CHEPICA
Shipbuildervessel built by
Alexander HALL & Co.
(Footdee, Aberdeen)
Date1860
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumWOOD
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 142' 5" x breadth 27' 2" x depth 18' 3"
tonnage 500 tons
tonnage 500 tons
Object numberABDSHIP001108
Keywords
Yard Number: 220
Official Number: 29141
Propulsion: Sail
Fate: wrecked near Dieppe, France, 28 January 1885.
Owners:
1860-63: Barnes & Co., registered at Liverpool
1865-75: Balfour & Co., registered at Liverpool
1876-83: Balfour, Williamson & Co., registered at Liverpool
1884: P. H. Cowley & Co., registered at Liverpool
Masters:
1862-63: Master R. Gales
1865-66: Master J. Hamond
1867-68: Master Ritchie
1869-73: Master M. Whyte
1874-78: Master A. Jones
1880-83: Master Massey
1884: Master Smith
Voyages (from Lloyd's):
1862-66: Aberdeen - South America
1867-68: Liverpool - Valparaiso
1869-72: Leith - Valparaiso
1873: Liverpool - Iquique (Northern Chile)
General History:
The newspaper report of CHRPICA’s launch indicated that it was intended for the trade between Liverpool and the West Coast of South America. The advertisement of its first voyage was more specific, announcing that its destination would be Valparaiso in Chile and that it had been ‘expressly built to compete with the fastest vessels in the trade’. It was presumably to support this claim that it was described as Aberdeen-built. Unlike advertisements for Australian clippers, there was no mention here or in subsequent notices of passengers. The aim was therefore to transport the industrial products of Lancashire to Chile as quickly as possible. CHRPICA must have been well suited to the trade as it sailed between Liverpool and Valparaiso virtually without deviation in the 1860s and in the 1870s still mainly to Valparaiso, but now with some variation. A unique variation for the 1860s was a cargo of flour to Montevideo (Uruguay) in 1867 under charter. In the 1870s it became common for the outward voyage to Valparaiso to be extended up the Chilean Coast to Iquique, less frequently to Pisagua and occasionally to Callao in Peru for a return cargo of nitrates. This highly profitable trade involved transporting bird droppings to the UK for use as agricultural fertiliser. On three occasions in the 1870s the outward voyage was from a different UK port, in 1871 and 1874 the Tyne and in 1872 Cardiff, in each case presumably with coal. It was only in its last few years that CHRPICA became effectively a tramp ship, voyaging for example to Bilbao and Genoa in 1879, Newcastle NSW and Manilla (for sugar) in 1881 and Rosario (Argentina) in 1884.
On 23 December 1879 in the Atlantic CHRPICA came to the aid of the crew the steamer VOLUMNA. It was on a voyage from Glasgow to Jamaica and had sprung a leak on 16 December and foundered. The crew were saved and brought to Liverpool. Until its wreck CHRPICA was generally a fortunate ship. It suffered damage twice in a short period in 1868, in July being struck by lightening and in August being caught in an earthquake at Valparaiso. In neither case was the damage serious. CHRPICA’s luck ran out at Christmas 1884. It was traversing the Dutch coast with a cargo of logwood for Hamburg. On 27 December the master, Capt. Hugo Rhoder, approached land seeking to establish his position. He saw a lighthouse, which at first he thought was at the mouth of the Texel. However, when its lamp was lit he found he was in error and in danger. He tried unsuccessfully to bring the ship round, then dropped anchor. The cable parted and the vessel grounded on a reef. When it began to make water fast a pilot boat took off the crew. Subsequently the master and mate were rescued by a lifeboat. CHRPICA became a total loss. The subsequent Board of Trade enquiry in Liverpool attributed this to an error on the part of the master, but his certificate was not removed or suspended.
Principal Sources (from British Newspaper Archive):-
Aberdeen Evening Express, 23/12/1879; Aberdeen Free Press, 25/02/1881; Australian and New Zealand Gazette, 08/01/1881; Evening Standard, 17/01/1868; Liverpool General Advertiser, 09/07/1868; Liverpool Shipping Telegraph, 26/02/1885; Northern Daily Times, 11/09/1860; Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 06/11/1867; Wrexham Advertiser, 14/03/1885.
Newspaper extracts:
29/08/1860:
LAUNCH - On Saturday, 18th inst, there was launched from the building yard of our townsmen, Messrs Hall another fine 13A1 vessel of 500 tons, named "CHEPICA" for Messrs Barnes & Co. Liverpool, intended for the trade twixt that port and the west coast of America. She is commanded by Captain Gales, an experienced tar in those parts, has her lower masts and bowsprits of iron, is a strong handsome craft, and will leave this complete on 1st September. The "FLYING SPUR" launched by the same firm on the 1st inst. sailed from this on Monday week for London to lay on for Bombay and China; and a more completely finished or better looking clipper, we are certain never left our shores. This proves that our builders not only are determined to maintain the position they have so acquired, but to take the lead in turning out the first class ships of the day.
(Aberdeen Journal)
30/01/1885:
Intelligence from Amsterdam, dated yesterday, states that the barque CHEPICA, from Hayti for Hamburg, has gone ashore at Nieu Dieppe, and remains; crew saved, and landed the latter port.
(Shields Daily Gazette)
Note: Contract cost, £7565 (Builder's list in the Lloyd's Library of the Aberdeen Maritime Museum)
Barque rigged 1869
15 February 1858
