and written off. The wreck discussed Lancings capacwas sold to new owners from ity for speed with respect to who might be in comLondon, who salvaged the mand: "With her great hull and had her towed to Blyth, on the no rtheast coast length and heavy yards she was not an easy ship of England, where she would ro handle, and the Norbe co nverted to carry cargo wegians certainly seemed under sai l. to have got the hang of At Blyth, she was fither better than her Britted with three steel masts. ish officers as I can find Pereire's foremast was moved aft and made in to the jigger, no specially good passages under the Red Ensign ." and they gave her a surprisingly short bowsprit. H er Lancing had several owners from several counlength overall increased by tries throughout her sixtyalmost fifty feet to 405 feet. Ballast tanks were installed in year career. A. E. Kinnear the former engine room and of London purchased her in 1888 and later sold pump room, and a boiler and her to a Johan Bryde of steam winches were installed on deck. The ship's five waSandefjord, Norway. In 1896, her title was transtertight bulkheads were kept. ferred to Frank Ross of This was highly unusual for a windjammer and added Quebec, though Norweimmensely to her strength. gian interes ts were sti ll involved. While in port Instead of one big hold, the converted ship had three in San Fra ncisco in 190 1, she was transferred back separate cargo holds and to Norway: the new own"tweendeck." In her rig, she carried 24 squaresails, 9 stayers were Johan Johanse n of Lysaker, with Krisriania sails, and a spanker. In 1889, (now Oslo) as home port. she was described by Lloyd's Register of Shipping as the Pereirel Lancing had been four-masted, full-rigged ship a workhorse, carrying Lancing, a cargo-carrying people and hauling cargo all over rhe world for forwindj ammer of 2,785 gross tons with the designation of ty-six years, but, after the turn of the century, her life "Class Al" vessel. changed drastically. The Many years later, when she was being surveyed for Lancing in dry dock. The sharp Lines of her huff reveal her designer's goal of twentieth century began her class renewal in Gree- building a ship that could attain great speeds. In her case, she was incredibly with a period when sailing nock, an elderly surveyor fast, both as a steamship and as a sailing ship. Over a twenty-year period, and ships could rely on good came on board. He had been Late in her Life, she proved to be one of the speediest windjammers of aff time. freight rates, and Lancing with Lloyd's as a yo ung apgot her fair share. She was prentice when the steam er Pereire was built years under British ownership are well dry-docked and cleaned regularly. Sails and in 1865. Now, fifty-four years later, he ex- documented. Her departure and arrivals rigging were renewed when needed. In 1903, when Nils Bull Melsom asplained that Lloyd's considered Lancing suggest that she was not a "Greyho und of one of the world's wonders. In more than the Seas," but a few stories indicate she was, sumed command, things changed dramatia half century of sailing, she had never had nonetheless, a speedy vessel. O nce, under cally. He must have been an extraordinary a negative comment filed in her records. In the command of Cap rain Hatfield, she eas- seaman and master, one who understood his notes, he stated that she could sai l an- ily left the fourteen-knot pilot boat astern as well the strength and ability of this ship other fifty years. Today, we understand that she sailed into New York. Highly surprised, and how she could best be sai led. He imthese early steamships, built of ship-quality the pilot asked fo r her speed. Hatfield re- mediately installed a new towing log and wrought iron, are among the most lasti ng plied that he had no log and could nor mea- purchased a high-quality chronometer. structures built for a saline environment. sure the speed. In Basil Lubbock's The Last From that time forward, Lancing embarked Lancing's voyages during her early of the Windjammers (G lasgow, 1929), he o n a long series of extraordinarily swift SEA HISTORY 124, AUTUMN 2008
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