CIMBA – wool clipper (1878-1916)

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Anatol
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Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

CIMBA – wool clipper (1878-1916)

Post by Anatol » Sat Nov 06, 2021 7:30 pm

Cimba was a British-built clipper in the Australian wool trade. Cimba was an iron-hulled ship, built in Aberdeen in 1878.She was 1,174 registered tons, length 223ft, beam 34ft 6in, depth 21ft 7in. Her hull was painted green with gold scrolls, a yellow stripe, white bulwarks and white masts. Figurehead a lion rampant. Cimba was very heavily rigged, with her main lower masts a bit shorter than some clippers at 60 ft., and with heavy lower yards, the fore and main yards at over 4 tons apiece. Full-rigged ship. "Rigged with royals, with double topgallant sails on the fore and main masts, and double gallant sails. Her sail plan had width rather than height. Fast in light winds she required careful handling in strong wind. However, she consistently ran over 300 miles in the 23 1/2 hour days of her eastings. Her passages out and home were uniformly good. She had the reputation of being a "tender" ship, i.e., heeling over easily under sail. Cimba sailed in the wool trade between London and Sydney for 20 years, from 1878 to 1898, and was a regular visitor to Port Jackson for almost 30 years. Her first captain, J. Fimster, served until 1895. Fastest voyage 1889 Sydney to London in 75 days. She had only two masters whilst she sailed under a British flag; Captain Fimister (1878-1895) and Captain Holmes (1895-1906). 'According to Master Holmes, Cimba was heavy aloft and narrow, but she was beloved by both her masters and certainly by most of the men who sailed her.
In 1892 in London, 18 Jan. - has been great deal of betting on race between ship CIMBA, which sailed from Sydney 24 Oct. and ship SALAMIS, which sailed from Geelong 30 Oct. CIMBA has reached London first, SALAMIS being in the Downs.
Sydney Morning Herald, 23/02/1901 inform:
Ship CIMBA arrived Newcastle (N.S.W.) this morning, 96 days from London. Capt Holmes reports she left Gravesend 14 Nov., anchored at the Nore till 17th because of hard southerly gale, slipped tug at the Downs noon 17th, passed meridian of the Cape 10 Jan. On 30 Jan. in 47S, 78E [Southern Ocean] experienced hurricane for 12 hours. Ship was under lower main topsail only and at 8p.m. sheet parted and sail went to pieces before it could be stowed. She behaved very well under bare poles for 30 hrs, sea being terrific.
In 1905, Cimba set the sailing ship record for a passage from Callao to Iquique, of 14 days.
Adelaide Advertiser, 11/06/1906:
Ship CIMBA, which arrived Melbourne from Frederickstadt June 10, bore a somewhat dilapidated appearance forward. As result of heavy seas starboard light was wrenched from its lashings and thrown clear onto port boat. Boat on the house forward was smashed to pieces, while any amount of light fittings were beat and twisted.
She made 29 voyages under Nichol's ownership - twenty-four to Sydney, two to Brisbane, one to Newcastle, N.S.W., one to Rockhampton, QLD, In Basil Lubbock's "Colonial Clippers", CIMBA is listed as being in the Wool Fleet from Sydney for every year from 1877-78 to 1889-89 except one (1882-83).. in her later years she was twice unable (1901 and 1903) to get a wool cargo and had to cross the Pacific to South America to get a cargo for the return voyage. In 1906, with the death of her owner, she was sold to Norwegian owners who used her in the timber trade.
Under her Norwegian owners, Cimba's chief cargo was lumber. She carried firewood from the Baltic to East Indian Dock in Aberdeen Bay, and made a fast passage from Dublin to the St. Lawrence of 14 days. Cimba was stranded in the fog near Pointe Des Monts, 1 mile west, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on 26 July 1915. She was on route to Matane from Liverpool, and was the last sailing vessel to be lost in this area.
Parts salvaged in 1950s including mast cap, anchor chain and rigging now housed at Aberdeen Maritime Museum.Other related objects held at Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia (see Useful Links page).
The design stamp is made after painting of Jack Spurling.
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Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimba.
http://www.spurlingandrouxwatercolours.com/mpwc.html.
http://www.aberdeenships.com/single.asp?index=99419.
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