Kingfisher (clipper)
Encyclopedia
The Kingfisher was an 1853 extreme clipper
that sailed on the San Francisco route. She was one of the longest lived clipper ships, with a sailing life of 36 years and 5 months.
. Kingfisher had deck structures and hatchway coamings of East India teak
. “This was one of the relatively rare appearances of teak in an American-built clipper, other than in small turned stanchions.”
She had “Crane’s self-acting chain stoppers; two capstans, one on the topgallant forecastle, one on the quarterdeck; patent hold pumps; a force pump; Emerson’s patent ventilators.”
via Hawaii
, described Kingfisher as follows: "Probably no sailing vessel ever went to sea, better equipped for the comfort and pleasure of the passengers and crew than the Kingfisher. She carried two cows and two goats, together with pigs and poultry in abundance. Wines, liquors and cigars were distributed as free as water among the passengers, twenty-two in number; Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Daniels being the only ladies."
at Baker's Island
."
"On 20 June 1871, enroute from San Francisco to New York, she sprang a leak and put in to Montevideo
, Uruguay, in distress. Was surveyed, condemned, and, in November 1871, was sold to the Ciblis family of that city. She was repaired, renamed Jaime Ciblis and sailed under the Uruguayan flag until 1890."
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
that sailed on the San Francisco route. She was one of the longest lived clipper ships, with a sailing life of 36 years and 5 months.
Construction
She had a small deckhouse aft, and a larger deckhouse forward. The hull was black, with pearl colored bulwarks, and blue waterways on the upper deck. The hull sheathing was yellow metalMuntz metal
Muntz metal is a form of alpha-beta brass with about 60% copper, 40% zinc and a trace of iron. It is named after George Fredrick Muntz, a metal-roller of Birmingham, England who commercialised the alloy following his patent of 1832....
. Kingfisher had deck structures and hatchway coamings of East India teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
. “This was one of the relatively rare appearances of teak in an American-built clipper, other than in small turned stanchions.”
She had “Crane’s self-acting chain stoppers; two capstans, one on the topgallant forecastle, one on the quarterdeck; patent hold pumps; a force pump; Emerson’s patent ventilators.”
Life aboard ship
In the early 1860s, Joe Taylor, a member of the Backus’ Minstrels troupe en-route to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
via Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, described Kingfisher as follows: "Probably no sailing vessel ever went to sea, better equipped for the comfort and pleasure of the passengers and crew than the Kingfisher. She carried two cows and two goats, together with pigs and poultry in abundance. Wines, liquors and cigars were distributed as free as water among the passengers, twenty-two in number; Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Daniels being the only ladies."
Voyages
Kingfisher arrived in Honolulu "Dec. 14, 1862, ship Kingfisher, 1286 tons, Freeman master, 13 days from San Francisco, en route for China. Was here again April 28, 1868, under Captain Gibbons, making a 24 days trip, to load guanoGuano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
at Baker's Island
Baker Island
Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, and is a possession of the United States. Its nearest neighbor is Howland Island, to the north.Located at...
."
"On 20 June 1871, enroute from San Francisco to New York, she sprang a leak and put in to Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay, in distress. Was surveyed, condemned, and, in November 1871, was sold to the Ciblis family of that city. She was repaired, renamed Jaime Ciblis and sailed under the Uruguayan flag until 1890."
External links
- Tully Crosby, commander of brig Old Colony, barque Arab, and ships Kingfisher, Monterey, Antelope of BostonAntelope of BostonAntelope was a medium clipper built in 1851 near Boston, in Medford, MA. She sailed in the San Francisco, China, and Far East trades. She was known for her fine finish work and for her crew’s escape from pirates...
and Charlotte. - Heave Ahoy!, chantey about the Kingfisher
- Zera L. Tanner, served as first officer of the Kingfisher