Full-rigger Lancing in Oslo (1908)
The legendary full-rigger Lancing, photographed in early 1908 during its only visit to her home port Oslo. My colorization of Anders B. Wilse´s photo in the Maritime Museum of Norway archive (Digital Museum). The 409 ft (124.7 m . l.o.a.) ship was the largest Norwegian sailing ship and one of the fastest in the world. Lancing was built in 1865 as a barque-rigged mail/passenger steamer for the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She was the last and by far the most successful of the many conversions from steam to sail.
Here is an excerpt from Alfred Basil Lubbock´s 1927 book "Last of the Windjammers":
"her sailing records under Captains S. B. Johnson, N. B. Melsom and P. T. Pedersen were nothing short of amazing. The most astonishing entry recorded in her logbook was an average of 18 knots for 72 running hours, whilst on a passage from New York to Melbourne. This is scarcely believable and has never been approached by any other ship. Another wonderful bit of sailing in her logbooks was 76 miles in 4 hours. She was at her best, of course, in stro long-as long and straight as a barracouta, the Australians called her-that once she had got up speed she carried her way in the most astonishing manner."
Skipshistorie.net has this summary of Lancing:
"1865 Built as 3-masted barque/SS PÉREIRE by Robert Napier & Sons, Govan East, Glasgow, Scotland for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (Emile & Isaac Péreire), Le Havre, France. Launched 04/11. Used as mail/passenger ship, first around the Mediterranean Sea, then transatlantic to USA and later to Central America and the Caribbean. 350 passengers in 3 classes.
Outfitted with a 2 cylinder medium pressure steam engine on 1.250 SHP and a propeller made of iron.
Tonnage: 3.150 grt, 1.755 nrt. Dimensions: L: 345’0"-B: 43’5"-D: 29’0".
1873 The steam engine converted to a compound expansion engine by extending the engine with a low-pressure cylinder. Fitted with one extra funnel.
1881 Caught fire in the harbour of La Goulette, Tunisia. Sunk by a torpedo to extinguish the fire. Raised and repaired.
1887 Stranded off St. Nazaire, France and sustained heavy hull damages. Sold to A. E. Kinnear & Co., London, England who salvaged the ship.
1888 Re-built as a four-masted fullrigged ship by Blyth Dry Dock Co., Blyth, England for A. E. Kinnear & Co., London. Renamed LANCING. Remeasured: 2.678 grt, 2.600 nrt.
L: 356'0"–B: 43'8"–D: 27'3".
1889 Sailed 24/02 from Plymouth, England with 18.000 casks of cement and arrived 21/06 at Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
1890 Sailed from New York, NY, USA to Melbourne. Averaged 18 knots for 72 hours.
1893 Sold to Johan Bryde and partners, Sandefjord.
1896 Sold to Frank Ross & Co., London.
1901 Sailed 15/04 from Newcastle, NSW, Australia and arrived 13/06 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
1901 Sold 19/07 for GBP 6.300 to A/S Lancing (Joh. Johanson & Co., Lysaker), Christiania.
1908 Sailed 01/03 from Langesund with a cargo of timber and arrived 15/05 at Melbourne.
1916 Sailed 01/02 from Ambrose Lighthouse, New York to Muckle Flugga, Shetland in 12 days and 21 hours.
1918 Sailed from Santos, Brazil to Melbourne in 47½ days.
1920 Melsom & Melsom, Larvik became 27/03 managers of A/S Lancing.
Sailed from Glasgow, Scotland for Montevideo, Uruguay.
1921 Sailed 12/07 from Ardrossan, Scotland and arrived 11/08 at Cap Chat, QUE, Canada. Left Cap Chat 27/08 and arrived 12/09 at Ardrossan. Laid up.
1922 Out of layup in June.
1923 Laid up from 16/11.
1924 Out of layup 24/03. Arrived 06/12 at Ardrossan. Sold for GBP 6.250 til Italy breakers.
Sailed 24/10 with Italian crew from Ardrossan to Genova, Italy.
