Donald McKay (clipper)

Named after her designer Donald McKay was built for James Baines & Co. She was the last extreme clipper ship built by Donald McKay. Donald McKay sailed on the Black Ball Line of Liverpool from 1855 to 1868, bringing passengers and mail from England to Australia.

Donald McKay
Donald McKay
History
United Kingdom
Namesake: Donald McKay, ship builder
Owner: James Baines & Co.
Builder: Donald McKay, East Boston
Launched: January 1855
Fate: Burned and broken up in 1888
General characteristics
Type: Clipper
Tonnage: 2604 RT, 2486 GRT, and 1616 NRT
Length: 266 ft (81 m)
Beam: 46.25 ft (14.10 m)
Draft: 29.4 ft (9.0 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: She was equipped with Howes patent double topsails

History

Donald McKay was launched on Donald McKay's shipyard in East Boston in January 1855. Newspapers reported that she had "all the airy beauty of a clipper combined with the stately outline of a ship of war and, though not sharp, yet her great length, buoyancy, and stability, indicate[d] that she [would] sail very fast, and be an excellent sea boat."[1] Her passenger capacity was reported at 591 plus crew.[2]

Timeline of Donald McKay port calls and events:

  • In 1855, on her maiden voyage she sailed from Boston to Liverpool under command of Captain Henry Warner in 17 days.
  • In 1855, from 6 June to 21 August she sailed from Liverpool to Port Phillip, Melbourne, in 81 days.[3]
  • In 1855, from 2 October[4] to 28 December she sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool, in 86 days.
  • In 1856, from 4 October to 1(?) January 1957 she sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne.[5]
  • In 1857, in February she cleared out 365.25 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs for Liverpool.[6]
  • In 1857, from 8 July to 29 September she sailed from Liverpool to Port Phillip, Melbourne, in 83 days.
  • In 1857, in November she cleared out 205 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs [7] and sailed to Liverpool from 5 December to 1 March 1858.[8]
  • In 1858, on 8 August she arrived to Melbourne from Liverpool.[9]
  • In 1858, in November she cleared out 34,390 ounces of gold through Melbourne customs for Liverpool.[10]
  • In 1859, on 4 July she arrived to Melbourne from Liverpool, in 87 days.[11]
  • In 1859, on 8 November she departed Port of Melbourne for Liverpool,[12] carrying 4 ounces of gold.[13]
  • In March 1861, upon arrival to Melbourne from Liverpool Donald McKay was placed in quarantine due to cases of smallpox on board.[14]
  • In 1862, on 9 October arrived to Melbourne.
  • In 1863, on 30 July arrived to Melbourne.
  • In March 1864, Donald McKay bound for London collided with the barque Albina in the English Channel.[15] Donald McKay was at fault and fined the full amount of the damage of £15,000 to Albina.[16]
  • In 1865, on 4 December she arrived to Melbourne.
  • In 1866, she was sold to Thomas Harrison and was chartered back to the Black Ball Line under the new ownership.
  • Her arrivals of the last three voyages to Melbourne were on 22 December 1866, 21 November 1867, and 19 November 1868.
  • In 1874, after arriving to Melbourne on her 13th voyage, she was sold for £8,750. She was placed on the Pacific trade.
  • In 1879, she was sold to a German company, reportedly getting old and leaking water.
  • In 1886, she was used as a coal hulk in Madeira.
  • In 1888, she caught on fire and was broken up.

The figurehead of Donald McKay is located at the Mystic Seaport Museum.[17]

See also

References
  1. "Bendigo Advertiser, Saturday, 1 Sep 1855, Page 2, THE DONALD M'KAY". Trove. 1 Sep 1855. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  2. "Clpr Donald McKay". www.mcjazz.f2s.com. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  3. "ENGLISH NEWS TO THE SIXTH JUNE". Mount Alexander Mail (Vic. : 1854 - 1917). 1855-08-31. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  4. "MELBOURNE,". Gippsland Guardian (Vic. : 1855 - 1868). 1855-10-05. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  5. "THE "DONALD M'KAY."". Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857) Tue 6 Jan 1857, Page 2.
  6. "COMMERCIAL". Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954). 1857-02-25. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  7. "COMMERCIAL IN℡LIGENCE". Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 1857-11-20. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  8. "ENGLISH SHIPPING". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). 1858-05-17. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  9. "MELBOURNE". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). 1858-08-09. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  10. "MELBOURNE COMMERCIAL". Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918). 1858-11-09. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  11. "SHIPPING". Kyneton Observer (Vic. : 1856 - 1900). 1859-07-07. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  12. "SHIPPING IN℡LIGENCE". Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918). 1859-11-05. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  13. "COMMERCIAL IN℡LIGENCE". Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 1859-11-04. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  14. "ARRIVAL OF THE DONALD M'KAY". Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser (Vic. : 1857 - 1867 ; 1914 - 1918) 13 Mar 1861, Page 2.
  15. "Sailing Ships: "Donald McKay" (1855)". www.bruzelius.info. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  16. "The Donald McKay". home.vicnet.net.au. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  17. "Figurehead from clipper ship DONALD McKAY | Mystic Seaport". mobius.mysticseaport.org. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
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