The Cutty Sark, once the fastest clipper ship ever built, travelled great trade routes and crossed wild seas and oceans.
Now in retirement and transformed into a museum, the Cutty Sark is one of London’s most treasured attractions and this year celebrates turning 150 years old.
To commemorate the occasion, I hopped onboard to learn all about her illustrious adventures. Amazingly, as I climbed up on deck, and caught a glimpse of the Thames, I could envision what life may have been like to set sail upon the mighty seas.
The favourite part of my visit came as I grabbed the ship’s wheel with my hands. Captain Shing had arrived in town. Though it has to be said, it’s doubtful I would’ve been promoted to captain as another visitor took one look at me and laughed:
“You’re steering the wheel the wrong way round.”
But even if my glittering future as a skipper is about as realistic as climbing Mount Everest, that didn’t stop me from wanting to learn more about this incredible feat of engineering.
Here are some of things I discovered during my visit…
She’s 150 years old
She was built in 1869 for John “Jock” Willis, a successful tea merchant. Her maiden voyage began on the 16 February 1870, bound for Shanghai with a cargo of wine, spirits and beer. She came back carrying 593,000 kg of tea, docking into London on the 13 October.
She’s a clipper, but what is a clipper exactly?
The clipper is a type of early sailing ship that was first used in the United States after the War of 1812. The term “clipper” was derived from the word “clip” which means to move swiftly, and was then assigned to any fast sailing ship. Clippers were basically merchant vessels famous for their speed.
They could travel great distances in less time, which was the main reason that made them famous. Since mostly valuable cargo was transported by clippers, high speed clipper ships attracted more profit. A ship that could sail 150 miles per day was considered a good ship for transportation at that time. Impressively, the Cutty Sark’s fastest recorded distance in 24 hours was 418 miles, making her the fastest clipper in the world during her time at sea.
Against all odds, she’s the world’s last surviving tea clipper
Things haven’t always been, excuse the pun, plain sailing for the Cutty Sark. She’s had her fair share of trouble both on and off the water.
Surviving storms, war, neglect, obsolescence, fire and old age to be here. Most recently her troubles have come from on land. She was damaged by a major fire in 2007 but managed to rise from the ashes. This is due thanks in part to the removal of much of its original fabric which would have been a catalyst for greater destruction. Following an extensive restoration project, Cutty Sark re-opened in 2012.
Tea trade from China to Britain
It’s no secret that us Brits love tea.
It was during the Victorian era that tea became very popular. In fact, it became so widely liked that ale was replaced as the most favourite of all beverages and tea reigned supreme.
The drinking of tea led to the birth of a thing beyond a mere habit or addiction. It became a culture. Tea rooms mushroomed all over the place, private teas and teas in hotels were in demand.
The Victorians needed the Cutty Sark – the fastest clipper that money could buy – to satisfy their addiction to tea! The Cutty Sark made eight tea treks from London to China and back, loading tea in Shanghai or Hankou and collecting up 600,000 kg of leaves during each trip. In total she carried almost 4.5 million kilograms of tea between 1870 and 1877. Now that’s a lot of tea!
To the moon and back
By the end of her 52-year career, the Cutty Sark had travelled the equivalent distance of two and a half voyages to the moon and back, carrying cargos including tea, wool, and furniture.
Replicating what life was like onboard
The Cutty Sark is very interactional, making it perfect for families and just anyone with a good dose of curiosity.
Visitors can begin their journey onboard by watching a short history of the ship in its mini cinema.
You can explore several decks each with interactive displays, letters, memorabilia and artwork. There’s even a seat that you can sit on that moves up and down to replicate what it may have been like onboard under stormy weather. I can’t imagine I would have faired very well since I suffer from sea-sickness upon the tamest of waters.
There are also a number of objects that you can touch and smell from the original cargo including tea, whisky and food samples. As I mentioned earlier, my favourite area to visit was the top deck where you can marvel at the mast (which is taller that Nelson’s column), check out some of the sleeping quarters and try your hand at the Captain’s wheel.
Pushed out by newer technology
The clipper had tough competition from steamships as they were less dependent on wind patterns so new trade routes opened up and this caused the demise of the Cutty Sark – she was no longer profitable. The steamship has been described as a major driver of the first wave of trade globalisation (1870–1913) and contributor to an increase in international trade that was unprecedented in human history.
The Cutty Sark was sold in 1885 to the Portuguese firm Joaquim Antunes Ferreira who renamed her Ferreira and used her for transport between Portugal and the Americas. Then in 1922, she was purchased by a sea captain by the name of Wilfred Dowman who used her as a training ship. Fast forward to 1954, and she docked at her permanent home in Greenwich, located beside her friends – the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College.
Facts & figures
- 280 feet long
- Beam measurement 36 feet
- Moulded depth 22.5 feet
- Gross weight: 963 tons (978.5 tonnes)
- Main mast height from the deck: 152 feet
Don’t forget to walk under her
Once you step inside the visitor centre you realise that the light-filled modern structure allows you to go completely underneath the ship, and see close-up the remarkable metal hull, made to let the ship pass through the water with minimal resistance. There is a cafe under the ship’s stern, and you can walk the entire length of the vessel to a display of historic ship’s figureheads at the bow.
How to visit the Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark is open daily from 10am to 5pm. You can book your tickets and find out more information here.
In Greenwich you can explore many other attractions including, the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory, and the Royal Park of Greenwich – it’s no surprise why Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more ideas, take a look at my list of Best 21 Things to do in Greenwich.
This is a sponsored post, and I was a guest of Cutty Sark. As always, all views and opinions are my own.
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