Flying Cloud (clipper)

Flying Cloud

1917 oil-on-canvas painting of Flying Cloud by Antonio Jacobsen, based on an 1851 lithograph
History
United States
Owner	Grinnell, Minturn & Co, New York
Builder	Donald McKay of East Boston, Massachusetts
Cost	$90,000
Launched	1851
United Kingdom
Owner	James Baines & Co., Black Ball Line, Liverpool
Acquired	1862
Owner	Harry Smith Edwards, South Shields, England
Acquired	19 April 1871
Out of service	1875
Fate	Went aground, Beacon Island Bar, Saint John, New Brunswick, 1874; burned for iron and copper fastenings
General characteristics
Type	Clipper
Tonnage	1,782 tons (US) 1,098 NRT (UK)[1]
Length	225 ft (69 m) LOD (US) 221.1 ft (67.4 m) Register Length (UK)[1]
Beam	41 ft 8 in (12.70 m) (US) 40.2 ft (12.3 m) (UK)[1]
Depth	21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)(US) 21.8 ft (6.6 m) (UK)[1]
Notes	US and UK measurements differ as measuring systems had slightly different rules.

Flying Cloud was a clipper ship that set the world's sailing record for the fastest passage between New York and San Francisco, 89 days 8 hours. The ship held this record for over 130 years, from 1854 to 1989.

Flying Cloud was the most famous of the clippers built by Donald McKay. She was known for her extremely close race with Hornet in 1853; for having a woman navigator, Eleanor Creesy, wife of Josiah Perkins Creesy who skippered Flying Cloud on two record-setting voyages from New York to San Francisco; and for sailing in the Australia and timber trades.