THE “DONALD MACKAY”
The Donald Mackay, last of the famous Mackay quartette, was for many years
the largest sailing ship in the world, her measurements being:
|
Registered Tonnage |
2408 tons |
|
Gross |
2486 tons |
|
Net |
1616 tons |
|
Length of Keel |
257.9 ft |
|
Length between Perpendiculars |
266 ft |
|
Breadth |
46.3 ft |
|
Depth |
29.5 ft |
|
Dead rise at Half-Floor |
18 ins |
|
Mainyard |
100 ft |
|
Sail Area |
17,000 sq yds |
A novelty in her sail plan was Forbes’ patent double topsail yards. These
came out before Howe’s, and differed from them in having the topmasts fidded
abaft the lower mast.
Donald Mackay was said to have the heaviest mainmast out of Liverpool. It was
a built mast of pitch pine, heavily banded with iron, weighing close on 20 tons.
She was, of course, a three-decker; and as a figure-head she had a Highlander
dressed in the tartan of the Mackays. In design she took after the Champion of
the Seas, being not so sharp-ended as the Lightning or James Baines. Captain
Warner left the Sovereign of the seas to take her, and superintended her fitting
out.
Leaving Boston on 21st February, 1855, she made Cape Clear only 12
days out. One 27th February her log records: “First part a strong
gale from N.W.; middle part blowing a hurricane from W.N.W., ship scudding under
topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part still blowing from
W.N.W. with heavy hail squalls and very high sea running.”
Under these conditions she made a run of 421 miles in the 24 hours, She made
the Fastnet Rock on the 6th of March, distant one mile, it blowing a
gale from S.E. to E.N.E., her run for the day being 299 miles. But in the
Channel her passage was spoilt by strong easterly winds, and she did not receive
her pilot off Point Lynas until Saturday, the 10th.
Donald Mackay himself came over in the ship, and on his arrival expressed
himself highly satisfied with her. She was at once put on the berth for
Melbourne, but did not leave Liverpool until 6th June, and thus had a
light weather passage south, being spoken on 14th July in 12degrees
S., 38 days out. She left Melbourne again on 3rd of October, arriving
in Liverpool on 28th of December, 1855, 86 days out, and bringing
104,000 ounces of gold consigned to the Bank of France.
Donald Mackay’s times on the Australian run, though never very remarkable,
were very consistent, her average for six consecutive outward passages being 88
days. And I find her making a passage out to Hobson’s bay in 1867 in 84 days.
She once took 1000 troops from Portsmouth to Mauritius in 70 days.
| 
