Flying Spur (clipper) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Flying Spur |
| Owner | John Robertson & Co, London |
| Builder | Alexander Hall & Sons, Aberdeen |
| Cost | £13.787 |
| Launched | 1860 |
| Out of service | 1881 |
| Fate | Wrecked on Martin Vas, North Rock, in the South Atlantic. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Extreme clipper |
| Tons burthen | 732 |
| Length | 184 ft (56 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m) |
| Draught | 19 ft 4 in (5.89 m) |
The Flying Spur was a fast British sailing ship, known as a clipper. It was built in 1860 from strong woods like teak and greenheart. This ship was specially designed to carry tea quickly across the oceans.
Contents
The Flying Spur and Tea Trade
For 20 years, the Flying Spur sailed across the world. It carried huge amounts of tea from China to London. Its journeys often included stops at Chinese tea ports like Fuzhou and Canton. It also visited Nagasaki, Japan.
Life Aboard a Tea Clipper
As a tea clipper, the Flying Spur needed a large crew to handle its many sails. It had a crew of 36 people. Their job was to make sure the ship sailed as fast as possible.
The Great Tea Race of 1866
In May 1866, the Flying Spur was one of 16 clippers waiting in Fuzhou, China. These ships were all hoping to be the first to load the new season's tea. They would then race back to London. This was an exciting, unofficial contest called the Great Tea Race of 1866.
The fastest ships started sailing between May 28 and May 31. They were the main competitors in the race, which ended up being very close. The Flying Spur did not leave until June 5. This meant it missed its chance to be part of the famous race.
Fastest Journeys
Even though it missed the 1866 race, the Flying Spur was still a very fast ship. In 1867, it made the fourth fastest trip back from China. It took 116 days to carry 49,710 pounds of tea to London. The fastest ship that year was the Ariel, which completed the journey in 102 days.
The Loss of the Flying Spur
On February 13, 1881, the Flying Spur met its end. It was wrecked on a place called Martin Vas, North Rock, in the South Atlantic Ocean. The ship was carrying coal and had 18 crew members and some passengers on board.
The Flying Spur was on a long journey from Liverpool, England, to Madras, India. Luckily, everyone on board was saved. A French ship, the Château Lafitte, rescued them all.
Images for kids
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Black Prince, Fiery Cross, Taeping, Ariel and Flying Spur at Fuzhou in 1866
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William B. Atkinson, captain of Flying Spur, around 1870
