The 3-masted composite-built ship / tea clipper the Thermopylae (947 tons) was also built at Footdee, Aberdeen by Hall’s neighbour, Walter Hood & Co., for George Thompson’s Aberdeen Line. Alexander Hall & Co., 1860’sĪberdeen shipbuilders played a big part in the evolution of the clipper ship. Hall’s built many clippers during the 1860’s. From this date the British built vessels, led by the Aberdeen clippers, gained a great reputation for speed, construction quality, and weatherly qualities, beating the fastest American vessels on long ocean voyages. In 1853, Hall’s built the Cairngorm (980 tons), she proved as fast as the Americans and due to her superior build quality, she delivered her cargo in good order, thereby being first choice for merchants. In 1850, Hall’s built the Stornoway (527 tons), and in 1851 the Chrysolite (570 tons) they proved very fast for their size, but were still no match for the Americans which were double their size. Shipowners believed economy was in the scale, and the introduction of composite vessels suited them well as this allowed larger and faster vessels to be built. built the clipper schooner Torrington (237 tons), which proving a great success, was followed by others of larger tonnage. Some of the American clippers were known to have landed cargoes in a damaged condition, this was something merchants didn’t like, and they encouraged the building of vessels of superior strength, which suited the British builders. The American built vessels for some years were found to be superior in speed, but it was found that the Aberdeen built vessels were superior in strength. In the 1840’s the British ship-owners and shipbuilders recognised the success of the American built ships and concentrated their efforts to the construction of clipper vessels to rival them.
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