HALF HULL TEA CLIPPER SHIP THERMOPYLAE, BUILT 1868 NIB Start Price USD 160.00 Current Price USD 160.00 Time Left 4 days 10 hours 12 minutes Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, October 10, 2008 End Time Tuesday, December 09, 2008 Location Florida See more about 'HALF HULL TEA CLIPPER SHIP THERMOPYLAE, BUILT 1868 NIB' Description BUILDER'S STYLE HALF HULL OF EXTREMETEA CLIPPER THERMOPYLAE, BUILT 1868    Presented is a magnificent builder's style half hull model of the famous Tea Clipper, THERMOPYLAE that was Launched in August 19th, 1868, Thermopylae was one of a series of vessels built by Walter Hood for the Aberdeen White Star Line headed by George Thomson. She was named after the Greek 'Battle of Thermopylae' where King Leonidas of Sparta and his warriors saw off the Persian Hordes in about 480BC.   The half hull is constructed of seven lifts of which two are under the hull's grey paint. The wood used is distressed and has some small worm holes which adds to the appearance of age.   Thermopylae was 212', on deck, Her extreme beam was 36 feet, and her draft was 20.9'. She registered 948 registered tons net. She was designed by Bernard Weymouth as an extreme clipper for the China tea trade and rigged as a three-masted ship.   The 'Thermopylae' was built primarily for speed and incorporated the now tried and tested 'Aberdeen Bow'. The route she had been destined to ply was the Far Eastern Tea Trade, hence Tea Clipper. 'Thermopylae' created her first record, never beaten by a sailing ship on her maiden voyage from Gravesend, England to Melbourne, Australia. She sailed the voyage land to land in a record 60 days, her skipper; Captain Kemball. She then broke another record, making Newcastle, New South Wales to Shanghai in 28 days (usually about 40+ days at the time). She then made London from Foochow in a breathtaking 91 days. Her greatest rival, the 'Cutty Sark' only beat 'Thermopylae's' speeds on the return journey to Britain, though this is open to scrutiny, as they were never actually raced at the same time and under the same conditions 'Cutty Sark' was loaded for racing whilst 'Thermopylae' was loaded to the gunnels for financial gain...typically Aberdonian. Fate was to thwart her owner's hopes in the tea trade: in the year after she was launched, the Suez Canal was opened, allowing steamers to reach the Far East via the Mediterranean, a shorter and quicker route not accessible to sailing ships, whose freights eventually fell so much that the tea trade was no longer profitable. So Thermopylae’s involvement in the China run was short lived, her last cargo of tea being carried in 1877. Unfortunately by the early 1880's faster passages for the Tea Trade could be made by steamships, so the graceful clippers became employed in the less glamorous Australian Wool Trade. Nevertheless the two old adversaries still remained worthy opponents, 'Thermopylae' gaining a reputation for greater speed in lighter winds than 'Cutty Sark' managing on one occasion to cover 348 miles in one day. In the 1890s, after more than two decades as a China tea clipper and then an Australian wool clipper, Thermopylae was sold by her Aberdeen owners to a Canadian company. She was put on the rice and timber carrying trade between Rangoon and Vancouver. Despite shortened masts and being cut down to a barque rig in July 1893 and her crew reduced from 35 to 20 men, she continued to make speedy passages. On one occasion she crossed the Pacific in 29 days, a world record at that time, and on another kept level for three days with the Canadian Pacific steam liner 'Empress of India', which was capable of 16 knots. In 1897 she was sold to the Portuguese Navy as a training ship and renamed Pedro Nunes, after a 16th century Portuguese mathematician and geographer. The vessel was converted to a coal hulk and finally sunk by gunfire as target practice on 13th October 1907. Thermopylae was regarded as the fastest clipper ship to have sailed the oceans of the world, but her exploits only are remembered by those truly interested in the graceful clippers that their moment of fame and glory in maritime history.                                      Looking from the bow                               Looking from the rounded stern    Maker's plate with complete detailsPROVENANCE: The half hull is part of a contemporary collection of two similar clipper ships made by skilled craftsmen in the same fashion of their earlier counterparts. Each is of a historic ship that opened the trade routes between Asia, England and the United States. They are ARGONAUT, LIGHTNING and THERMOPYLAE. A period plate identifies each ship, it designer, builder, year of construction, measurements, and significant passages.   Each of the following half hulls are available for sale.               