The Cutty Sark Story

Over the years there have been so many books published on both the existence and the history of Cutty Sark, that one may wonder if there is anything new to be added. In this ebook no attempt has been made to add anything new; its object is merely to create a more vivid impression of an historic event which took place in May 1916 off the South African coast.

Between the years of 1895 and 1922, Cutty Sark as we know her today, was sailing under the Portuguese flag as Ferreira. At a later date she was sold to another Lisbon ship owner named Da Silva who changed her name to Maria di Amparo, but in 1923 Captan Wilfred Dowman bought the ship for Britain and gave her the name of Cutty Sark. In the year of 1916 when sailing under the Portuguese as Ferreira, the ship was severely undermanned for a so called short sea passage from Mozambique and around the Cape of Good Hope to Mossamedes. On that passage, Ferreira hit some heavy weather off the Eastern Cape: as a consequence her master was compelled to cut his masts away.

As well as a number of other incidents regarding the ship under her three different names, the saga of Ferreira's part dismasting has been made one of the main themes of this ebook.