FAMOUS SHIPS

THE "PATRIARCH "

This famous sailing ship was the 49th of the Aberdeen Line of George Thompson's fleet and the first made of iron. She was the thirty-first clipper ship built by Walter Hood for Mr. Thompson, being launched in September 1869. Her measurements were: 1,405 tons gross, 1,339 tons net; 221 feet 1 inch length; 38 feet 1 inch breadth; 22 feet 3 inches depth; 4 feet 3 ½ inches freeboard. She was very luxuriously fitted for passengers and had a 90 foot poop which provided accommodation for 40 saloon passengers, all of which were full on her maiden voyage to Sydney. She was built of the best iron plating and was immensely strong.

She was very fast and fine lined, but had one rare quality for an iron ship - she was very dry. So seaworthy was she that she never had a serious accident and never came in on the overdue list in twenty-nine years of racing out and home. Her spars and rigging also were special. Walter Hood showed his enterprise by introducing topmast and lower masts in one piece and telescoping topgallant masts, which could be housed inside the topmasts! This saved a great deal of weight aloft resulting in the fact that, although the PATRIARCH was heavily sparred with double topgallants at fore and main and a full set of stunsails, she was never dismasted like many of her sister ships in the Australian trade.

The best 24-hour log run on the books was set by her last captain, who claimed she ran 377 miles during that time. Her best week's work was over 2,000 miles. Captain Pile took George Thompson's new ship from the stocks and had her until 1876. Captain Plater then had her for ten voyages followed by Captain Allan, who had her for four voyages, from 1888 to 1891. Her last captain under the Red Ensign was Captain Breach, who had her until she was sold.

Her maiden voyage was her best. She anchored in Port Jackson on February 10th, 1870, only 74 days from the London Docks. Her passage home was even better, entering the West India Docks only 69 days out. Although she never again beat this time, her times were always good - 80-day runs being considered very good. She was more often under 80 days than over.

Some of her best runs were:

On her wool passages home PATRIARCH rarely missed the sales, but, like all iron ships, she had to be lucky to get in under 80 days - on the average she made it between 85 to 95 days, which was considered good. She did have some interesting races with some of the other crack clippers of her day. In 1875-76 she was beaten by the TWEED, but not by much. In 1877-78 the PATRIARCH had a great race with the SIR WALTER RALEIGH. The former was 99 days out, the later 98. In 1880 she beat the LOCH VENNACHAR by one day. In 1890 PATRIARCH beat the TORRIDON by two days, the former arriving in 89 days, the later in 91 days.

In 1891 Captain Mark Breach, on his first passage in command of the PATRIARCH, found himself in a race with the CUTTY SARK. Captain Breach left three days ahead of the CUTTY SARK and hoped to beat her to Sydney. As it wound up, both ships arrived at Sydney on the same day, the PATRIARCH being 82 days out, while the CUTTY SARK was 79 days out. In 1897, for the first time, PATRIARCH missed the wool cargo in Sydney and had to load black diamonds at Newcastle. A further shock was experienced when they arrived home, for the ship had been sold to the Norwegians!

For the next dozen years the ship went between timber and sugar ports, picking up a living as best she could. Thus the Dutch, the Chinaman, the Malay and the Spanish got to admire her beautiful lines in such ports as Montevideo, Delagoa Bay, Bantjar, Sourabaya, Tvedestrand and Port Natal. In 1903 she ran onto the shore on the Rio Grande Coast while carrying lumber and was put on the black list, but she was refloated and continued her wandering ways. Her end came in 1912. She left Algoa Bay under Captain Johansen on passage to a Gulf port. While going through the Yacatan Channel she ran unto a reef in the Bay of Corrientes, Cuba. She was abandoned as a total loss.

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