Black Watch (full-rigged ship) facts for kids
Black Watch was a very large sailing ship. It was called a full-rigged ship. A famous shipbuilder named Bennett Smith built it. This happened in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Black Watch was the very last ship Smith built in Windsor.
Building the Ship
Bennett Smith was a top shipbuilder in Windsor. He owned and designed many ships. His shipyard was on Smith's Island. This island was where the Avon and St. Croix Rivers met. Smith and his brothers built 27 ships there. The Black Watch was their final one. It was a big ship, weighing 1318 tons.
Building Black Watch cost $50,000. This was a lot of money back then! The ship was launched in May 1877. It was a big event with lots of celebration. After finishing Black Watch, Smith closed his shipyard. This was reportedly due to a disagreement about wages with his workers. Smith still invested in shipbuilding. He also helped run an insurance company for ships.
Its Journeys and Loss
Black Watch began its first journey on June 6, 1877. It sailed from Windsor to New York. The ship carried "ballast." This is heavy material like stone. It helps a ship stay stable when it's empty. There were 23 crew members on board. Captain Newcomb led the crew. He and Smith both owned parts of the ship.
In New York, the ship loaded a cargo of oil. Then, it sailed to Bremerhaven, Germany. It arrived there on August 20, 1877. On September 10, the ship left Germany. It was carrying 700 tons of stone and sand as ballast. It was heading back across the Atlantic to New York.
But disaster struck near Scotland. The ship was trying to sail between Shetland and Orkney islands. It was night, and the weather was misty. Black Watch hit rocks off Fair Isle. The crew was safe. They also saved the ship's food, sails, and other useful parts.
A report about the shipwreck was made. It said Captain Newcomb made a mistake. He tried to sail through a channel he didn't know well. The court decided it was an error in judgment. But Captain Newcomb did not lose his sailing license.
