Potosi

A five-masted steel barque built in 1895 by J.C. Tecklenborg, Geestemünde as Yard No. 133. Her dimensions were: 111,62×15,10×8,65 meters [366'3"×49'2"×28'5"] and tonnage: 4027 GRT and 3854 NRT.

1895 June 8
Launched at the shipyard of J.C. Tecklenborg, Geestemünde, for F. Laeisz, Hamburg. Employed in the nitrate trade. Assigned the German signal RKGB. The first master was the legendary Captain Robert Hilgendorf.
1895 July 26
Left the Elbe in ballast for Iquique where she arrived after 73 days.
1895 October 25 — 1896 January 11
Left Iquique for Hamburg where she arrived after 78 days.
1896 March 8 - May 18
Sailed from Cuxhaven to Caleta Buena in 71 days or 65 days from Lizard Point.
1896 June 2 - August 23
Sailed from Caleta Buena to Cuxhaven in 82 days.
1896 November 12 - January 15
Sailed from Cuxhaven to Valparaiso in 64 days or 59 days from Lizard Point.
1897 February 26 - May 11
Sailed from Iquique to Cuxhaven in 84 days.
1897 July 23 - October 1
Sailed from Isle of Wight to Valparaiso in 70 days.
1897 November 5 - January 21
Sailed from Iquique to Dungeness in 77 days.
1898 May 14 - July 15
Sailed from Isle of Wight to Valparaiso in 62 days, which was the best passage for the year.
1898 August 18 - October 31
Sailed from Caleta Buena to Cuxhaven in 74 days.
1898 December 20 - February 20
Sailed from Portland to Iquique in 62 days from the Isle of Wight.
1899 March 7 - May 20
Sailed from Iquique to Prawle Point in 74 days.
1899 July 11 - September 17
Sailed from Beachy Head to Iquique in 68 days.
1899 October 6 - December 15
Sailed from Caleta Buena to Isle of Wight in 70 days.
1901 April 28
Left the Elbe for Valparaiso where she arrived after 66 days.
1901 August 15
Left Iquique for Hamburg where she arrived on the 9th of November after 86 days.
1902-1903
In command of Captain Georg Schlüter.
1903-1909
In command of Captain Hinrich Nissen.
1903
Sailed from Iquique to Prawle Point in 57 days which is the record for the passage.
1909-1911
In command of Captain Johann W.T. Frömcke.
1912-1919
In command of Captain Robert Miethe.
1912 April 1
Sailed from Hamburg to Valparaiso in 75 days.
1912
Sailed from Mejillones to Hamburg in 83 days.
1913 January 5
Sailed from Hamburg to Valparaiso in 83 days.
1913
Sailed from Mejillones to Hamburg in 92 days.
1913 October 3
Sailed from Hamburg to Valparaiso in 75 days.
1914
Sailed from Iquique to Hamburg in 85 days.
1914 July 4
Sailed from Elbe Lightship, Hamburg, for Valparaiso.
1914 August 18
Spoke to the British steamer Newfield at 21°S, 36°W and learned that Germany was at war with Great Britain.
1914 August 22
Spoke to the German four-masted barque Gustav on voyage from Port Talbot to Mexillones, Chile.
1914 September 13
Spoke to the four-masted barque Adolf Vinnen on voyage from Hamburg to Santa Rosalia.
1914 September 23
Arrived at Valparaiso 81 days out and was interned for the duration of the war.
1918
Sold to F.A. Vinnen & Co., Bremen.
1920
Handed over to the French Government as war compensation.
1923
Sold to Soffia, Gonzalez & Co., Valparaiso, and was renamed Flora. Captain A. Oetzmann was given command of the ship.
1925 December 11 - March 30
Sailed from a Chilean port with a cargo of nitrate to Hamburg in 110 days.
1925 July 13
Left Cardiff for Mejillones with a cargo of coal and coke.
1925 September 16
The cargo caught fire at 46°S, 66°W. and the crew had to abandon the ship.
1925 October 19
The drifting hull was sunk by the Argentinian cruiser Patria.

Bibliography

Updated 2002-04-10 by Lars Bruzelius.

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Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.