City of Adelaide, later known as HMS Carrick, and then SV Carrick, is the oldest surviving clipper ship in the world, and one of only a few to exist.
Like the Cutty Sark and the Ambassador (built 1869 in Rotherhithe but now a wreck on San Gregorio beach north of Punta Arenas in Chile) she is of composite construction with timber planking on a wrought iron frame; the method provides the structural strength of an iron ship combined with the insulat...
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City of Adelaide, later known as HMS Carrick, and then SV Carrick, is the oldest surviving clipper ship in the world, and one of only a few to exist.
Like the Cutty Sark and the Ambassador (built 1869 in Rotherhithe but now a wreck on San Gregorio beach north of Punta Arenas in Chile) she is of composite construction with timber planking on a wrought iron frame; the method provides the structural strength of an iron ship combined with the insulation of a timber hull. Composite ships were built for a relatively short period from circa 1860 to 1880; they were some of the fastest ships afloat as unlike iron ships they could have their bottoms coppered to prevent fouling while their iron frames enabled them to carry large rigs. Unfortunately they were not built for longevity and the combination of timber planks fixed to iron frames, usually with bronze bolts, resulted in accelerated corrosion of the iron.
Although listed by the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection of the United...
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