Witchcraft

An extreme clipper ship built in 1850 by Paul Curtis, Chelsea, MA, to the design of Samuel H. Pook. Dimensions 185'×39'6"×22' and tonnage 1310 51/95 tons OM.

1850 December 21: Launched at the shipyard of Paul Curtis, Chelsea, MA for Richard S. Rogers & William D. Pickman, Salem, MA. In command of Captain William C. Rogers.
1851 April 4 - August 11: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 128 days after having been obliged to put into Rio de Janeiro for repairing a sprung mainmast which occupied 21 days. The continued voyage from Rio de Janeiro took 62 days which is the fastest passage on record.
1852 March 30: Sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong in 44 days. All three topmasts were lost in a sudden squall 42 days out. No suitable spars were available at Hong Kong and new topmasts had to be made of teak.
1852: Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 111 days.
1853 March 19: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 110 days. Under command of Captain Josiah Dudley.
1854: Sold to T. Magoun & Sons, Boston, for $ 66 000. In command of Captain Benjamin Freeman late of the Climax.
1854 May 9 - August 15: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 98 days.
1854 August 28: Sailed from San Francisco to Callao in 32 days. This is the fastest passage on record.
1854 May 9 - August 15: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 98 days.
1856 January 1: Sailed from Port Louis, Mauritius, to London in 85 days with cargo of sugar at £300.6 à ton.
1857 February 7: Sailed from Boston to Melbourne in 97 days under command of Captain Boolt.
1857: Sailed from Melbourne to Hong Kong in 55 days.
1857 September 30 - February 4: Sailed from Manila to Boston in 125 days.
1858 March 13 - August 30: Sailed from Boston to San Francisco in 150 days. The bowsprit and the fore topmast were lost off the Cape Horn. The subsequent repairs at Valparaiso took 20 days.
1859 October 14 - February 8: Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 115 days.
1860 March 20: Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 131 days.
1861 April 8: Stranded at Chickamaconic, NC. Of the passenger and crew, 15 were killed in the wreck.

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
Duncan McLean: The New Clipper Ship Witchcraft, of Salem.
Boston Daily Atlas, January 20, 1851.

Updated 2000-01-12 by Lars Bruzelius

Sjöhistoriska Samfundet | The Maritime History Virtual Archives | Ships | American clipper ships