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From the taffrail

I’ve been working on a proposal requested for The Plymouth Mayflower 400 Committee, almost complete, ready for editing, with accompanying sketches and a photo of the Mayflower II model I’m building as an aid to perspective.

Meanwhile, I’ve opened a new page on my site, “the Brotherhood of the Sea” a place for a sea yarns that surface during research, seem to good to loose, many will brighten a day, all will be insights into a way of life we will never see again. 

The clipper ship Samuel Plimsoll loading at Plymouth
The clipper ship Samuel Plimsoll loading at Plymouth

A friend in Plymouth, a kindly Gentleman, has been typing some of my notes on “Emigration, Plymouth Cattewater”.
There are several yarns that emerged with the story that don’t directly connect to the painting yet to me seem to fine a take to loose so ideal candidates for the new web site page Brotherhood of the sea .
The ship featured and yes she is a real ship, is the 3 masted square rigged deep sea clipper “Samuel Plymsol”.
 
The following gives an idea of “Samuel Plimsol’s”prowess, the latter entry gives cause for a smile, enjoy.
 
Whilst loading for London, she was thus advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald:
 
ABERDEEN CLIPPER LINE- for London
THE SPLENDID NEW CLIPPER SHIP
 
SAMUEL PLIMSOLL
 
100 A1, 1444 tons reg. R. Boaden, late of THE STAR OF PEACE commander.
 
This magnificent vessel has just completed the passage from Plymouth in 73 days, and having her cargo stowed on board will leave about 7th April.
 
Then again:
On the occasion of her only mishap a tropical squall carried away the bobstay, and down came the fore-topmast and main topgallant mast. It happened that a Yankee clipper was in company.
 
In the true spirit of “the Brotherhood of the Sea” this vessel beat up to the dismantled Samuel Plimsoll and sent a boat off with a message to say she was bound for Australia and would gladly tranship the passengers and carry them on to their destination.
 
This offer, Captain Simpson, who then commanded the Samuel Plimsoll, declined with thanks, so the American went on her way.
 
The men of the Samuel Plimsol laboured hard all day until the Aberdeen flyer had fresh masts aloft, after which she settled down to make up the lost time.
 
Most nobly she did so, one week’s work in the roaring forties totalling 2300 miles.
 
She eventually arrived in Melbourne, 82 days out.
 
Some days later the Yankee arrived and her captain, quite correctly, at once went to the Samuel Plimsoll’s agents.
 
He reported speaking to her dismasted in the Atlantic, at the same time he commented on her captain’s foolhardiness in not transhipping his passengers.
 
“Is it Captain Simpson sitting over there you are referring to?” asked the agent…
 
The Samuel Plimsol had arrived a full week before the Yankee clipper.