From the top, ARGONAUT, THERMOPLAE, & LIGHTNING   DIMENSIONS:The ship model is 32" L x 3" W x 4 3/4" Depth The backboard is  36 3/4" L x 9 3/4" W x 1/2" TWeight 10 pounds.   CONSTRUCTION & CONDITION: Made of seven lifts of wood, two of which are hidden by paint. Worm holes in wood. Hand finished. Backboard appears to be Pine finished as Mahogany. HISTORY OF TERMOPYLAE:   An extreme composite clipper ship designed by Bernard Waymouth of London and build in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co., Aberdeen. She measured 212'0"×36'0"×20'9" and tonnage 991 GRT, 948 NRT and 927 tons under deck. The under deck coefficient was 0,58. Rigged with royal sails, single topgallant and double top-sails. 1868 June Launched at the shipyard of Walter Hood & Co, Aberdeen, for the White Star Line (George Thompson & Co.), Aberdeen. Assigned the official British Reg. No. 60688 and signal WPVJ. Employed in the China tea trade. 1868-1874 In command of Captain Robert Kemball, late of the Yang-Tsze. 1868 November 8 — Sailed on her maiden voyage from Gravesend to Hobson's Bay, Melbourne, in 63 days. The fastest passage on record. 1869 February 10 — March 13 Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to Shanghai in 31 days. 1869 July 3 - September 30 Sailed from Foochow to London in 91 days. 1870 July 30 - November 12 Sailed from Shanghai to London in 105 days. 1871 June 25 - October 6 Sailed from Shanghai to London in 103 days. 1872 June 18 - October 11 In 1872 Thermopylae left Shanghai with a cargo of tea for London in company with the London clipper Cutty Sark. After racing each other for two weeks Cutty Sark lost her rudder after having passed the Sunday Straits. Thermopylae finally arrived in London only seven days ahead of her rival. 1873 July 11 - October 19 Sailed from Foochow to London in 100 days. 1874 July 15 - October 27 Sailed from Shanghai to London in 104 days. 1875-(1879) In command of Captain Charles Matheson. 1875 July 11 - October 31 Sailed from Foochow to London in 112 days. 1876 July 29 - November 24 Sailed from Foochow to London in 118 days. 1877 July 8 - October 20 Sailed from Shanghai to London in 104 days. 1878 November 27 - March 17 Sailed from Shanghai to London in 110 days. 1881 October 30 - September 30 Sailed from Foochow to London in 108 days. 1882 Sailed from Sydney to Start Point in 76 days. c1889 Sold to W. Ross & Co., London. 1890 Sold to Redford, Montreal, for £ 5000 and who cut her down her rig to that of a barque. 1893 February 15 — March 10 Sailed from Victoria, BC, in ballast to Hong Kong in 23 days. 1895 Sold to the Portuguese Government which converted her to a training ship and renamed her Pedro Nunes. 1907 October 13 Sunk by gunfire and torpedoes by units of the Portuguese Navy at sea off the Tagus. Copyright, 2000-03-28 by Lars BruzeliusOUR UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original condition and packaging. Returns must be insured for their full value. All that is required is a prior email authorization by us for the return. Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling unless we are at fault.    Buy this historic half hull model now! It reeks of history of the Clipper Ship Era. It will make a  great addition to your office, den or family room. International buyers welcome, but inquire first.  We have satisfied customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Martinique, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean. SHIPPING & PACKING: The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, is an additional charge. You may email us to get these costs. We price our very special packing and shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling. eBayer's take note: Regardless of what the eBay calculator says, our shipping charges calculated point-to-point using the most appropriate carrier, are professionally done in house, are insured, and the lowest possible. TO READ OUR COMPANY POLICIES AND HOW ARE OUR SHIPPING CHARGES ARE CALCULATED CLICK HERE THE FINE PRINT: We take extra special care in shipping by FedEx Ground and require the item be insured for your protection and ours. Shipping is an additional charge to the buyer, but we bill it honestly covering only our out-of-pocket expenses. Payment should be made within 5 days. The preferred method is by PayPal. However, we take VISA, MASTERCARD, Money Orders, and Personal Checks. If you pay by a personal check, expect a week delay for the item to clear before we ship. We ship worldwide, but request that international customers contact us beforehand. PLEASE READ HOW YOUR EBAY DETAILED SELLER RATING (DSR) SCORES AFFECT A MERCHANT CLICK HERE Buy this very special recreation of maritime history Now! What a great find for that special person who can appreciate and afford something unusual.  Copyright 2008 by Land And Sea Collection™, All Rights Reserved Place a Bid!