Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)
Encyclopedia
The Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the 1854 world record for fastest sailing ship-- 22 knots.
Sovereign of the Seas has held this record for over 100 years.
Notable passages
Built by Donald McKayDonald McKay
Donald McKay was a Canadian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships.He was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne County on Nova Scotia's South Shore. In 1826 he moved to New York, working for shipbuilders Brown & Bell and Isaac Webb...
of East Boston, Massachusetts, Sovereign of the Seas was the first ship to travel more than 400 miles in 24 hours. On the second leg of her maiden voyage, she made a record passage from Honolulu, Hawaii to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 82 days. She then broke the record to Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
, England, making the passage in 13 days 13.5 hours. In 1853 she was chartered by James Baines & Co.
James Baines & Co.
James Baines & Co. of Liverpool was the parent company of a fleet of packet ships running between Liverpool, England and Australia under the name of Black Ball Line.-History:...
of the Black Ball Line
Black Ball Line (trans-Atlantic packet)
The Black Ball Line initially consisted of four packet ships, the Amity, Courier, Pacific and the James Monroe. All of these were running between Liverpool, England and New York City. This first scheduled trans-Atlantic service was founded in 1817...
, Liverpool for the Australia trade.
Fastest speed ever recorded for a sailing ship
In 1854, Sovereign of the Seas recorded the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, logging 22 knots (41 km/h, 25 mph).Delivery of locomotive to San Francisco
Sovereign of the Seas left New York on January 20, 1869, and arrived in San Francisco on June 11 of that year after a voyage of 142 days, carrying Central PacificCentral Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
locomotive CP 150.
Images
- Sovereign of the Seas, Springfield Museum Currier and IvesCurrier and IvesCurrier and Ives was a successful American printmaking firm headed by Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives . Based in New York City from 1834–1907, the prolific firm produced prints from paintings by fine artists as black and white lithographs that were hand colored...
lithograph - Builder's half hull model of Clipper Ship Sovereign of the Seas
- Painting of clipper ship Sovereign of the Seas, San Francisco Public Library
See also
- Donald McKayDonald McKayDonald McKay was a Canadian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships.He was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne County on Nova Scotia's South Shore. In 1826 he moved to New York, working for shipbuilders Brown & Bell and Isaac Webb...
- List of large sailing vessels -- Can be sorted by speed
- Hobart BosworthHobart BosworthHobart Bosworth was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer.-Early life:Born Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth, he was a direct descendant of Miles Standish and John and Priscilla Alden on his father's side and of New York's Van Zandt family, the first Dutch settlers to land in the New...
-- Cabin boy on Sovereign of the Seas who became a famous actor