Flying Cloud

Product detailed description

History on Wikipedia: HERE

The Clipper Flying Cloud, was built in 1851 by the famous builder Donald McKay. He built many fast ships, but only two such extremely fast ships - Flying Cloud and Stag Hound. The ship was built in East Boston and the Enoch Train Company paid $50,000 for it. Immediately after launching, the boat was bought by Grinnel, Minturn and Co. for $90,000.
At the beginning of the California gold rush, it took other ships more than 200 days to travel from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn. The Flying Cloud was extremely fast, making this trip in 89 days and 21 hours under the command of Capt. Josiah Perkins Cressy. This record was then improved by 13 hours in 1853. The speed record for this challenging voyage was not broken until 1989.
These speed achievements were also due to Eleanor Cressy, who was one of the first women engaged in ship navigation. Since childhood, she had been studying ocean currents, meteorology and navigation. Together with a ship captain and her husband, they sailed thousands of miles across the oceans. They were also very famous people during the period when they set speed records. Captain Cressy died in 1871 and his wife lived on land far from the sea until her death in 1900.
In 1862 the Flying Cloud was sold to the English Company and sailed the route between England, Australia and New Zealand. For the next few years it carried timber from Canada to England.
She was finally washed ashore on 19 June 1874 and later burned and was used for copper planking and iron struts.

The ship was large for its time. The overall length was 71.7 m; on deck 68.7 m; at the keel 63.5 m; max beam 12.5 m and hull height 6.5 m.