Clipper Ship Cutty Sark 150th Anniversary — A Year-Long Celebration

In February 1869, one hundred and fifty years ago, construction of the composite clipper ship Cutty Sark began on the banks of the River Clyde for the Jock Willis Shipping Line. The clipper ship sailed on its first voyage a … Continue reading

City of Adelaide – a Ship Renamed, a Duke Showered in Champagne, & Funding Approved

The composite clipper ship, City of Adelaide, which had been renamed HMS Carrick, was officially renamed the City of Adelaide once at a ceremony on the River Thames at Greenwich near London.  Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was accidentally … Continue reading

HMS Implacable, Survivor of Trafalgar & WWII – Scuttled in 1949

Here is a video of the scuttling of HMS Implacable in 1949.  She was originally the French Navy’s Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800.  The Duguay-Trouin fought in and survived the Battle of Trafalgar, only to be captured by the British in … Continue reading

Cutty Sark – the Good, Bad & the Ugly

After a multi-year, £50 million restoration, interrupted by a near catastrophic fire, the composite clipper ship, Cutty Sark, reopened last April.  Not everyone was impressed. Andrew Gilligan, the Telegraph‘s London Editor, called the restoration “a clucking, Grade A, … turkey.”  In September, the British architectural trade journal, Building Design, awarded … Continue reading

Are Modern Ships Slower Than Sailing Ships? Probably not.

In 2010, the headline read,  Modern cargo ships slow to the speed of the sailing clippers. The article was subtitled, “Container ships are taking longer to cross the oceans than the Cutty Sark did as owners adopt ‘super-slow steaming’ to … Continue reading

Cutty Sark Restoration: 2012 Carbuncle Cup Winner – Worst New Building Design in Britain

In April, we posted about a scathing review of the Cutty Sark restoration by Andrew Gilligan, the Telegraph‘s London Editor.  He referred to the restoration as “a clucking, Grade A … turkey.”   I have not seen the ship but I share many of Gilligan’s concerns. (I will be visiting the … Continue reading

Vacuum Cleaner Victims – the Clipper Ship Cutty Sark and Now the USS Miami !

There is a new threat to our nautical heritage and our nation’s defense!  In 2007, the composite tea clipper Cutty Sark, built in 1869, was ravaged by fire.  An investigation revealed the culprit – an industrial vacuum cleaner.   Now, it appears … Continue reading