Shenadohn (wood) Yankee ship 3 sky yards

This watercolour depicts a port broadside view of a three-masted ship-rigged vessel crossing six yards on each of the three masts. It has painted ports and is fitted with a large windsail pump (onker) abaft the main mast. Smaller vessels are visible in the left-hand foreground and in the distance. The watercolour is mounted on a board, which is inscribed beneath the watercolour ‘Shenadohn American Wood Ship 3 Skysail Yards’. On the reverse of the board is the inscription ‘Shenadohn (Wood) Yankee Ship 3 Sky Yards’.

No vessel of this name and description can be traced. It is possibly a misspelling of ‘Shenandoah’ (one built in 1863, the other in 1890), although neither vessel matches the one depicted. Possibly the watercolour is an artist’s impression of the 1890 ‘Shenandoah’ based on erroneous newspaper reports of her being a three skysail yarder.