SUMMARY: The City of Adelaide clipper ship has an extraordinary structure that’s one of a kind and an excellent construction time. The clipper ship also has the most colourful history surrounding its existence.
The world’s oldest clipper ship in Adelaide?
Can you believe that the world’s oldest clipper ship is still in perfect condition and can safely sail? A few months back, the director in charge of the vessel started the ship. In his statement, Peter Christopher made it clear that most of the Clipper Ship’s iron frames are intact, and the timber is also solid. The Clipper Ship City of Adelaide is a breathtaking sight to behold, and the history behind it is quite mesmerising. Continue reading to find out more about the world’s oldest Clipper Ship.
The Clipper Ship’s Construction
The world’s oldest Clipper ship is the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide. It is built in composite construction, with timber planks and iron frames. The ship is almost 177 feet long, 33 feet wide, and at its widest, it weighed 791 tonnes at the time of its completion. The timber planks used in the ship’s construction seem to be 4 inches thick.
The construction of the Clipper Ship was a project like no other; in other terms, it was a mammoth project. This project took around nine months to complete when every hole was hand drilled.
Clipper Ship City of Adelaide: The History
The history of the City of Adelaide is a mesmerising one and educative. The ship has a history to have handled so many happenings. It served as a cargo and passenger ship, a Navy training ship, a hospital ship, and a floating clubhouse for the Royal Navy Reserve Club. All these were before it was found slithering in a muddy slip in Scotland. It is also interesting to know that the City of Adelaide was brought back to Port Adelaide after the rescue.
Its First Voyage
The City of Adelaide commenced its first maiden voyage to South Australia on 6th August 1864. At this time, it was serving as a passenger ship from London to Adelaide. It would bring back a cargo of wool, copper, and wheat during the return journeys. It is a major participant in the history of South
Australia, bringing into the picture some renowned families. Note that almost 250,000 Australians’ ancestral history goes back to the passenger and the crew of the City of Adelaide.
The Rescue Mission of the Clipper Ship
‘City of Adelaide’ was rescued in 1992 from the muddy grave it was lying in. The rescue mission was largely made possible by the Scottish Maritime Museum although it was funded by various enterprises. In 1993, it was taken to Irving to restore and preserve it. However, the conservation process was stopped in 1999 when all the funds dried up. In 2000, it was listed for deconstruction. Of course, the idea was opposed by many parties, and in February 2001, the deconstruction order was refused. After that, the “Save the City of Adelaide” Action Group began its campaign to save the ‘City of Adelaide’. Later, it was shipped to Port Adelaide, which was not a simple task.
‘City of Adelaide’ is a huge ship, which means it is pretty heavy. It took the parties involved 14 years to get the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide to Port Adelaide. It arrived at the port on 3rd February 2014, and soon after, the preservation work started. On 17th May 2014, it turned 150 years, and today it is a tourist attraction site.
