Donald McKay (clipper)
Donald McKay was an extreme clipper and the last design by shipbuilder Donald McKay. It was built for James Baines & Co. in East Boston and launched in January 1855.
The ship sailed on the Black Ball Line between Liverpool, England, and Australia from 1855 to 1868, carrying passengers and mail. It set a record for the fastest Liverpool to Melbourne voyage, completing the trip in 63 days.
As steamships became more common, fast sailing ships like Donald McKay became less profitable, and the vessel ended its days as a coal hulk in Portugal. Its figurehead now sits at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut.
Specifications include 2604 RT, 2486 GRT, and 1616 NRT; length 266 ft, beam 46.25 ft, and draft 29.4 ft. It carried sails with Howes patent double topsails and could hold about 591 passengers plus crew. It was burned and broken up in 1888.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:50 (CET).