In the early days of the California Gold Rush, it took more than 200 days for a ship to travel from New York to San Francisco, a voyage of more than 16,000 miles, but clipper ships quickly cut that time in half. In 1854 she beat her own fastest by 13 hours, setting a record that stood until 1989 when a contemporary 60 ft racing sloop, Thursday's Child, completed the passage in 80 days, 20 hours. In July, during the trip, she ran 284, 374 and 334 nautical miles, a total of 992 nautical miles over the three consecutive days. Within six weeks of her 1851 launch Flying Cloud sailed from New York, rounded Cape Horn and made San Francisco in 89 days, 21 hours under the command of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. Record voyage to San Francisco during Gold Rush Drawing of Flying Cloud from a 1919 book on China Clippers Her length on the keel is 208 feet, on deck 225, and over all, from the knightheads to the taffrail, 235- extreme breadth of beam 41 feet, depth of hold 21½, including 7 feet 8 inches height of between-decks, sea-rise at half-floor 20 inches, rounding of sides 6 inches, and sheer about 3 feet." Flying Cloud is often called an extreme clipper, as are many of Donald McKay's ships, even though her deadrise was only 30 inches. Ī reporter for the Boston Daily Atlas of 25 April 1851 wrote, "If great length, sharpness of ends, with proportionate breadth and depth, conduce to speed, the Flying Cloud must be uncommonly swift, for in all these she is great. While still under construction, she was purchased by Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of New York, for $90,000, which represented a huge profit for Train & Co. She was known for her extremely close race with Hornet in 1853 for having a woman navigator, Eleanor Creesy, wife of Josiah Perkins Creesy who skippered Flying Cloud on two record-setting voyages from New York to San Francisco and for sailing in the Australia and timber trades.Ĭonstruction Lines of Flying Cloudįlying Cloud was built in East Boston, Massachusetts, and intended for Enoch Train of Boston, who paid $50,000 for her construction. The ship held this record for over 130 years, from 1854 to 1989.įlying Cloud was the most famous of the clippers built by Donald McKay. US and UK measurements differ as measuring systems had slightly different rules.įlying Cloud was a clipper ship that set the world's sailing record for the fastest passage between New York and San Francisco, 89 days 8 hours. Went aground, Beacon Island Bar, Saint John, New Brunswick, 1874 burned for iron and copper fastenings Harry Smith Edwards, South Shields, England James Baines & Co., Black Ball Line, Liverpool Buttersworthĭonald McKay of East Boston, Massachusetts The Clipper Ship "Flying Cloud" off the Needles, Isle of Wight 1859–1860, by James E.
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