On 22 November 1869, at the Dumbarton shipyard

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Harriet Wells
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On November, at the Dumbarton shipyard (Scotland), the Scott & Linton company launched the Cutty Sark. On February 0, the Cutty Sark set sail for China.

The clipper was active in the tea trade between China and the United Kingdom for eight years.

In, she was taken out of service, and in put into dry dock at Greenwich, London, where she became a museum ship and popular tourist attraction.

1 On November, at the Dumbarton shipyard (Scotland), the Scott & Linton company launched the Cutty Sark. On February 0, the Cutty Sark set sail for China. She crossed the Equator after days, reaching Shanghai on May, 0 days after raising anchor. The clipper was active in the tea trade between China and the United Kingdom for eight years. She went on to transport wool from Australia and, later carried cargos between Porto, Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, Lisbon and the Portuguese colonies. In, she was taken out of service, and in put into dry dock at Greenwich, London, where she became a museum ship and popular tourist attraction. In May 00, while being restored, she was seriously damaged by fire. Renovation is expected to be completed in early 00. TECHNICAL DATA: The Cutty Sark Model no: 00 Degree of difficulty: Length: 0mm (0 /in) Height: mm ( /in) Beam: 0mm ( /in) Scale: : Not suitable for children under years of age. Model for collectors only.

2 TEA CLIPPERS The tea clippers were the last great hurrah of commercial sail. The romantic image of these tall and graceful ships cleaving the oceans under full sail has such a strong pull that it is difficult to believe that their heyday lasted only about 0 years, before a combination of steam power and the opening of the Suez Canal effectively made them redundant. THE CUTTY SARK For two centuries, the British East India Company enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly on trade between Britain and India, China and all points east. With no competition, it made economic sense for the company to go for bulk, rather than speed, in shipping the treasures of the Orient back to Britain. The company s merchant ships, known as East Indiamen, always travelled fully laden with more than,000 tons of cargo, and the round trip to India took well over months. The tea harvest, which reached the company s Chinese ports in September, might take an entire year to reach home shores. Free trade The monopoly was revoked by Act of Parliament of. Although, at first, tea continued to be brought to Europe in East Indiamen, which had been pensioned off by the company, some of the new participants in the trade began to realize that more money could be made by getting their boats home before their rivals, as fresh tea fetched a premium price. In the meantime, the Americans had developed a new, fast type of sailing ship with several tall masts, carrying up to six tiers of sail. These powered a sleek and slender hull that was deeper at the back than at the front. Their speed earned them the name clippers. These ships were deployed in the 0s to bring tea from Canton in China to New York. Then, in, the British Navigation Laws were repealed to allow other nation s ships to bring tea to Britain, and in 0, an American clipper, Oriental, made the journey to London Below: The Cutty Sark in Chinese waters. DeAgostini

UNITED KINGDOM MAURITANIA SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN SOUTH AFRICA MADAGASCAR CHINA INDIAN OCEAN INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Above: The journey between Britain and China was cut by many weeks with the advent of the

from Hong Kong, laden with tea, in just days, three times faster than the East Indiamen. This provoked an immediate response.

