Spitfire

An extreme clipper ship built in 1853 by Messrs. James Arey & Son, Frankfort, ME. Dimensions: 224'x40'x23' and tonnage 1549 tons Old Measurement or 1241 RT. She had long, sharp ends, and rounded lines, and 15 inches dead rise at half floor. The figurehead was a gilded eagle.

1853 September 3: Launched at the shipyard of Messrs. James Arey & Son, Frankfort, ME, for Messrs. Manning & Stanwood, and Thos. Gray & Co., of Boston. Capt. John W. Arey was given command of the ship.
1853 October 24: Sailed from Boston for San Francisco.
1853 November 7: Fore and main lower masts and the bowsprit badly sprung and also other rigging damage received in 27°N.
1853 November 27: Put into Rio de Janeiro for repairs, 34 days out of Boston.
1853 December 16: Sailed for San Francisco where she arrived on the 20th of February, 1854, 65 days out of Rio de Janeiro. This is the second fastest passage on record for a loaded ship, only beaten by the clipper ship Witchcraft by 3 days in 1851 and equalled by the Storm King in 1880. The total number of sailing days from Boston was 100.
1854 November 30 - March 28: Sailed from Boston to San Francisco under command of Captain Arey in 119 days. [Reported as 118 days.]
1855 July 24 - December 4: Sailed from Foochow to London in 133 [138?] days, arriving two days before the Wild Pigeon which had sailed 13 days ahead of the Spitfire. [Reported as 120 days.] She had been badly strained when the cable caught under the forefoot while at anchor in the Straits of Allas due to the fact that she had been loaded one foot down by the head.
1856 July 23 - November 21: Sailed from Canton to Deal under command of Captain Jackson in 121 days.
1857 October 25 - February 15: Sailed from Foochow to Plymouth under command of Captain Arey in 113 days.
1860 December 21 - April 8: Sailed from Boston to San Francisco in 108 days under command of Captain Samuel R. Leach. Arrived on the same time as the Black Hawk 107 days out of New York. [Reported as 107 days.]
1861: Sailed from San Francisco to Queenstown f.o. in 109 days with a cargo of wheat and flour.
1862 January 27 - June 3: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 127 days.
1863 April: Sold in damage condition to W.N. De Matus, London, for $9000.
1864: W.N. De Matus, London, is still listed as owner.
1869: The Merchantile Navy List records 1241 RT.
1874: No recorded after 1874.

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
McLean, Duncan: The New Clipper Ship Spitfire.
Boston Daily Atlas, October 6, 1853.

Updated 1998-08-24 by Lars Bruzelius

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