Rob Mundle in his recent (2016) book, Under Full Sail (ABC) traces the emergence and decline of the clippers that ran the England to Australia run during the gold rush and beyond. He does not mention the Loch Ard, and perhaps for good reason, the era of the clipper had passed, and tragic though it was the Loch Ard disaster was probably not the catalyst for its end. Mundle gives two reasons, (1) the rise fo steam powered ships like the SS Great Britain that were not subject to the vagaries of the wind, and (2) the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which could reduce distance traveled by as much as 3750 nautical miles (Mundle: p, 322). Due to the nature of the winds in that part of the world the Suez was not negotiable by sail.
Monday 8 July 2019
Loch Ard - the last of the clippers?
The Loch Ard was the last of the clippers to run passengers to Australia. While some commentators may note the tragic loss of life as the cause for the clipper route demise, the Loch Ard was not the wreck with the greatest body count.
Rob Mundle in his recent (2016) book, Under Full Sail (ABC) traces the emergence and decline of the clippers that ran the England to Australia run during the gold rush and beyond. He does not mention the Loch Ard, and perhaps for good reason, the era of the clipper had passed, and tragic though it was the Loch Ard disaster was probably not the catalyst for its end. Mundle gives two reasons, (1) the rise fo steam powered ships like the SS Great Britain that were not subject to the vagaries of the wind, and (2) the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which could reduce distance traveled by as much as 3750 nautical miles (Mundle: p, 322). Due to the nature of the winds in that part of the world the Suez was not negotiable by sail.
Rob Mundle in his recent (2016) book, Under Full Sail (ABC) traces the emergence and decline of the clippers that ran the England to Australia run during the gold rush and beyond. He does not mention the Loch Ard, and perhaps for good reason, the era of the clipper had passed, and tragic though it was the Loch Ard disaster was probably not the catalyst for its end. Mundle gives two reasons, (1) the rise fo steam powered ships like the SS Great Britain that were not subject to the vagaries of the wind, and (2) the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which could reduce distance traveled by as much as 3750 nautical miles (Mundle: p, 322). Due to the nature of the winds in that part of the world the Suez was not negotiable by sail.
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