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Balclutha(1886)

Coordinates:37°48′35.5″N122°25′21″W/ 37.809861°N 122.42250°W/37.809861; -122.42250
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Balclutha
Balclutha(back) at her mooring next toEppleton Hall(front) in San Francisco
History
UK Civil EnsignUnited Kingdom
NamesakeBalclutha, New ZealandorBaile Chluaidh(Gaelic)
BuilderCharles Connell & Co. Ltd.
Launched6 December 1886
In service15 January 1887
StatusMuseum shipsince 1954
General characteristics
TypeThree-masted full-rigged ship
Tonnage
Displacementc. 4,100 tons
Tons burthen2,650 tons
Length301 ft (92 m)
Beam38.6 ft (11.8 m)
Height145 ft (44 m)
Draught20.3 ft (6.2 m)
Depth of hold22.7 ft (6.9 m)
Propulsionsail
Sail planrigged with royal sails over double top & singletopgallantsails; 25 sails in all
Complement26; under theAPAflag ~ 210
Notes
Balclutha(square-rigger)
Balclutha (1886) is located in San Francisco County
Balclutha (1886)
Balclutha (1886) is located in California
Balclutha (1886)
Balclutha (1886) is located in the United States
Balclutha (1886)
LocationHyde Street Pier,San Francisco, California
Coordinates37°48′35.5″N122°25′21″W/ 37.809861°N 122.42250°W/37.809861; -122.42250
Built1886
ArchitectCharles Connell
NRHP referenceNo.76000178
Significant dates
Added to NRHP7 November 1976[1]
Designated NHL4 February 1985[2]

Balclutha,also known asStar of Alaska,Pacific Queen,orSailing ShipBalclutha,is a steel-hulledfull-rigged shipthat was built in 1886. She is representative of several different commercial ventures, including lumber, salmon, and grain. She is a U.S.National Historic Landmarkand is currently preserved at theSan Francisco Maritime National Historical Parkin San Francisco, California. She was added to theNational Register of Historic Placeson 7 November 1976.[1]

History

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Balcluthawas built in 1886 byCharles Connell and CompanyofScotstouninGlasgow,Scotland, for Robert McMillan, ofDumbarton,Scotland. Her name derives from theGaelicBaile Chluaidh( "City on theClyde",a poetic name forDumbarton). Designed as a general trader,BalclutharoundedCape Horn17 times in thirteen years.

During this period she carried cargoes such as wine,case oil,and coal from Europe and theEast Coast of the United Statesto various ports in the Pacific. These includedChilefor nitrate,AustraliaandNew Zealandfor wool,Burmafor rice, San Francisco for grain, and thePacific Northwestfor timber.

In 1899Balcluthatransferred to the registry ofHawaii,and traded timber from the Pacific Northwest to Australia, returning to San Francisco with Australian coal.

The ship sailed as theStar of Alaskabetween 1904 and 1930.

In 1902Balcluthawas chartered to theAlaska Packers' Association(APA). After having struck a reef off ofSitkinak IslandnearKodiak Islandon 16 May 1904, she was renamed theStar of Alaskawhen bought by APA for merely $500. After extended repairs she joined thesalmonfishing trade, sailing north from the San Francisco area to theChignik Bay,Alaska, in April with supplies, fishermen, and cannery workers, and returned in September with a cargo of canned salmon.

For this trade she carried over 200 crew and passengers, as compared to the 26-man crew she carried as theBalclutha.In 1911 the poop deck was extended to the main mast to accommodate Italian and Scandinavian workers. This expansion is called the shelter deck. In the 'tween deck, bunks for Chinese workers were built. Her last voyage in this trade was in 1930, when she then was laid up after her return home.

In 1933,Star of Alaskawas renamedPacific Queenby her new owner Frank Kissinger. In this guise she appeared in the filmMutiny on the BountystarringClark GableandCharles Laughton.She then eked out an existence as an exhibition ship, gradually deteriorating, and was for a while exhibited as a "pirate ship".

In 1954,Pacific Queenwas acquired by the San Francisco Maritime Museum, which restored her and renamed herBalcluthaand moored her atPier 41 East.[3]In 1985 she was designated aNational Historic Landmark.[2][4]

In 1988,[5]she was moved to her present mooring atHyde Street Pierof theSan Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.She previously hosted a monthlyChantey Singin the shelter deck, which has moved to the adjacentEureka.[6][7]

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Deck Plan

See also

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Sources

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  1. ^ab"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.15 April 2008.
  2. ^ab"BALCLUTHA".National Historic Landmark summary listing.National Park Service.Archived fromthe originalon 14 November 2007.Retrieved25 June2008.
  3. ^Balclutha - photosecrets.com
  4. ^Delgado, James P.(30 December 1983)."National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Sailing Ship Balclutha / Balclutha (ex Star of Alaska, ex Pacific Queen)"(pdf).National Park Service.Retrieved23 August2012.and
    Delgado, James P.(30 December 1983)."Accompanying photos, exterior and interior"(pdf).National Park Service.Retrieved23 August2012.
  5. ^"1988 -Balcluthaarrives at Aquatic Park for permanent berthing at the Hyde Street Pier - dolphinclub.org ".Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2019.Retrieved21 February2014.
  6. ^Chantey Sing at Hyde Street PierFree Admission, call 415-561-7171
  7. ^Shoot, Brittany (30 March 2018)."San Franciscans Sing Sea Chanteys by the Seashore".Atlas Obscura.Retrieved20 August2019.

References

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