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Life at Sea:
Voyages and Ports |
Life at sea varied depending on the type of vessel, the captain, and the destination and route. Sailing a schooner from Penobscot Bay to New York might only take a few days, depending on the wind and weather. A voyage to China by way of California or Liverpool could take two or three years.
England and France were the United States’ primary nineteenth century trading partners. U.S. ships sailed to Liverpool, London, Le Havre, and Bordeaux, as well as Hamburg, Germany, and the Mediterranean. Sailing to Europe took advantage of the prevailing westerly winds and the Gulf Stream current, and might take three weeks. Returning to the United States took much longer and was more difficult. Vessels often had to detour north or south for more favorable wind and current. Millions of immigrants from Europe took this route to New York.
Cuba was a major U.S. trading partner in the nineteenth century (third after England and France.) This Bill of Lading shows products shipped to Cuba.
Ships from the East Coast sailed to the Pacific Northwest for furs and to the Southwest for hides. A trip to California could easily take six months, and even the fastest clipper ships required about four months. Cape Horn, at the southern tip of South America, was known for rough seas and fierce storms. Here the wind comes from the west, against the direction of the ship. Rounding the Horn might take up to two months.
After the Civil War, more Maine ships began to sail to China, Australia, and Japan from New York and other major cities. These ships often went by way of the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa, following the prevailing westerly winds as long as possible before heading northeast towards Java and the Strait of Sunda. Captains chose their final route to China based on the monsoon season.
Trade with South America grew more important after the Civil War. Barks or barkentines out of Portland or Boston carried lumber or ice to Buenos Aires and Rosario, returning with wool for New England’s mills or hides for Massachusetts shoe factories. In any foreign port, the captain checked in with the consulate, cleared any customs, paid port duties, and arranged for discharging the ship’s cargo and finding and loading a return cargo. He also sent and picked up ship’s mail. A ship might be in port for a month or two, providing the captain, his family, and the crew an opportunity to tour the city and surrounding countryside. Since so many sailing ship captains were from Maine, they frequently met friends from home in faraway ports.
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