James Baines

An extreme clipper ship built by Donald McKay, East Boston, for the Black Ball Line of Liverpool.

Dimensions: 226'×44'9"×29' and tonnage: 2275 RT.

The figurehead was a likeness of James Baines in tailcoat and top hat carved by Mr Dodd of the Allan and Clotworthy's yard.

1854 July 25: Launched at the shipyard of Donald McKay, East Boston, for the Black Ball Line (James Baines) of Liverpool.
1854 September 12 - September 24: The passage from the Boston Light to the Rock Light off Liverpool which took 12 days, 6 hours, is still the sailing ship record. Captain Charles McDonnell, late of the same owner's clipper ship Marco Polo, was in command.
1854 December 9 - February 12: The premier sailing from Liverpool to Melbourne took 65 days or 63½ days to Hobson's Bay.
1855 March 11 - May 20: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool in 69 ½ days. A 420 miles day's run was achieved during the homeward passage.
1855 August 5 - October 23: Sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne in 79 days.
1855/56: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool in 95 days.
1856 April 7 - June 24: Sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne in 78 days. Logged 21 knots with main skysail set on June 17 at 44°S, 106°E.
1856 August 7 - November 20: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool in 105 days.
1857 January 5 - March 23: Sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne in 77 days.; A page from the diary of Alfred Withers, one of the passengers, which is preserved at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.; This was her last Australia passage after which she was chartered by the British Government for carring troops to India.
1857 May 16 - July 30: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool in 75 days.
1857 August 8 - November 19: Sailed from Portsmouth to Calcutta in 103 days.
1858 April 22: Caught fire and burnt to the water's edge during discharging of a cargo consisting of jute, linseed and cowhides in the Huskinsson Dock, Liverpool. The Illustrated London News gave a report from the fire.
1858 July 23: The remains of the ship were abandoned as a total loss and were sold for £ 1080 to Mr Robert Pace, Liverpool, a shipowner who rebuilt the damaged hull into a coal barge.
1860: Collided with the barque William at Galway, Ireland.
1863: Still mentioned in the Liverpool Register. Surveyed by Lloyd's prior to being towed to Alexandria.

The final fate of the ship is unknown.

Select Bibliography:

Clipper ships, general references.
Howe, Octavius T. & Matthews, Fredric C.: American Clipper Ships 1833-1858.
Argosy Antiquarian, New York, 1967/1926.
McKay, Richard: Some Famous Sailing Ships and Their Builder Donald McKay.
G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1928.
McLean, Duncan: The New Clipper James Baines. The Boston Daily Atlas, Vol. XXIII, No. 53, Friday, September 1, 1854.
Reprinted in NRJ Vol. 25, pp 33-35.
Stammers, Michael K.: The Passage Makers. Teredo Books, Brighton, 1978.

Updated 1997-03-18 by Lars Bruzelius.

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