LB2007.1.72067

LB2007.1.72067

Downeast Clipper Maine's Down Easters After the Civil War, American shipping went into decline in the face of competition from the British, who led the world in construction of iron steamships and composite iron and wood sailing ships. American economic and political interests shifted from international trade to southern reconstruction, westward expansion, and railroad building. With skilled labor, plenty of nearby lumber, and low costs, Maine continued building square-rigged ships. These competed internationally, carrying low freight-rate cargoes, such as grain, coal, guano, iron rails, and kerosene oil, called case oil. After the Civil War, California grain exports increased from 43,000 tons in 1865 to 488,000 tons in 1884. American ships carried much of that grain. Economics determined the design of these deep-sea sailing ships, which came to be called Down Easters. They were deeper and fuller in shape than the most extreme clipper ships, but they still had clean lines for fast sailing. They were a little bigger than the clippers in volume (register tonnage), but not in overall length, and carried one and a half times as much cargo. Their three masts carried large sails, but they were easier to handle because the largest sails of the clippers had been split into two smaller sails. The rig was not as extreme as the clipper rig. These changes meant that Down Easters typically required a crew of thirty or forty, half that of a clipper ship. By some counts, Maine built about 350 Down Easters between 1862 and 1902, half built in and around Bath. Penobscot Bay towns built about 55, most during the 1870s. Yet it was the 1880s when Searsport ship captains served as masters on 10% of all U.S. flag square-rigged sailing ships. Local ownership and captaincy of these ships was important to Maine's supremacy in the Down Easter era. Though the ships never came back to Maine after their launchings, they became an integral part of Maine's maritime communities. Maine families went to sea and came home, bringing souvenirs and experiences from around the world. These ships typically sailed out of large ports like New York, Boston, or Philadelphia, and their crews were from all over the world. If a captain came from Maine, one or two mates might also, but the rest of the crew could be from Europe, the West Indies, China, or other U.S. states. Down Easters often sailed to California to carry grain to the East Coast or to Liverpool or Hamburg. From England or some East Coast ports, they might carry coal to ports around the world. Ships loading in Philadelphia and New York carried case oil, or illuminating oil, to San Francisco, China, and Japan. Some carried hemp, jute, hides, iron rails, sugar, wool, and even guano. Ships going to San Francisco went around Cape Horn. If they were going to the Far East, the preferred route was around the Cape of Good Hope, taking advantage as much as possible of the prevailing westerlies and trade easterlies to make fast passages. Despite continual competition from British iron sailing and steam ships, Down Easters were not superseded by steam until the early 1900s. Improved engine efficiency cut coal consumption, and opening the Panama Canal shortened steam routes. Few Down Easters were built in the Penobscot Bay area after 1885 and none were built in Maine after 1902. Many Down Easters ended their lives as barges, or wrecked or otherwise lost at sea. The last one, Benjamin F. Packard, served as an attraction at an amusement park near New York City. Her cabin is preserved at Mystic Seaport Museum.