Balclutha (1886)

Infobox_nrhp2 | name =BALCLUTHA
nrhp_type = nhl


caption =
location= Pier 41 East, San Francisco, California
lat_degrees = 37
lat_minutes = 48
lat_seconds = 34
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 122
long_minutes = 24
long_seconds = 42
long_direction = W
locmapin =
area =
built =1886
architect= Charles Connell
architecture=
designated_nhl= February 4, 1985cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1594&ResourceType=Structure
title=BALCLUTHA |accessdate=2008-06-25|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = November 07, 1976cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = National Park Service
refnum=76000178

"Balclutha", also known as "Star of Alaska", "Pacific Queen", or Sailing Ship "BALCLUTHA", is a steel-hulled full rigged ship that was built in 1886. She is the only square rigged ship left in the San Francisco Bay area and is representative of several different commercial ventures, including lumber, salmon, and grain. She is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is currently preserved at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco, California.

History

The "Balclutha" was built in 1886 by Charles Connell & Co. Ltd., of Glasgow in Scotland, for Robert McMillan, of Dumbarton in Scotland. Designed as a general trader, "Balclutha" rounded Cape Horn 17 times in 13 years. During this period she carried cargoes such as wine, case oil, and coal from Europe and the East Coast of the United States to various ports in the Pacific. These included Chile for nitrate, Australia and New Zealand for wool, Burma for rice, San Francisco for grain, and the Pacific Northwest for timber.

In 1899 the "Balclutha" transferred to the registry of Hawaii, and traded timber from the Pacific Northwest to Australia, returning to San Francisco with Australian coal.

In 1902 the "Balclutha" was renamed the "Star of Alaska" when it was bought by the Alaska Packers' Association and joined the salmon fishing trade, sailing north from the San Francisco area to Alaska in April with supplies, fishermen and cannery workers, and returned in September with canned salmon. For this trade she carried over 200 crew and passengers, as compared to the 26 man crew she carried as the "Balclutha". Her last voyage in this trade was in 1930.

In 1933, the "Star of Alaska" was renamed the "Pacific Queen". In this guise she appeared in the film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. She then eked out an existence as an exhibition ship, gradually deteriorating.

In 1954, the "Pacific Queen" was acquired by the San Francisco Maritime Museum, who restored her and renamed her back to "Balclutha". In 1985 she was designated a National Historic Landmark. citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/76000178.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Sailing Ship Balclutha / Balclutha (ex Star of Alaska, ex Pacific Queen)] |32 KB|date=1983-12-30 |author=James P. Delgado |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/76000178.pdf "Accompanying photos, exterior and interior, from 19"] |32 KB]

She is now one of the exhibits of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and is to be found moored at the park's Hyde Street Pier.

As well as being exhibited, she is host to a monthly sea shanty sing-around.

ee also

Four other Clyde-built tall ships are still afloat:
* "Falls of Clyde" (Hawaii)
* "Glenlee" (Glasgow)
* "Moshulu" (Philadelphia)
* "Pommern" (Finland)

Image Gallery

ources

* [http://www.nps.gov/safr/local/balc.html National Park Service] retrieved 23:40 22 January 2005 GMT

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/balclutha.htm San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park website - Balclutha webpage]

ee also

* List of large sailing vessels