Capacity (schooner) facts for kids

Capacity was an American schooner, a type of sailing ship, that arrived in San Francisco on January 9, 1852. This ship, led by Captain Driscoll, was later hired by Captain James Turnbull. Its important mission was to carry supplies for the U.S. Army to Fort Yuma. The Capacity also transported the engine, boiler, and wood needed to build a special side-wheel paddle steamer called the Uncle Sam. This new steamboat was meant for the Colorado River Delta. The Uncle Sam would become the very first steamboat to travel on the Colorado River.

The Journey to the Colorado River

The Capacity reached the Colorado River estuary in early September. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. The ship then had to wait much longer than expected. It waited over two months in the river's anchorage. This long wait was for the Uncle Sam steamboat to be built and launched. The Uncle Sam finally launched in mid-November. After that, the Capacity waited another four months to unload all its Army supplies.

Challenges at the Anchorage

Waiting in this anchorage was very difficult for the Capacity. The area had extreme tides. At low tide, the ship would be left stranded on the mud. When the tide came back in, twice a day, a strong wave called a tidal bore would hit the ship. This wave was usually 4 to 6 feet high!

The main reason for the long wait was the Uncle Sams limited power. The steamboat could only carry about 35 tons of cargo. Its 20-horsepower engine was also quite weak. This made it hard for the Uncle Sam to travel against the Colorado River's strong current. A round trip to Fort Yuma and back took about 12 days for the steamboat. This slow pace meant the Capacitys cargo could only be moved little by little.

What Happened to the Capacity?

Eventually, the Capacity was successfully unloaded. It then left the Colorado River. What happened to the Capacity after that is not known. Its later story remains a mystery.