Historical information

The last remaining and most famous of all the clipper ships, Cutty Stark, is today preserved for posterity in a dry dock in Greenwich, UK. Launched in November 1869 at Dumbarton on Clyde she was considered the fastest ship of the day. Designed and constructed by Hercules Linton and William D Scott, she was built to carry tea from China and beat the Thermopylae. Her fastest recorded speed was 12.5 knots by sailing 363 miles in 24 hours. The dimensions of both ships were very similar: length 64.7m (212 feet), Beam 11 =m (36 feet), Depth of hold 6.4m (21 feet). Tonnage: Cutty Stark: 921, Thermopyalae 948.
With many centuries of shipbuilding it was difficult to find good oak in England. The oak frames occupied excessive space in the cargo hold. A composite building technique was sued with the hull being made out of wooded panelled iron frames. Cutty stark was built with an elm keel and teak planking.

Her last passage carrying tea was in 1877. in 1895 she was sold to a Portuguese owner.

Significance

in 1883, the Cutty Stark joined the Australian wool trade, loaning wool from ports, including Melbourne, bound for the UK

Physical description

Large model of the Cutty Stark in a

Inscriptions & markings

"Handcrafted/ Mr Robert McFeeters/ Vermont 19"98"
"Display Case/ Mr Ivan Nemanic/ Montrose 1990"
"Cutty Stark/ Buil 1869/ Glasgow/