, his last. Built for James Baines & Co., she sailed on the Black Ball Line of Liverpool from 1855 to 1868, carrying passengers and mail between England and Australia.
 Donald McKay
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Namesake | Donald McKay, ship builder |
| Owner | James Baines & Co. |
| Builder | Donald McKay, East Boston |
| Launched | January 1855 |
| Fate | Burned and broken up in 1888 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Clipper |
| Tonnage | 2604 RT, 2486 GRT, and 1616 NRT |
| Length | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Beam | 46.25 ft (14.10 m) |
| Draft | 29.4 ft (9.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | She was equipped with Howes patent double topsails |
Donald McKay achieved several notable voyages during her active years. One of her most significant accomplishments was setting a record for the fastest voyage from Liverpool, England, to Melbourne, Australia, completing the journey in just 63 days.
Unfortunately, like many other clipper ships, her commercial success was relatively short-lived. The advent of steam-powered ships and changes in maritime transportation gradually rendered all sailing vessels less economically viable, especially the fast but limited hull displacement clippers.
Donald McKay ended her days as a coal hulk in Portugal. Her figurehead is located at the Mystic Seaport Museum[1] in Mystic, Connecticut, USA.
History edit
Donald McKay was launched on Donald McKay's shipyard in East Boston, USA, in January 1855. Newspapers reported that she had "all the airy beauty of a clipper combined with the stately outline of a ship of war and, though not sharp, yet her great length, buoyancy, and stability, indicate[d] that she [would] sail very fast, and be an excellent sea boat".[2] Her passenger capacity was reported at 591 plus crew.[3]
Voyages edit
- In 1855, on her maiden voyage, she sailed from Boston to Liverpool under command of Captain Henry Warner in 17 days.
- In 1855, from 6 June to 21 August she sailed from Liverpool to Port Phillip, Melbourne, in 81 days.[4]
- In 1855, from 2 October[5] to 28 December she sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool, in 86 days.
- In 1856, from 4 October to 1(?) January 1857 she sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne.[6]
- In 1857, in February, she cleared out 365.25 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs for Liverpool.[7]
- In 1857, from 8 July to 29 September, she sailed from Liverpool to Port Phillip, Melbourne, in 83 days.
- In 1857, in November, she cleared out 205 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs [8] and sailed to Liverpool from 5 December to 1 March 1858.[9]
- In 1858, on 8 August, she arrived in Melbourne from Liverpool.[10]
- In 1858, in November, she cleared out 34,390 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs for Liverpool.[11]
- In 1859, on 4 July, she arrived to Melbourne from Liverpool, in 87 days.[12]
- In 1859, on 8 November, she departed Port of Melbourne for Liverpool,[13] carrying 4 ounces of gold.[14]
- In March 1861, upon arrival in Melbourne from Liverpool, Donald McKay was placed in quarantine due to cases of smallpox on board.[15]
- In 1862, on 9 October, arrived in Melbourne.
- In 1863, on 30 July, arrived in Melbourne.
- In March 1864, Donald McKay bound for London collided with the barque Albina in the English Channel.[16] Donald McKay was at fault and fined the full amount of the damage of £15,000 to Albina.[17]
- In 1865, on 4 December, she arrived in Melbourne.
- In 1866, she was sold to Thomas Harrison and was chartered back to the Black Ball Line under the new ownership.
- Her arrivals of the last three voyages to Melbourne were on 22 December 1866, 21 November 1867 and 19 November 1868.
- In 1874, after arriving in Melbourne on her 13th voyage, she was sold for £8,750. She was placed on the Pacific trade.
- In 1879, she was sold to the German company Bertus Bartlin' of Bremerhaven, reportedly becoming old and leaking water.
Fate edit
- In 1886, she was used as a coal hulk in Madeira.
- In 1888, she caught fire and was broken up.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Figurehead from clipper ship DONALD McKAY | Mystic Seaport". Mystic Seaport Museum. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "THE DONALD M'KAY". Bendigo Advertiser. 1 September 1855. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Clipper Donald McKay 1855". Boston Daily Atlas. 1855. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2022 – via The Doric Columns.
- ^ "ENGLISH NEWS TO THE SIXTH JUNE". Mount Alexander Mail. 31 August 1855. p. 6. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "MELBOURNE,". Gipps Land Guardian. Victoria. 5 October 1855. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "THE "DONALD M'KAY."". Colonial Times. Hobart, Tas. 6 January 1857. p. 2 – via Trove.
- ^ "COMMERCIAL". Age. Melbourne, Victoria. 25 February 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE". Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 20 November 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "ENGLISH SHIPPING". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 May 1858. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "MELBOURNE". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 August 1858. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "MELBOURNE COMMERCIAL". Bendigo Advertiser. Victoria. 9 November 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "SHIPPING". Kyneton Observer. Victoria. 7 July 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE". Bendigo Advertiser. Victoria. 5 November 1859. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE". Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 4 November 1859. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "ARRIVAL OF THE DONALD M'KAY". Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser. Victoria. 13 March 1861. p. 2 – via Trove.
- ^ "Sailing Ships: "Donald McKay" (1855)". The Maritime History Virtual Archives. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "The Donald McKay". Hudson at Murtoa -- Past Links Revealed. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
External links edit
- Detailed description of Donald McKay, based on a 1855 Boston Daily Atlas article, source 1 and 2.
- Donald McKay on Bruzelius
- List of the ships of the Liverpool Black Line at TheShipsList
- Era of the Clipper Ships