Cutty Sark, Greenwich

Cutty Sark Frontage, Greenwich

== Cutty Sark, Greenwich ==

File:Cutty Sark (ship).jpg

Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London

The Cutty Sark is a British clipper ship built in 1869, one of the last and fastest tea clippers to be constructed. The ship is now preserved as a museum ship in Greenwich, London, and is part of the National Historic Fleet.

History

The Cutty Sark was built on the River Clyde in Dumbarton, Scotland, by the firm of Scott & Linton. The ship was launched on 22 November 1869 and was designed to carry tea from China to Britain. The name "Cutty Sark" comes from the Robert Burns poem "Tam o' Shanter" and refers to the short shirt worn by the witch Nannie Dee.

Design

The Cutty Sark was designed by Hercules Linton and was one of the fastest ships of its time. It had a length of 212 feet (65 m), a beam of 36 feet (11 m), and a depth of 21 feet (6.4 m). The ship's hull was made of wooden planking on a wrought iron frame, and it had a sail area of 32,000 square feet (3,000 m²).

Service

The Cutty Sark initially served in the tea trade, making eight voyages to China. However, with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, steamships began to dominate the tea trade, and the Cutty Sark was moved to the wool trade with Australia. The ship set several records for the fastest voyages between Britain and Australia.

Preservation

In 1954, the Cutty Sark was moved to a custom-built dry dock in Greenwich, where it was restored and opened to the public as a museum ship. The ship suffered a major fire in 2007 but was subsequently restored and reopened in 2012. Today, the Cutty Sark is a popular tourist attraction and an important part of maritime heritage.

Location

The Cutty Sark is located in Greenwich, London, near the Greenwich Meridian and the Royal Observatory. It is part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.

Related Pages

• Clipper ship
• Tea clipper
• Greenwich
• National Historic Fleet
• Robert Burns
• Suez Canal
• Maritime Greenwich
• Royal Observatory, Greenwich