1925 Broken up by Frassinetti, Genova."
Full-rigger Lancing in Oslo (1908)
The legendary full-rigger Lancing, photographed in early 1908 during its only visit to her home port Oslo. My colorization of Anders B. Wilse´s photo in the Maritime Museum of Norway archive (Digital Museum). The 409 ft (124.7 m . l.o.a.) ship was the largest Norwegian sailing ship and one of the fastest in the world. Lancing was built in 1865 as a barque-rigged mail/passenger steamer for the French Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She was the last and by far the most successful of the many conversions from steam to sail.
Here is an excerpt from Alfred Basil Lubbock´s 1927 book "Last of the Windjammers":
"her sailing records under Captains S. B. Johnson, N. B. Melsom and P. T. Pedersen were nothing short of amazing. The most astonishing entry recorded in her logbook was an average of 18 knots for 72 running hours, whilst on a passage from New York to Melbourne. This is scarcely believable and has never been approached by any other ship. Another wonderful bit of sailing in her logbooks was 76 miles in 4 hours. She was at her best, of course, in stro long-as long and straight as a barracouta, the Australians called her-that once she had got up speed she carried her way in the most astonishing manner."
Skipshistorie.net has this summary of Lancing:
"1865 Built as 3-masted barque/SS PÉREIRE by Robert Napier & Sons, Govan East, Glasgow, Scotland for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (Emile & Isaac Péreire), Le Havre, France. Launched 04/11. Used as mail/passenger ship, first around the Mediterranean Sea, then transatlantic to USA and later to Central America and the Caribbean. 350 passengers in 3 classes.
Outfitted with a 2 cylinder medium pressure steam engine on 1.250 SHP and a propeller made of iron.
Tonnage: 3.150 grt, 1.755 nrt. Dimensions: L: 345’0"-B: 43’5"-D: 29’0".
1873 The steam engine converted to a compound expansion engine by extending the engine with a low-pressure cylinder. Fitted with one extra funnel.
1881 Caught fire in the harbour of La Goulette, Tunisia. Sunk by a torpedo to extinguish the fire. Raised and repaired.
1887 Stranded off St. Nazaire, France and sustained heavy hull damages. Sold to A. E. Kinnear & Co., London, England who salvaged the ship.
1888 Re-built as a four-masted fullrigged ship by Blyth Dry Dock Co., Blyth, England for A. E. Kinnear & Co., London. Renamed LANCING. Remeasured: 2.678 grt, 2.600 nrt.
L: 356'0"–B: 43'8"–D: 27'3".
1889 Sailed 24/02 from Plymouth, England with 18.000 casks of cement and arrived 21/06 at Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
1890 Sailed from New York, NY, USA to Melbourne. Averaged 18 knots for 72 hours.
1893 Sold to Johan Bryde and partners, Sandefjord.
1896 Sold to Frank Ross & Co., London.
1901 Sailed 15/04 from Newcastle, NSW, Australia and arrived 13/06 at San Francisco, CA, USA.
1901 Sold 19/07 for GBP 6.300 to A/S Lancing (Joh. Johanson & Co., Lysaker), Christiania.
1908 Sailed 01/03 from Langesund with a cargo of timber and arrived 15/05 at Melbourne.
1916 Sailed 01/02 from Ambrose Lighthouse, New York to Muckle Flugga, Shetland in 12 days and 21 hours.
1918 Sailed from Santos, Brazil to Melbourne in 47½ days.
1920 Melsom & Melsom, Larvik became 27/03 managers of A/S Lancing.
Sailed from Glasgow, Scotland for Montevideo, Uruguay.
1921 Sailed 12/07 from Ardrossan, Scotland and arrived 11/08 at Cap Chat, QUE, Canada. Left Cap Chat 27/08 and arrived 12/09 at Ardrossan. Laid up.
1922 Out of layup in June.
1923 Laid up from 16/11.
1924 Out of layup 24/03. Arrived 06/12 at Ardrossan. Sold for GBP 6.250 til Italy breakers.
Sailed 24/10 with Italian crew from Ardrossan to Genova, Italy.
1925 Broken up by Frassinetti, Genova."