The schooner U.S.S. Dolphin was designed around the concept of the Baltimore Clipper and built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1821. She was built for speed and was planned to be used in the West Indies to suppress piracy, but she was soon sent to the Pacific. In the old carpenters measure, she was 86 foot on keel, 24' 2" beam and 10'3" depth of hold. For armament she carried ten six pounders and a long 18 pounder on a pivot. In 1835 she was broken up due to rot.

These little topsail schooners offered cramped quarters for both crew and officers with little over four feet head room between decks. All comforts were sacrificed for speed and armament. The Dolphin carried a vast amount of sail for her size and in a blow, she could be quite unstable. A sister ship, the "Grampus," capsized in a storm and was lost with all hands.

I decided to paint this cutaway view of the USS DOLPHIN to accompany the painting of her departing from Honolulu to give the viewer a better understanding of her rigging, her cramped quarters and design for speed rather than luxury accommodations. Price on Request