Stag Hound

An extreme clipper ship built in 1850 by Donald McKay, East Boston, also named Staghound. Dimensions 215'×39'8"×21" and tonnage 1534 tons old measurement and approx. 1100 British measurement. Her deadrise was 40 inches at half breadth.

Griffiths gave a description of the ship in the U.S. Nautical Magazine Volume II (1855).

1850 December 7
Launched after a building time of about 100 days at the shipyard of Donald McKay, East Boston,for George B. Upton and Sampson & Tappan, Boston. Command of the ship was given to Captain Josiah Richardson.
1851 February 1
Sailed from New York for San Francisco. The price for the freight was $1,40 per cubic foot.
1851 February 6
The main topmast broke six days out, bringing down the fore and mizzen topgallant masts in its fall. It took seven days to do the repairs the damage. See reports in the Boston Daily Atlas for June 5 and June 10.
1851 April 8
Put into Valparaiso 66 days out of New York. This was the second fastest passage on record.
1851 June 26
Left San Francisco for Manila.
1851 October 9 - January 9
Sailed with a cargo of tea from Whampoa to New York in 94 days. The total profit for the round-trip exceeded $ 80.000.
1852 March 1 - July 3
Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 124 days.
1852 July 21 - September 4
Sailed from San Francisco to Whampoa in 45 days.
1852 September 25 - December 30
Sailed from Whampoa in company with the clipper Sword Fish and reached New York after 95 days beaten by the Sword Fish with six days.
1853 February 25 - July 1
Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 122 days after having been detained at Juan Fernandez for five days.
1853 July 16 - September 13
Sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong.
1853 October 24 - January 21
Sailed from Whampoa to New York in 89 days.
1854 April 27 - August 15
Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 110 days.
1854 August 25 - October 14
Sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong in 49 days.
1855 April 8 - August 27
Sailed from Woosung with a cargo of tea to Deal in 141 days. [McGregor].
1855 May 29 - August 21
Cleared Java Head for London where she arrived after 91 days. [Howe & Matthews]
1856 April 21 - August 21
Sailed from Whampoa to New York in 122 days.
1857 January 4 - April 22
Sailed from Boston to San Francisco in 108 days.
1857 May 15 - July 5
Sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong 50 days.
1857 August 13 - December 4
Sailed from Foo Chow to New York in 113 days.
1858 February 6 - June 7
Sailed from Boston to San Francisco in 121 days.
1858 July 20 - September 17
Sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong in 58 days and was laid up.
1861 August 2
Sailed from Sunderland with a cargo of coal for San Francisco.
1861 October 12
The coal cargo caught fire when approx. 45 miles south of Pernambuco and the ship had to be abandoned without loss of life. The crew reached Pernambuco in the boats the following day.

Her lines have been published in Henry Hall's Report on the Ship-Building Industry of the United States.
The Census Office, Washington, 1884.

References:


Updated 1999-03-09 by Lars Bruzelius.


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