No expense was spared by W.H. Webb, considered one of the leading shipbuilders in America, when he built The CHALLENGE for N.L.Griswold of New York. She was 2006 tons, twice the tonnage of the average clipper of her era. Measuring 224 feet in length, she was 27 feet longer than the USN PENNSYLVANIA, the largest U.S. Navy vessel. Her beam was 43 feet and her depth of hold was 25 feet. She drew 20 feet of water when loaded. CHALLENGE’s sky-sail mast towered some 230 feet above her deck and she spread some 12,000 square yards of cotton canvas. She had a black hull with a gold stripe; her lower masts were also black and her figurehead was a gilded eagle on the wing.
The CHALLENGE was built in New York in 1850-51 and this scene depicts her maiden voyage as she was bound for San Francisco and China. It was claimed that she would be sailed to London to “challenge” any British clipper in the tea trade in a winner take both vessels contest. However, bad weather and mutinous crews, most of whom spoke no English and couldn’t be understood to one another, kept Captain Waterman was 108 days to San Francisco and kept from living up to this challenge. In command of the SEA WITCH, Captain Waterman had set this record. Captain Land replaced Captain Waterman in San Francisco but he fared no better with such unruly and mutinous crew. He was forced to put into Hong Kong instead of Shanghai, where marines were brought aboard to restore order.
However in 1851 her run of 18 days from opposite Japan to San Francisco has never been equalled by any sailing ship. Also her voyage from Wampoa on August 5, 1852, under the command of Mr. Pitts with tea bound for London was the shortest voyage of that season, surpassing all other American and British clippers.
Image Size: 18.5 “ x 23.5 “ ; unf....$350.00
