Ship profile for the sailing ship: "Balclutha"

Photos of the sailing ship:

Please click into a photo to see it in higher resolution.

Balclutha, Werner Jurkowski, San Fransisco , 05/1989

Source, location, date:
Werner Jurkowski,
San Fransisco,
05/1989

Balclutha, Werner Jurkowski, San Fransisco , 05/1989

Source, location, date:
Werner Jurkowski,
San Fransisco,
05/1989

Technical data of the sailing ship:

Name:Balclutha
Ex-names:Star of Alaska, Pacific Queen
Registered port:San Francisco
Nation:USA
Type of rigging:VOLLSCHIFF
Year built:1886
Yard:CHARLES CONNELL&CO., GLASGOW
Overall length:91.50 m
Length (hull):78.10 m
Breadth:11.70 m
Draught:6.90 m
Sail area:1900 m2
Ship's hull:Stahl / Steel
Engine:keine/none

Portrait of the sailing ship:

Last update: 01 Oct 1998

  • typical "Cape Horn" sailing ship at the prime of the sqare-rigged deep-water sailing vessels
  • She sailed around Cape Hoorn 17 times transporting coal or haberdashery from England, nitrate from Chile, rice from Rangoon, and wool from New Zealand.
  • from 1901 she was used for salmon fishing with the name "Star of Alaska"
  • after running aground and being holed in 1904, the vessel was salvaged and repaired in San Francisco.
  • used again as a salmon fishing boat from 1906-30 and later as a pirate ship for visitors under the name "Pacific Queen"
  • she was laid up during World War II and then purchased by the San Francisco Maritime Museum, restored to her original state in 1954
  • since 1954, the ship has been a maritime memorial for visitors in the port of San Francisco
  • returned to the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco after a general overhaul in 1998

Contact:

Website (English, 14 May 2022):
https://home.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/balclutha.htm
1886 Square-Rigger Balclutha: website of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park with her history, some photos of her life and some technical description

Literature for further reading:

We recommend the following references for your further research of the ship. The references marked with have been included in the generation of the ship profile on this page.

Otmar Schäuffelen
"Die letzten grossen Segelschiffe"
Delius Klasing Verlag 1997 ISBN: 3-7688-0483-6
(9. aktualisierte Auflage)
Page: 321 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data

Beken of Cowes, Eric C. Abranson
"Segelschiffe der Welt"
Edition Maritim 1995 ISBN: 3-89225-314-5
(engl. Originalausgabe: "Sailing Ships of the World", 1992, Thomas Reed Publications Ltd.)
Page: 40 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data

Giancarlo Schiavoni
"Unter Segeln, die grossen Windjammer auf den Weltmeeren"
Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH 1994 ISBN: 3-7822-0605-3
(ital. Originalausgabe: "La nave a vela")
Page: 201 Source with picture Source with history

American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
"Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea"
2000 ISBN: 0-9636483-5-7
(12th Edition)
Page: 67 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact

Ingrid Schmidt
"Maritime Oldtimer, Museumsschiffe aus 4 Jahrhunderten"
Edition Leipzig 1986
Page: 46 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data

"Faszination Segelschiffe"
Ein interaktives Informationssystem auf CD-ROM 1998
(2. überarbeitete Auflage)
Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact

Otmar Schäuffelen
"Die letzten grossen Segelschiffe"
Delius Klasing Verlag 2002 ISBN: 3-7688-0483-6
(10. aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage)
Page: 362 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data

American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
"Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea"
2007 ISBN: 978-0-9799878-0-9
(17th Edition)
Page: 115 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact