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Fun Facts on Clipper Ships

Clipper ships were first built in the 1840s, and quickly became the world's fastest ships and form of cargo delivery. These long, three-masted sail boats were built for speed, and the design of the V-shaped hull pulled through the water quickly. The ships also had expansive sails, which added to the speed, as they were meant to carry small cargo loads over large distances.

Distance
- A clipper's mast could reach up to 20 stories high, and had more sails than any ship before. Clippers could also travel on average about 250 miles a day, but the best clippers could travel up to 400 miles a day. Prior to that, 150 miles a day was considered good. Profits for owners and captains increased as the speed of the clippers did because they were able to get cargo back and forth at a faster pace.
California Gold
- The California Gold Rush made the speed of the clipper ships in high demand, and ships that could bring goods to gold miners first made the most money. Clipper ships sailed back to the Atlantic ports for more cargo, or across the ocean to China, to pick up tea, spices and silk. The Flying Cloud was built in Boston in 1851 and sailed to San Francisco in 89 days.
Travel
- Clipper ships also provided people with a faster way of traveling from coast to coast or country to country. Captains used to challenge other captains to clipper races to see what one became known as "the fastest ship."
Steam Over Sail
- The steamship finally broke the speed record of the clipper ships and eventually replaced them altogether. Shipbuilding for overseas trade declined after the American Civil War.
Today
- Today, clipper ships are part of a fleet of ships that companies rent out for sailing trips or cruise vacations. For example; The Royal Clipper is one in a massive fleet of ships and is the largest full-rigged sailing ship in the world. It's also the only five-masted, full-rigged ship built since the beginning of the last century.

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