Original MUNTZ Copper Hull Plating from the Clipper CUTTY SARK
This is an Original piece of Muntz Copper Hull Plating removed from the Cutty Sark during restoration in the 2007 and before the fire on board destroyed most of the Clipper.
This piece of Muntz plating is approx. (max.) 2 1/2” (6.4 cm) x 8" (20.3 cm).
This piece is cut across a FULL Sheet of a 16" Width and so this 8" is a 1/2 width piece of this Sheet of MUNTZ Plating found on the Hull.
(A full sheet width is approx. 16" / 40.5 cm).
See PHOTO's.
This FULL 1/2 WIDTH section is cut from across a large sheet and has two edge holes in the sheet and one centre hole where nails fixed the Muntz plate to the ship hull.
Sections of Muntz sheet which were over lapped by the neighboring sheet had a shinier end and ends which were on top of the next sheet. This piece has a shinier end.
The photo's 1 - 5 show the side of the sheet open to the sea and is an aqua brown-green-blue-orange.
Photo’s 6 - 8 show the back of the sheet against the ships hull which is aqua green/blue/orange in colour.
I am now coming to the end of the pieces of Muntz I obtained a while ago and as the restoration of the Cutty Sark is now complete it is unlikely that any more will ever come to the market from the restoration.
The piece comes with a Certificate of Provenance and information sheet.
An unusual item from the most Famous Tea Clipper still in existence, which has now been fully restored and is open to the public.
(AE).
See similar and related items in my e-bay shop.
CUTTY SARK MUNTZ Hull Plating
Wooden ships with copper-plated bottoms lasted longer and went faster, due to copper's protective and antifouling properties. The case in favour was unarguable long term, but required more money up front - hence the phrase "copper-bottomed investment"
G.F. Muntz's 60% copper, 40% zinc, alloy, patented 1832, had identical properties to copper plating (for shipping purposes) but cost a third less, so made him a fortune. Cutty Sark's builders were one of many to take advantage of the saving. This is a section of plating, removed from the ship during the current restoration works.
The Cutty Sark is a merchant Clipper Ship, built in 1869 and the last clipper to be built for that purpose. She also served as a training ship until put on public display in 1954. She is now preserved in a dry dock at Greenwich, London and was severely damaged by a fire in May 2007 undergoing extensive restoration.
The Cutty Sark was designed by Hercules Linton and built in 1869 at Dumbarton, Scotland by the firm of Scott & Linton for Captain John "Jock" "White Hat" Willis. She was launched on 22 Novemeber 1869.
Cutty Sark was destined for the tea trade, which in the late 19C. was an intensely competitive race across the globe from China to London, with immense profits to the ship to arrive with the first tea of the year.
It was not long until Clippers lost out to steamships could pass through the Suez Canal opened in 1869 which could deliver goods more reliably, if not quite so quickly, which proved to be better for business. Notably, during the transition period to steam the Cutty Sark sailed faster then some steamships After the Tea Trade the Cutty Sark was used on the Australian wool trade.
In 1895 the Cutty Sark was sold her to the Portuguese firm of Ferreira and renamed. In 1916 she was dismasted off the Cape of Good Hope, sold, re-rigged in Cape Town as a Barquentine and renamed again. In 1922 she was bought and restored her to her original appearance and used as a stationary training ship. In 1954 she was moved to a custom-built dry-dock at Greenwich.