''Fusi Yama'' was a

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts having the fore- and mainmasts Square rig, rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) Fore-and-aft rig, rigged fore and aft. Som ...

ship of roughly 556 tons, built in 1865 by Alexander Stephen & Sons at

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

for

Killick Martin & Company Killick Martin and Company Ltd is a privately owned global transport and logistics company with its head office in the United Kingdom. The company can trace its origins back to 1861 when it was founded by James Killick, Captain James Killick a ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Launched on the 27th June 1865 in Yard no 83 Fusi Yama was one of three vessels built by Alexander Stephen & Sons for

, the others being ''Obma'' and '' Mabel Young''. Her dimensions were 165'5" x 28'1" x 17'0" , Tonnage 526.26 under Deck, 31.12 break, 556.37 Gross and Net Register.
Fusi Yama1

Specification

Her keel measured 14.5" x 10" American Rock Elm, Frames 4" x 3.5" x .5" in angle with reverse angles. Her frames spaced 18", Floors 18" x .5", keelson Plat 12" x .75", garboard strake 12" x 10" made of American Rock elm. 5" to 4" Plank in Elm and teak, garboard to topside, with decks constructed of yellow pine. Her keel was fastened using keel plate with 1.5" galvanized iron screws bolts, spaced 18" apart. The plate measured 20" x .7" with frames and doubling pieces riveted to the same. Bilge Kelson formed with 7" x .75" bulb bar and 2 angle bars 4" x 3.5". Bilge Plates 20" x .5", placed zig zag extending all fore and aft and diagonal tie plates on beams 10" x .5" diagonals have been fitted on both tiers of beams. Bolted with 7/8 yellow metal screw bolts and Nuts. Garbord strakes horizontally bolted to the Keel with 7/8" yellow metal bolts. 3 bower anchors, 1 stream anchor and 2 kedge anchors, 270 fathoms of 17/16" chain cable. 1 long boat and 2 others, rigging of galvanized wire and hemp, Built under special survey, Coopered with yellow metal on felt. Fore, Main and mizen masts and bowsprit or iron, made up of 3 plates, Fore and main lower and topsails yards or iron, made up of 2 plates. 2 capstans, 2 winches, raised quarter desk, monkey forecastle, Large house on deck for crew. Single topsails, no skysails, set stunsails.

Owners

Registered no 211 in 1864 at London on the 10 July 1865 The shareholders in the vessel were Killick Martin & Company with 20 shares, Samuel Mackenzie, Merchant with 11 shares, George Frederick Thomson, Shipowner 8 shares, John Paton Watson, Merchant 16 shares, Henry Philip Baylis, gentleman of Norfolk 5 shares and Duncan Forbes, Gentleman of Aberdeen with 4 shares. George Fredrick Thomson was both a shareholder and Captain of the vessel which had a crew of 20 in total.

Key events

She was employed in the China tea trade. Captain George Frederick Thomson was given command of the vessel. In 1865 she sailed from London to

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, Japan, in 171 days. In 1868 the former first officer Mogens Christian Borup became Captain. She never made any passages either out or home in less that 119 days although she did go from

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in 91 days in the spring of 1870. On 27 July 1870 she was run into and sunk off Lizard Point in the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

by the American Ship Liverpool. She sank in only a few minutes after the collision. Her crew numbered 18 at the time of the accident and 13 were rescued by the Liverpool after jumping overboard. Those who drowned were the Master, Captain Borup, two able seamen, James McDonald and William Franks, and two boys, Samuel Ariell and James Fraiser.

References

{{1870 shipwrecks Tea clippers Individual sailing vessels Victorian-era merchant ships of the United Kingdom Ships built in Glasgow Shipwrecks