“SANTA CLAUS” – 1854 ~ 1863 – Medium clipper by Donald McKay of East Boston for Joseph Nickerson & Co. of Boston – 194’ x 38’6” x 22’11.” “Santa” made three passages to San Francisco, two from Boston and one from New York in 128 days, her best run. Her figurehead was the “jolly old saint” with every pocket stuffed with presents, as reported in the Boston Atlas soon after her launching.
The clipper’s last trip to San Francisco was in September of 1861 from Boston, taking twenty-one days to beat around Cape Horn in extreme conditions that caused the loss of numerous sails, broke the steering gear and tore away sections of her bulwarks. On her northerly leg, in latitude 16° North, she encountered a hurricane but weathered it to arrive with a 140 day passage.
In 1863, heavily laden on a voyage from Callao to Hamburg, she was leaking badly and while attempting to reach St. Thomas it became necessary to abandon ship. The crew managed to reach Cayenne safely in the ship’s boats – grateful, I’m sure, that they had always sailed under the protection of a jolly old gentleman in a bright red suit.
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