The American-built Clipper Ship, 1850-1856: Characteristics, Construction, and DetailsWith the sweep of its bow, its graceful lines, and its cloud of canvas, the clipper ship sparked a romance with the American public that still endures 150 years later. During the 1850s, intense intercity rivalries arose around locally built clippers, as they reached and maintained speeds that were unheard of previously. Ships were suddenly christened with romantic names, and the interiors of passenger-carrying vessels reached a new level of embellishment. The product of 35 years of research, The American-Built Clipper Ship presents in exquisite detail 152 clippers that comprise the culmination of the shipbuilder's art. Every facet of clipper-ship design and construction is covered, from felling timber to details on interior finish work. Extraordinarily crisp and detailed drawings by the author, who retired from the design department of the Philadelphia Naval yard, illustrate this magificent work. No other single source covers so many vessels in such detail. |
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apron assembly Bark bowsprit built Bulwarks C.L. OF SHIP carved ceiling clinched clipper ship concave construction convex convex copper deadrise deadwood Donald McKay driven Eagle East Boston Ellen Foster Eringo fastenings Fe Cu Fe Flying FOCSLE fore forward FUTTOCK garboard gilded Half poop Hanging knees hold beams hooks hull inches inner post installed keel keelson laid decks length locust Lodging knees lower deck beams MAIN RAIL mast middle deck midship section monkey rail moulded NHWO patent pine planking planksheer poop deck rabbet rake rider rigging rock maple sailing scantlings scarph ship's shipbuilding shown in Figure skysail spikes square Stag Hound stanchions sternpost strakes stringer structure SWELL OF SIDES Table text continued Tglt thick thru tier timbers tons 2 decks trailboards transom treenails tween decks upright Vessel & Ref War Hawk weather deck wedged white oak wood yard yellow metal