- Mary Robinson (clipper)
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Career (United States) Name: Mary Robinson Owner: E.M. Robinson, New Bedford, MA Builder: Trufant and Drummond, Bath, ME Launched: 1854 Notes: Marryat ID number, 3rd, 2-7-9-3 General characteristics Class and type: Medium clipper Tons burthen: 1371 tons Length: 215 ft. Beam: 38 ft. 6 in. Draft: 22 ft. Notes: 2 decks. Named after the wife of the owner.[1] This article is about a ship. For people of this name, see Mary Robinson (disambiguation).Mary Robinson was an 1854 medium clipper in the San Francisco, India, and the guano trades. She was known for having spent an entire month attempting to round Cape Horn in bad weather.
Voyages
Mary Robinson made six voyages from Boston and New York to San Francisco. Her fastest run was 115 days, in 1864. She was in the company of Carrier Dove off Cape Horn on this trip, and beat Carrier Dove to San Francisco by 18 days.
On her maiden run, Mary Robinson had been less fortunate. She spent 30 days rounding Cape Horn in "heavy gales and continual snow storms."[2]
During the commercial panic of 1857, Mary Robinson was one of the many American clippers that was put into the more profitable British trade between India and England. [3]
Mary Robinson made a very fast passage in 1858 of 58 days from San Francisco to Melbourne, continuing with 40 days from Melbourne to Honolulu.
Guano trade and loss of the ship
In 1858, Mary Robinson loaded guano at Jarvis Island for New York. Mary Robinson was lost June 27, 1864, on a voyage from San Francisco at Howland’s Island, in the Pacific, Lat 1 N Lon 176 W. She was loading guano when a squall drove her up on the reef. The next day she slid off and sunk in deep water, with 1300 tons of guano aboard. [1] [2]
References
- ^ a b Crothers, William L. (1997). The American-Built Clipper Ship, 1850-1856: Characteristics, Construction, Details. Camden, ME: International Marine. pp. xiii, xix, 425, etc.. ISBN 0070145016.
- ^ a b Howe, Octavius T; Matthews, Frederick C. (1927). American Clipper Ships 1833-1858. Volume 2, Malay-Young Mechanic. Salem, MA: Marine Research Society. pp. 385–386.
- ^ Cutler, Carl C. (1960). Greyhounds of the Sea. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute. pp. 333.
Clipper ships, designers & builders American-built early clippers (in year order) Anglona (1840) • Ariel (1842) • Houqua (1844)American-built extreme clippers, 1845–1850 (in year order) Rainbow (1845) • Sea Witch (1846) • Memnon (1848) • Ticonderoga (1849) • Race Horse (barque) (1850) • Sea Serpent (1850) • Stag Hound (1850) • Surprise (1850) • Witchcraft (1850)American-built extreme clippers, 1851–1855 Blue Jacket (1854) • Challenger (1853) • Champion of the Seas (1854) • Comet (1851) • Emanuela (1854) • HMS Enchantress (1854) • Flying Cloud (1851) • Golden West (1852) • Great Republic (barque) (1853) • Hornet (1851) • Ino (1851) • James Baines (1854) • John Gilpin (1852) • Lightning (1853) • Manuela (1854) • N.B. Palmer (1851) • Nightingale (1851) • Ocean Telegraph / Light Brigade (1854) • Onward (1852) • Red Jacket (1853) • Sovereign of the Seas (1852) • Sunny South (1854) • Syren (1851) • Sweepstakes (1853) • Swordfish (1851) • Westward Ho! (1852) • White Swallow (1853) • Witch of the Wave (1851) • Young America (1853)American-built medium clippers, 1851–1855 Andrew Jackson (1855) • Antelope of Boston (1851) • Carrier Dove (1855) • Carrier Pigeon (1852) • Celestial Empire (1852) • Ganges (1854) • Golden Fleece (1855) • Harriet Hoxie (1851) • Herald of the Morning (1853) • Kingfisher (1853) • Lookout (1853) • Mary Robinson (1854)American-built clippers and medium clippers, 1856–1859 King Philip (1856) • Seminole (1865) • Thatcher Magoun (1856)American-built clippers and medium clippers, 1860s Cremorne (1863) • Shooting Star (1867)British & Scottish-built "Aberdeen" clippers, 1839–1858 Challenger (1852) • Lammermuir (1856) • Lord of the Isles (1853) • Mimosa (1853) • Robin Hood (1856) • Stornoway (1850)British & Scottish-built newer style clippers, 1859–1870 Ariel (composite) (1865) • Blackadder (iron) (1870) • Cimba • City of Adelaide (composite) (1864) • Cutty Sark (composite) (1869) • Fiery Cross (1860) • Flying Spur (1860) • Hallowe'en (iron) (1870) • Lahloo (composite) (1867) • Lammermuir (composite) (1864) • Leander (composite) (1867) • Lothair (composite) (1870) • Norman Court (composite) (1869) • Serica (1863) • Sir Lancelot (composite) (1865) • Taeping (composite) (1863) • Taitsing (composite) (1865) • Tayleur (iron) (1864) • Thermopylae (composite) (1868) •Dutch-built clippers Canadian-built clippers Marco Polo (1851) • Stag (barque)American designers and builders Curtis, James O. • Curtis, Paul • Curtis, Paul & Taylor • Fernald & Pettigrew • Griffiths, John Willis • McKay, Donald • Palmer, Nathaniel • Pook, Samuel Hartt • Webb, William H • Westervelt, Jacob A.British & Scottish designers and builders Surviving 19th Century clippers Categories:- Clippers
- California clippers
- Individual sailing vessels
- Ships built in Maine
- Age of Sail merchant ships of the United States
- Victorian era merchant ships of the United States
- Guano trade
- Jarvis Island
- Howland Island
- Maritime incidents in 1864
- Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
- 1854 ships
- Individual ship or boat stubs
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