Baltimore Clipper

Definition

Clipper, name applied to a ship to indicate that it is a very fast sailer. The term, probably derived from the verb clip (to move quickly), was first used in the United States soon after the War of 1812 and was applied to the type of vessel formerly described as Virginia built or of pilot boat construction. After the 1830s the term clipper was adopted to mean any fast ship.

Baltimore Clipper

Baltimore clippers were first referred to as Virginia built, and, because they were used as pilot boats in Norfolk, Virginia, they were also referred to as pilot boat construction. They were usually schooner, brigantine, or brig rigged, but some ship-rigged vessels of the model were built as early as the American Revolution .

These topsail schooners first attracted attention in Europe toward the end of the American Revolution because they had proved to be very fast privateers.

By the early 19th century the Baltimore clipper had become known internationally as a fast-sailing, seagoing type suitable for naval service, for illegal trading, and for carrying light cargoes.

Its reputation was enhanced by its performance during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812; afterward, most of the slavers and smugglers, as well as West Indian pirate craft, were Baltimore clippers.

The most common example of the type in the first quarter of the 19th century was a topsail schooner or brigantine, heavily sparred and canvased, with sharply raking masts, a low-sided and sharp-bowed hull, and a rather deep draft greatest at the heel of the rudder. Displacement was moderate for the hull dimensions, and the vessel was able to carry little cargo.

Vessels of pilot boat construction were built all along the Atlantic coast after 1800 and were copied outside the U.S., notably in France and in the West Indies.

Because the Baltimore clipper was not primarily designed for cargo carrying, little more than the name survived in the famous clipper ships of American transoceanic trade of the 1840s and 1850s, although the ship long remained the basic model for many small, fast-sailing craft, such as fishing schooners, pilot boats, and yachts.

Extract from article by: Howard I. Chapelle (over)
Kit Modification

Conversion of Robbe’s Valdivia Schooner kit to a early 1800’s Baltimore Clipper Topsail Schooner.

Time to complete Project: 3 years

Major changes/ additions: - Added Square Topsail to Schooner (Fore) Mast, with all support rigging, lines and servos. - Added removable Fin Keel, to improve scale sail-ability. - Added Teak planking to inner bulwarks. - Modified Main Hatch and Cabin cover for better access to new features below decks. - Installed Cannons, Gun-ports. - Added footrope netting to bowsprit / jib boom. - Closed opening for motor prop. - Replaced anchors.

Construction Materials: Spruce, Mahogany, Teak, Beech, ABS plastic, Aluminum, Brass, Steel, PVC

Model Specification: Length: 62.2 inches Width: 11.8 inches Height: 51 inches Scale: 1:20 Total displacement: 19.8 lbs

R/C Radio: (4 channels used) Robbe F-14 with duel-stick option Futaba Sail Winches (3); 1 for fore-sails, 1 for main sails, 1 for top-sail Futaba S9001 (rudder)

Historical Reconstructions that this build References: Schooner Californian, Schooner Lynx, Schooner Pride of Baltimore II.

See more Information: http://www.sparksstudios.com/boatyard (over)