Syren (clipper) facts for kids
Syren
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name | Syren |
| Owner | Silsbee, Pickman and associates, Salem, MA |
| Builder | John Taylor, Medford, MA |
| Launched | May 1, 1851 |
| Acquired | Joseph Hunnewell, Boston, late 1850s. Sold to Charles Brewer, Honolulu a few years later. Last 8 or 9 years of US career, William H. Besse, New Bedford. |
| Fate | Put into Rio de Janeiro, leaking badly, June 25, 1888 Condemned and sold to Argentina |
 Argentina |
|
| Name | Margarida |
| Owner | J. Hurley, Buenos Aires |
| Reinstated | Repaired and re-rigged as barque. |
| Fate | Last registered in Lloyds in 1920 Fate unknown |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Medium clipper |
| Tons burthen | 1064 tons |
| Length | 189 ft. LOA |
| Beam | 36 ft. |
| Draft | 22 ft. |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship, re-rigged as barque |
| Notes | 2 decks |
The Syren was a famous clipper ship. She was known for having the longest sailing life of any clipper, lasting 68 years and 7 months! She traveled all over the world, from San Francisco to the Far East. The Syren also carried whale oil and other products from Hawaii and the Arctic to New Bedford.
Contents
Syren's Journeys and Cargo
_(c112-02-33).jpg)
The Syren was a very busy ship. From 1851 to 1856, she sailed between Boston, New York City, and San Francisco. She made five trips on this route.
After that, she made a voyage from Boston to Calcutta in India. Then, for several years, she sailed between Boston, Honolulu, and New Bedford. She even went back to the San Francisco route four more times!
Carrying Whale Products and Coal
In 1866, the Syren returned to her route between Boston, Honolulu, and New Bedford. She stayed on this route for another ten years.
Later, in 1877, the Syren started traveling to Alaska and the Arctic. Her job there was to transport whale oil and other things caught by whalers. She also carried coal to the northern areas. Once, she even took a load of spars (long poles used on ships) from Seattle to Bath, Maine.
A Glimpse from History
A book called All About Hawaii, written in 1920, mentions the Syren. It says that on December 23, 1858, the ship arrived in Honolulu. It had taken 96 days to travel from Boston, stopping in Rio de Janeiro.
The book also notes that the Syren was a top ship for the Brewer line, a shipping company. She made fast trips, like 105 days in 1868 and 109 days in 1872. Later, she also sailed between San Francisco and China. Sadly, she was declared too damaged to sail in Rio in July 1888.
Fast Trips of the Syren
The Syren was known for some impressive speeds during her long career.
Quick Trip to Boston in 1861
In 1861, the Syren made a very fast trip from San Francisco to Boston. It took her only 103 days! This was much faster than other ships. For example, she beat the Kingfisher by 17 days.
She also outsailed four other clippers heading to New York. She was three days faster than the Northern Light and Belle of the Seas. She also beat the Sierra Nevada and Mary Robinson by four days.
Journeys to the Far East
The Syren visited many different ports during her long life. In the Far East, she stopped at Manila, Whampoa, and Batavia. She also sailed to Baker Island, Liverpool, and London. Her visit to Baker Island suggests she might have been involved in the guano trade. Guano is bird droppings used as fertilizer.
Another quick journey was a round trip between Boston and Calcutta in 1857. She reached Calcutta in 99 days and returned in 97 days.
However, the Syren was not always the fastest ship on the East Coast to San Francisco route. She often ran into calm waters, light winds, or bad weather near Cape Horn. Her trips on this route usually took between 120 and 152 days.
Syren's Accidents and Repairs
Even though the Syren had a very long career, she did have some accidents. But she was always repaired and put back into service!
Hitting a Rock in San Francisco
On April 25, 1861, the Syren was sailing out of San Francisco Bay. She was near the entrance to the Golden Gate when she hit Mile Rock twice. The ship managed to get back into the harbor, but she had four feet of water in her hull! She was almost sinking when she was pulled onto the mud flats. Repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard cost $15,000.
Stormy Seas and Lost Masts
Like many clipper ships, the Syren lost parts of her rigging and topgallant masts (tallest masts) during storms. This happened off Cape Horn and in the South Atlantic in 1853, 1856, 1858, and 1864.
A Collision at Sea
On December 18, 1870, another ship crashed into the Syren. This happened during a voyage from Boston to Honolulu, near the equator in the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily, the Syren was not badly damaged and could continue her journey.
Images for kids
-
Syren
-
Sailing card
