But it was dreadful, tedious work.Ĭaulkers and joiners pursued specialized finishing trades, and were apt to move from one yard to another looking for ships near the finishing stage. In order for a ship to remain tight, caulkers had to do their jobs well. But for those who had the aptitude, it was one of the most prized and highly paid jobs in the yard, no matter how occupationally risky. Their work was perhaps the most repetitive in the yard and required a good deal of physical strength. Hammer noise was an occupational hazard in getting oakum into a seam, and men who did this work often became deaf. The caulker, a man of critical importance in the construction of a sailing vessel, often worked on his back under the belly of the vessel. Nevertheless, the ship carpenter was a skilled craftsman who had learned his trade through a multi-year apprenticeship. This was very heavy labor and the fact that the carpenter sometimes did work more often associated with workers of the lowest skill level in the yards, suggests, again, that the ship carpenter ranked below a shipwright in skill level. They might also be required to adze the exterior joints of the hull, or to act in the capacity of sawyers, hewing planks for logs. Often, carpenters were called upon to do this. Wooden vessels required thousands of holes to be bored, both for iron rods to hold the knees–crooked timbers acting as braces–to the frame, and for treenails (pronounced “trunnels”) to fasten planking to the exterior. Ship joiners built cabins, stairs, doors, and furniture. When these seams were coated with tar, they became waterproof. Caulkers used special mallets and chisels to force oakum into the seams of the hull and deck. Some workers identified themselves as ship carpenters, a skilled trade, but not as skilled as that of the shipwright, who would often work in the mould loft, converting drawings into frames, and making sure those frames were set properly. Work in the yard, generally, was divided into three main categories: shipwright/ship carpenter, caulker, or joiner. The 19th century Boston directories, which list workers by occupation, provide a ready inventory of what skills were most utilized in East Boston shipyards. reprinted from Publication Number Thirteen of the Marine Research Society, 1926-27. Their memory endures in books, paintings, and models. And the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 favored steamships. Because the vessels carried such immense sail area, they required large crews, which added to operating costs. And so like the gold rushes themselves, the era of clipper ships was short-lived. ![]() ![]() Finally in the 1870s, with improved marine engines and boilers, steam-powered vessels broke clipper ship speed And no square-rigged ship has ever broken Flying Cloud’s record. No steamship of their day could beat them. The Seas 22 knots Champion of the Seas 465 nautical miles in one day. The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) and the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s spurred additional clipper ship construction.Ĭlipper ships set records: Flying Cloud–New York to San Francisco in 89 days, 8 hours Sovereign of In the China trade, an exceptionally fast clipper ship could beat the competition, bringing back tea from Guangzhou (formerly Canton to westerners) and fetching the highest prices. Trade routes where speed translated into significant profit. Swift, with long sharp bows and names like Chariot of Fame, Empress of the Seas, Flying Fish, Coeur de Lion, Staghound, and Lightning, “in every way clipper ships ranked among the most handsome vessels ever put afloat.” Three-masted and square-rigged, clipper ships were unusual merchant vessels because they were designed for great speed rather than capacity. Dozens more were built by other outstanding shipbuilders, earning East Boston the reputation as the birthplace of many of the fastest, most beautiful merchant sailing ships ever built. She used her knowledge and the latest scientific data to chart Flying Cloud’s course into maritime history.īetween 18, Donald McKay built 31 clipper ships at his shipyard located along Border Street. ![]() ![]() Recognizing her intellect, Eleanor’s seafaring step-father had taught her navigation. No square-rigged ship has ever beat it 135 years later a racing yacht did.Įleanor Creesy’s expertise in navigation and her role in Flying Cloud’s success were exceptional for the times. There a newspaper described Donald McKay’s most famous clipper ship as “a monument of Yankee talent in ship building.” Flying Cloud, her captain Josiah Creesy and his wife, Eleanor, the ship’s navigator, would surpass their achievement 4 years later by 13 hours. The 1851 New York Tribune headline trumpeted Flying Cloud’s record-breaking sail: 89 days 21 hours from New York around Cape Horn to San Francisco.
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