Lothair (clipper) facts for kids
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|} Lothair was a super-fast British sailing ship, known as a clipper. She was built in Rotherhithe, London, and launched on July 2, 1870. For many years, she carried tea across the oceans. Later, she was owned by companies in Italy and Peru. Sadly, she was lost at sea around 1910.
The Ship's Unique Name
The Lothair was named after a popular book. This book was the 14th novel by Benjamin Disraeli, who was a British Prime Minister. His novel, also called Lothair, came out on May 2, 1870.
The book was a huge hit! Even famous writer Charles Dickens praised it. The first copies sold out very quickly. People loved the book so much that many things were named Lothair. This included a perfume, a racehorse, a street, and of course, this ship. You can even still buy a perfume called Lothair today! It's made by Penhaligon's, a company that used to make perfumes for Queen Victoria.
How Lothair Was Built
The Lothair was built using a special method called "composite construction." This means her frame was made of iron, but her outer skin was made of wood. The wood used was strong rock elm and teak.
Her main masts were made of iron, which was very strong. All the other parts of her sails were made from wood. Lothair was likely the very last composite ship ever built on the River Thames in London.
Lothair's Amazing Journeys
The launch of Lothair was a big event! People were very excited because shipbuilding in London had been slow. Her launch in July 1870 was seen as a sign of better times. A large crowd cheered as she entered the water. Afterwards, there was a big lunch with many important shipping people.
Lothair became one of the fastest tea clippers ever built. On her first trip, she sailed from London to Yokohama, Japan, in just 135 days. This was very fast for the time!
There's a famous story about her incredible speed. Another sailor once saw Lothair catching up to his ship. His ship was going 12 knots (about 14 miles per hour). He thought it might be the legendary ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman. Then he thought it was the Thermopylae, another very fast clipper. But when the ship got closer, it was the Lothair! The sailor believed she was going almost 17 knots (about 20 miles per hour). This was a huge compliment!
Here are some of Lothair's fastest journeys:
- From London to Yokohama: 135 days (September 10, 1870 – January 23, 1871).
- From Yokohama to New York City: 96 days (March 23 – July 1, 1871).
- From Amoy (now Xiamen, China) to New York: 84 days (January 8 – April 2, 1878). This was a record for that route!
- From London to Hong Kong: 95 days (June 12 – September 15, 1882).
- From Hong Kong to New York: 98 days (October 31, 1884 – February 6, 1885).
In 1873, a company called Killick Martin & Company bought Lothair. This company was led by Captain James Killick, a famous sailor. Lothair continued to sail in the tea trade. She visited ports like London, New York City, Yokohama, and Hong Kong. She was especially good at sailing fast even in light winds.
In 1885, Lothair was sold to William Bowen. He used her for trade in South America, though she also sailed to China again.
Later, in 1891, she was sold to G. Buccelli & D. Loero in Genoa, Italy. Finally, in 1905, she was bought by F.G. Piaggio in Callao, Peru. The amazing ship Lothair was lost at sea around 1910.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | Lothair |
| Owner | William Waker |
| Builder | William Waker, Lavender Dock, Rotherhithe |
| Launched | 2 July 1870 |
| United Kingdom |
|
| Owner | Killick Martin & Company, London |
| Acquired | 7 July 1873 |
| United Kingdom |
|
| Owner | William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire |
| Acquired | 1885 |
 Italy |
|
| Owner | G. Buccelli & D. Loero, Genoa, Italy |
| Acquired | 1891 |
 Peru |
|
| Owner | F.G. Piaggio, Callao, Peru |
| Acquired | 1905 |
| Fate | Lost in 1910 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Composite clipper |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 191.8 ft (58.5 m) |
| Beam | 33.5 ft (10.2 m) |
| Depth | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Sail plan | fully rigged ship |
