SHIPS WITH HISTORIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 236, 24 December 1927, Page 20

SHIPS WITH HISTORIES

TEA CLIPPER AND TRAINING SHIP NOW IN WHEAT TRADE The Swedish windjammer Beatrice which recently visited Melbourne, wv once jsl famous tea clipper, and one of the fastest vessels in the trade. During her month in Melbourne sb€ lay almost alongside another tall jammer—the liertzogin Cecilie, once a proud German training-ship, now in the timber-wheat trade. The Beatrice, like nearly all the foreign windjammers that come to Melbourne, was originally British. She was built in/ISSI by Robert Steele in Greenock, the shipwright who built lit Sir Lancelot, remembered still by sailormen of the old school as prtbably the most famous of hll Steeles tea-clippers. The Beatrice was first christered Routenburn—one of the Burn Line, and built specially for the Calcutta trade. Second Officer S. Swenson, betjre the Beatrice left to-day, told how lit went into the ’Frisco grain trade, in the 90 ? s, trading from the west coast of America to England. And then in 1906 she was sold to Sweden, and era since has been Swedish. She is an iron ship, even to the masts. There is not a piece of in her. The bulwarks are half is inch thick . 533 Knots in Four Hours “I think she is one of the fas.es: windjammers afloat,” said Mr. Swanson. “She was built when the bios: perfect sailing ships in the world were built. On our last trip she did knots in four hours. This is accordis* to the log, and is not guesswork.” The Hertzogin Ceciliie was built ir 1902 by the Nord-Deutscher Lie yd Lint for the nitrate trade with Chili She carried always 90 German cadets, most of whom fought in tb« war. The aims of the German company are still emblazoned and carvec throughout the vesseL When she was a German, tl'.e Her: zogin Cecilie carried a doctor and t» teachers. One of her trips was a pleasure cruise to Honolulu. Her accommodation is spacious. present captain lives in the earn* space once occupied by the captain, officers’ cabins and officer mess. And where once the cadets a*®"j numbered 90, the windjammer no carries a crew of only 26. After the war, France was given _ Hertzogin Cecilie as part of tion. She made one trip to CW* a load of nitrate, and. back at gium, was bought by Sweden » v She is fitted throughout with ei« u “ light and steam heating. —.