14 Sep 2016
Captain Moore's log has taught us a lot about what happened on board Cutty Sark while the ship was in port. This week we look into what his notes can tell us about loading and unloading cargo.
Loading and unloading a clipper ship with cargo is a skilled job. As cargo is removed, the ship becomes lighter and rises in the water. To avoid it becoming unstable, sufficient ballast is loaded to maintain the ship’s balance. When loading cargo, the situation is reversed and ballast is jettisoned. Also, cargos must be secure and prevented from moving during the voyage.
Cutty Sark arrived in Madras on 7 November 1882 in ballast, having off-loaded her cargo in Samarang and not loaded another. She was initially moored in a holding area before moving to a position where she could begin to load her new cargo. While waiting, some of the ballast was thrown overboard and the holds cleaned in preparation. This was common practice to prevent the new cargo being contaminated by the old.
9th December 8/30 am hove up anchors and set topsails jib and staysails and proceeded into harbour limits. 11am. Brought up in 8 fth with starboard bow and veered away 60 fth of chain. Master attendants flag staff bearing NW ¾ W dist 2½ miles made all sail fast Crew & coolies employed [shipping?] ship also discharging ballast & clean fore and after holes. 13 coolies employed. John Norman still night watchman anchor light duly attended to throughout the week
The new cargo was to be jaggery [dark sugar] and redwood and they began loading on 11 December.
11th December - Carpenter employed variously Sailmaker repairing royal Crew cleaning up lower Hole Coolies shifting ballast & taking in cargo – took in 40 tons Red 15 coolies employed Jackson appt on shore
As the cargo is loaded, the ballast is moved to keep the ship in trim. This log entry mentions the balancing of cargo and ballast.
16th December - Carpenter variously employed Sailmaker and one hand repairing fore Gtl sail Crew working cargo and various other jobs Rove fore & mzn royal gear Coolies working cargo and trimming ballast 17 coolies employed took in 121 bags jiggery and 14 tons redwood John Norman still night watchman Anchor light duly attended to throughout the week
On 26 December the weather was not good. The log entry records this and the crew’s duties, but there is no mention of cargo being loaded; the weather must have been judged to be too severe.
Throughout this day strong breeze from NNE & ENE swell ship rolling heavily and veered 90 fht to windlass Carpenter and one hand putting [puttying] poop deck Sailmaker and one hand repairing Glt staysail Crew employed scrapping heal of jibboom scrawlwork [scrollwork] around the stem and chipping down lower forecastle and various other jobs
Loading was completed on 29 December and Cutty Sark left Madras on the 30th sailing with half full holds. Her draught of 17 feet indicates this. She arrived at Cocanada on 8 January 1883, where she was to load a cargo of Myrobolanes and deer horns.
16th January - Carpenter and one boy cementing scuppers Sailmaker one hand repairing fore sail Crew employed variously about rigging painting & 37 coolies 2 serangs taking in cargo Took in 1400 bags Myrobolanes 4163 horns Oliver Norman laid up.
29th January - Carpenter variously Sailmaker one hand finishing Mainsail Crew about rigging bent mainsail & various other jobs Coolies taking in cargo finished loading took in 136 bags & 175 Bales of deer Horns – Ship’s draft aft 20ft 7 inches Ship foreard 20ft 4 inches – 20ft 5½ Mean
With the cargo fully loaded and the ship’s balance checked she was ready for her journey back to London where she arrived without incident on June 1883.
By Roger Hodge
About Roger: “I have been a volunteer at Cutty Sark for eighteen years; assisting with school programmes, acting as a tour guide, carrying out surveys for the archival records and, during the conservation project, assisting with the recording of items dismantled and removed from the ship to be preserved and reinstalled. Recently I was asked to research the log of Cutty Sark’s thirteenth voyage, which has formed the basis for this series of blogs. I also write comedy plays for adults as well as plays and pantomimes for children, several of which have been published. The writing stems from forty years of acting and producing plays with amateur dramatic societies.”