New Acquisitions

Each year the Maritime Museum of San Diego adds new materials to its archive, library, and object collection.  This page higlights the latest additions to our collections.  These documents, publications, and artifacts play a vital role in the museum's mission to preserve and interpret the maritime life, culture, and history of the Pacific Ocean.

The Cutty Sark [2009.152.001]

Object name: fully-rigged ship model

Artist / maker: Joe Bompensiero, with the assistance of John Sauvajot

Date made: 2009

Place made: San Diego, California

Materials: wood, cotton thread, brass, copper, paint, varnish

Measurements:

Description:

The Cutty Sark was designed by Hercules Linton and built in 1869 at Dumbarton, Scotland by the firm of Scott & Linton for John “Jock”  “Jack”  Willis. Built expressly to outsail the Thermopylae in the tea trade, a competitive race from China to London. She was launched on November 22 of that year after Scott & Linton went bankrupt. The ship was eventually towed to Greenock to be finished by William Denny & Brothers.

The name Cutty Sark comes from the nickname of a fictional character Nannie Dee in Robert Burns’ 1791comic poem Tam O’Shanter. In the poem she wore a cutty sark or in other words a short and revealing nightie. The sight of her dancing caused Tam O’Shanter to shout out "Weel done, Cutty-sark" which  eventually became a well-known catchphrase. Nannie Dee is also represented in the ship’s figurehead.

The historical Cutty Sark is of composite construction, using a combination of iron and timber.  Her importance for the development of the ship in the nineteenth century lies in her revolutionary design.  It is believed that Hercules Linton molded the bowlines of Willis's earlier vessel, The Tweed into the midship attributes of Firth of Forth fishing boats. This created a beautiful new hull shape that was stronger, could take more sail, and be driven harder than any other.