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"Among
these unfinished tales is that ... of the cutter Alicia,
which sailed one spring morning into a small patch of
mist from which she never again emerged, nor was anything
further ever heard of herself and her crew." --
Dr. John H. Watson (THOR)
The 19th
Century was a time of great change for the open water
vessel. As the 19th century went on, the curtain for
the great age of sail closed as steam took over more
and more of the oceangoing traffic. The vessels mentioned
in the Canon reflect this change, illustrating ships
of both sail and steam.
Barque |
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Barque:
Any type of vessel with at least three masts,
fore-and-aft sails on the aftermost mast and square
sails on all other masts.
"Sophy
Anderson" (British) (FIVE)
"Lone Star" (American) (FIVE)
((Stopped at Pondicherry, Dundee, East London,
and Savannah. It had a "fair tonnage"
and sank in the Atlantic)).
"Gloria Scott" (GLOR)
((500 tons, crew of 26, 38 convicts (convict ship),
previously in China tea trade, about 100 people
on board altogether))
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Brigantine:
A sailing vessel with two masts, at least
one of which is square-rigged.
"Hotspur"
(GLOR)
((En route to Australia))
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Brigantine |
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S/S
Pavonia, Cunard Line, launched 1882 (sail &
steam)
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Liner:
A ship designed to engage in the transport
of people and cargo along regular, scheduled transoceanic
routes.
"Ruritania"
(ILLU)
(Cunard Line)
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Clippers: A generally narrow sailing vessel
with more than one mast, designed with a great
deal of sail area to make them fast, primarily
used along lengthy trade routes.
Mentioned
in GLOR
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Clipper ship |
Cutter
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Cutter:
A sailing vessel with a single, central mast
equipped with multiple headsails and a reefing
bowsprit. (This is the traditional definition
during the time of Holmes).
"Alicia"
(THOR)
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Steamer:
A steamer or steamboat is a vessel propelled
primarily by steam power, usually a propeller
or paddlewheel. Steamships gradually replaced
sailing ships for commercial shipping through
the 19th century,
"Friesland"
(Dutch) (NORW)
"Norah Creina"(RESI)
"Rock of Gibraltar" (ABBE)
Adelaide-Southampton line
"Bass Rock" (ABBE)
of the Adelaide-Southampton line
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Steamer |
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Steamers with specific purposes or designs:
Steamer
Launch: A ship with an open or half open deck,
powered by steam.
"Aurora"
(SIGN)
(a very fast launch), with black with two red
stripes, funnel black with a white band, owner
Mordecai Smith
Police launch (SIGN)
Steamer
Packet: A packet ship is a ship that carried
postal mail packets to and from British ports
(including colonies and outposts). Therefore this
is a steamer with a specialized mission.
"May
Day" (CARD)
(Registered to the Liverpool, Dublin, and London
Steam Packet Co. - called at Belfast, Dublin,
and Waterford. Was registered in Liverpool or
London).
"Conqueror" (CARD)
Steam
Sealer: A steamer used to hunt seals
"SS
Sea Unicorn " (BLAC)
(of Dundee) A screw-driven ship.
The Orontes
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Troopship
"Orontes"
(STUD):
The Orontes was a steamer built by the Fairfield
Shipbuilding Co. in Glasgow to meet the
following specifications: 9,028 gross ton
ship, length 156.54m x beam 17.73m, one
funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed
of 18 knots. She was built for the Orient
Line. She was llaunched on Oct. 24, 1902
when she left London for Suez, Melbourne,
and Sydney. In 1916, she became a troopship.
She was scrapped in 1926. She was a steamer
with a combo sail system.
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Unknown
"Palmyra"
(VALL)
"Matilda Briggs" (SUSS)
((ship - perhaps a brigantine?))
"Esmeralda" (CARD)
(called at Gravesend and the Brazils)
Other:
A Lighter
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Lighters
(SIGN):
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge
used to transfer goods to and from moored
ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered
and were moved and steered using long oars
called "sweeps", with their motive
power provided by water currents.
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Punts
(SIGN):
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut
bow, designed for use in small rivers or
other shallow water.
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Punt
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Skiff |
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Skiffs
(SIGN):
The term skiff is applied to various river
craft, but a skiff is typically a small
flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow
and square stern. Although originally used
mainly by fishermen, they are today primarily
leisure craft. They usually hold either
one person or, more commonly, three (two
scullers and a coxswain).
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Wherries
(SIGN):
A wherry (meaning "boat") is a
boat used for carrying cargo on rivers and
canals in England. Wherries evolved into
a gentleman's rowing boat. They are generally
long and narrow, with a straight stem, a
wineglass stern and usually carvel planked.
(smooth sides) The boat usually has two
seats, one for the rower, and one in the
stern seats for the passenger, although
longer ones can have a third seat forward.
Modern longer craft are often set up to
be rowed with a sliding seat as either a
single or a double.
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Wherry
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Yawl
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Yawls
(SIGN):
A small ship's boat, usually rowed by four
or six oars.
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Yachts
(SIGN):
A yacht (From Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt"
or "big ship") is a light, fast
sailing vessel usually used for pleasure.
Queen Victoria and her family maintained
a fleet of sail- and steam-yachts at her
residence on the Isle of Wight.
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Yacht
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Lugger |
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Fishing
fleet (LION)
(According to Will Thomas, these are "presumably
luggers"). A lugger is a type of small
sailing vessel setting lugsails on two or
more masts and perhaps lug topsails.
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Ship
list adapted from Will
Thomas' Holmes in Scale
Ship
definitions adapted from Wikipedia.
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