Sir Lancelot (clipper) facts for kids
Sir Lancelot was a famous clipper ship. Clippers were very fast sailing ships designed for speed. Sir Lancelot sailed on important trade routes, carrying goods between China and places like India and Mauritius.
This amazing ship was built in 1865 by a company called Robert Steele & Company in Greenock, Scotland. She was made using a special method called composite construction. This meant she had a strong frame made of iron, but her outer skin was made of wood. The lower part of her hull was covered with elm wood, and the upper part with beautiful teak wood. To help her stay steady in the water, she carried 100 tons of heavy iron inside as ballast.
Some people wondered if Sir Lancelot was an exact twin ship to another famous clipper called Ariel. It's thought that they weren't twins because they had different owners. However, it's clear they were very similar in design. Ships built by Robert Steele & Company, like Sir Lancelot, were known for being incredibly beautiful and perfectly built. They often felt "yacht-like" because of their smooth shapes and the use of fancy teak and mahogany wood on deck and inside. A poem even called her "Sir Lancelot of a hundred famous fights with wind and wave," showing how strong and well-known she was.
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Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Builder | Robert Steele & Company, Greenock |
| Launched | 1865 |
 India |
|
| Owner | Visram Ibrahim |
| Acquired | 1886 |
| Notes | India-Mauritius trade |
 Persia |
|
| Acquired | 1895 |
| Out of service | 1895 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Composite clipper |
| Tonnage | 886 NRT |
| Length | 197.6 ft (60.2 m) |
| Beam | 33.7 ft (10.3 m) |
| Depth | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Sail plan |
|
Sir Lancelot's Amazing Journeys
Sir Lancelot was known for her incredible speed and the long journeys she made across the oceans.
Captain Robinson and Record-Breaking Races
The ship's first captain was Richard 'Dickie' Robinson from Workington. He was a very skilled sailor. Sir Lancelot's owner, John McCunn, said that Captain Robinson was the best captain he ever had. He knew how to get the fastest results from the ship.
In 1869, Captain Robinson and Sir Lancelot set a new speed record! They sailed from China all the way to London in an amazing 89 days. This was part of the famous "Clipper Race" where ships competed to bring tea from China to England as fast as possible.
Sir Lancelot started her journey from Fuzhou, China, on July 17, 1869. Even though seven other ships had left before her, she managed to beat almost all of them. She sailed past many important places like Anjer, Cape Agulhas, and St Helena. She finally reached Gravesend in England on October 13 and docked the next day.
This 89-day trip was considered the fastest journey ever from China to England at that time. Another ship, Thermopylae, came close with 91 days. This record showed just how fast and well-built Sir Lancelot was.
Changes and New Routes
After this record-breaking journey, Captain Dickie Robinson left Sir Lancelot because of a sad family event. A new captain, Captain Edmonds, took over. The ship continued to make voyages, but things were changing in the world of shipping.
In 1869, the Suez Canal opened. This new canal allowed steamships to travel much faster between Europe and Asia, without having to sail all the way around Africa. This meant that steamships could now carry tea to London more quickly and cheaply than sailing ships.
Because of this, Sir Lancelot started making different kinds of journeys. From 1871, she began carrying tea to New York instead of London. To help her carry more cargo, some of her heavy iron ballast was removed in 1871. Later, around 1874 or 1877, her masts and sails were made shorter. She even had her rig changed to a barque, which is a type of sailing ship with fewer square sails. Even with these changes, she remained a fast ship. In 1877-78, she made a 94-day trip from Shanghai to New York.
Later Years and Final Voyage
In 1882, Captain Murdo Stewart MacDonald became the captain of Sir Lancelot. Under his command, the ship started carrying sugar and rice from Mauritius to India, and salt to places like Calcutta or Rangoon. She was very busy, often making six trips a year. Speed was still very important because it meant more money for the owners.
In 1886, Sir Lancelot was bought by a merchant from India named Visram Ibrahim. Captain C.W. Brebner took command. Captain Brebner bravely sailed Sir Lancelot through four cyclones (big storms) during his time as captain.
In 1895, Sir Lancelot was sold to new owners in Persia (modern-day Iran). Sadly, it is believed that Sir Lancelot was lost in a cyclone on October 1, 1895. She was in the Bay of Bengal, near Calcutta, carrying a cargo of salt when the storm hit.
Ship's Model
- Model of Sir Lancelot
