Red, White and Blue (ship)

Red, White and Blue was a 26-foot, ship-rigged, galvanised iron lifeboat. She broke an American record for a small vessel by crossing the Atlantic in 38 days. The vessel was given the Scots nickname of Wee Craft or Wee Ship.

About Red, White and Blue (ship) in brief

Red, White and Blue was a 26-foot, ship-rigged, galvanised iron lifeboat. She broke an American record for a small vessel by crossing the Atlantic in 38 days. The ship was exhibited in 1866 at The Crystal Palace, London, and in 1867 at the Exposition Universelle, Paris. The voyage was tough. The crew endured heavy weather, a leaking hull, and spoiled stores. Fanny the dog died at sea; the ship and crew received the welcome due to them at Margate. But some of the British public found it difficult to credit the success of the attempt, although the voyage was ultimately proved genuine. After reaching the United Kingdom, the vessel was given the Scots nickname of Wee Craft or Wee Ship. In 1866 she carried 12 ten-gallon kegs of water, 200 lbs of bread, 5 lbs coffee, 2 lbs of tea, 10 lbs butter, 4 boxes smoked herrings, 1 dozen cans of milk, 15 lbs smoked beef, 17 lbs cheese, 4 bottles pickles, mustard, pepper, salt and sauce, 2 bottles of brandy, one bottle of whisky and one Bottle of bitters. In case of illness she carried six bottles of vegetable pills, a bottle of powders and some Indian liniment, which we are told is the marvellous smallpox cure, and luckily the crew did not need it. The inscription, written along the sides of the hull, said that it had previously been the Civil War Sbeau Cutter, S.U.C.

Flambeau S.C., but the reverse inscription said it had belonged to Red, White, and Blue in 1864, and 1866, but it had been the Acting S Beau Cutter’s 2nd Picket Cutter. The front inscription identified it as Red,White and Blue, having belonged to John Morley Hudson, acting captain of the S.B. C. Fitch, Acting Acting Acting S. B. Hudson, and Acting Acting Captain of the Picket C. Hudson. The original purpose of the. voyage was to provide publicity for Oliver Roland Ingersoll’s Improved Metallic Lifeboat. The exhibition of the ship in London and Paris was intended to consolidate that publicity and to attract orders from shipowners. It was a new design for onboard lifeboats and jolly boats, the intended advantage being lightness and ease of maintenance. She was 26 ft LOA of 2. 38 tons, beam 6. 17 ft, with a hold depth of 2, 66 ft, or 3 ft from deck to keel, and was pointed at bow and stern. The tiny rigging was a fraction of the size of a normal cargo ship. The sails were made to the design of D. M. Cumisky of 39 South Street, New York, and the spars were made by Arthur Bartlett of 252 South Street. This was an open boat, with no shelter apart from a canvas dodger. She had watertight compartments.

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