3 UNITED KINGDOM MAURITANIA SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN SOUTH AFRICA MADAGASCAR CHINA INDIAN OCEAN INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Above: The journey between Britain and China was cut by many weeks with the advent of the speedy tea clippers. Octavian Press THE CUTTY SARK Above: Opened in, the port of Fuchow (now Fuzhou) was more convenient for teatraders as it was closer to the Chinese tea-growing areas. from Hong Kong, laden with tea, in just days, three times faster than the East Indiamen. This provoked an immediate response. The first British tea clipper, Stornoway, was launched that same year, and 0 more over the next two decades. British tea clippers were narrower than their American equivalents, making them faster in lighter winds: their American rivals were built to withstand the voyage around Cape Horn. Although American clippers had the upper hand for a few years, by they had largely withdrawn from the race. And make no mistake, a race was what it was. A new port had opened at Fuchow (now Fuzhou) in, much closer to the tea-growing areas, and the annual harvest arrived there much earlier. Ship owners cut corners with paperwork and the labyrinthine Chinese bureaucracy in order to be first out of port. The owner of the first ship home with the new season s tea could confidently expect d a pound more than 0 a ton extra for her cargo, a bounty that was shared by the captain and his crew. It was not just about the cash, however: the expert sailors who crewed the clippers which carried a complement of around 0 enjoyed the competition. Crews would place large side bets, as much as a month s pay, with crews of other ships. The public got caught up in the excitement, too, following the course of the race through telegrams and gathering along the English south coast and in the docks to cheer the winners home. Large wagers were made and taken on the races. The Suez Canal And then, in, the Suez Canal opened, bringing steamships into the equation. The journey around the Cape of Good Hope needed so much coal that there was not room in the hold for enough tea to make the journey viable, but this was not true of the new route, and the clippers could not use the canal. The decline of the tea clippers was swift and brutal. The steamers lacked the glamour and beauty of the tall ships, but economics, as usual, won out over aesthetics. Cutty Sark, built to win races although in fact she never defeated her great rival, Thermopylae only carried tea for eight years before the clipper races were abandoned in. To avoid the shifting of cargo during the voyage, and maximize profit, skilled packers at the Chinese ports filled the holds to bursting point, literally hammering in the tea chests with large wooden mallets. THE GREAT TEA RACE The most famous of all clipper races took place in, when no less than 0 clippers set sail from Fuchow on the same day. Three months later, four ships passed the Azores together. Ariel and Taeping (right) pulled ahead and raced virtually side by side along the English Channel and reached the Thames estuary together. By good fortune, the Taeping got a slightly quicker tugboat, and berthed in London just 0 minutes before her rival, after a voyage of days. Sportingly, the Taeping s owner declared it a dead heat, and the owners and crews divided the money between them.

GENERAL TIPS ATTENTION! Assemble under adult supervision. Unsuitable for children under. To assemble this model we recommend that you follow the step-by-step guide.

First look at the photos and read all the documentation included in the kit, as it will help you assemble the model correctly: Parts list with Dimensions and Materials.

Use the Cut Sheets to identify fully the precision-cut parts. After removing the parts from the sheets to use them during assembly, carefully sand them before gluing in place.

. To cut to size and identify the parts which are not prefabricated, look at the parts list where you will find: Part number. Part description. Number of same parts to be cut and used in the model.

. To ensure the perfect adjustment of cast metal parts, go over the edges with a small file before fitting to eliminate possible burrs and impurities.

. For parts that need bending or curving, dampen them in water for greater flexibility. You can also use a bending press, or plankbender, which is highly useful during assembly.

There are different types of glues that can be used to assemble the model. White glue This is also known as carpenter s glue or PVA.

Contact glue This glue can be applied with either a brush or a flat spatula. Apply a thin coat to both surfaces to be joined. Before joining the parts, leave for approximately five minutes.

4 GENERAL TIPS ATTENTION! Assemble under adult supervision. Unsuitable for children under. To assemble this model we recommend that you follow the step-by-step guide.. Follow all assembly steps CAREFULLY. Take all the time you need. First look at the photos and read all the documentation included in the kit, as it will help you assemble the model correctly: Parts list with Dimensions and Materials. Cut Sheet with precision-cut numbered parts. These instructions.. To remove the wood pieces (see Cut Sheets), carefully cut the tiny strands joining them to the sheet. Use the Cut Sheets to identify fully the precision-cut parts. After removing the parts from the sheets to use them during assembly, carefully sand them before gluing in place. Given the nature and origin of the wood, there may be slight differences in the tone or colour of some material.. To cut to size and identify the parts which are not prefabricated, look at the parts list where you will find: Part number. Part description. Number of same parts to be cut and used in the model. Part dimensions (thickness, width, length, in that order). Material used to make the parts (subject to modification by prior notification.. To ensure the perfect adjustment of cast metal parts, go over the edges with a small file before fitting to eliminate possible burrs and impurities.. To give a more authentic appearance to the ship s sails, dye them in some tea. When completely dry, add them to the ship without ironing them.. For parts that need bending or curving, dampen them in water for greater flexibility. You can also use a bending press, or plankbender, which is highly useful during assembly.. Before mounting the pulley blocks or deadeyes, it is best to enlarge the holes with a 0.mm diameter drill. GLUES Apply glue sparingly and in strict accordance with the manufacturer s instructions. There are different types of glues that can be used to assemble the model. White glue This is also known as carpenter s glue or PVA. It can be applied directly or with a brush to one of the parts to be glued. Clean off any excess glue immediately after joining the parts to avoid staining when fully dry. Contact glue This glue can be applied with either a brush or a flat spatula. Apply a thin coat to both surfaces to be joined. Before joining the parts, leave for approximately five minutes. After joining, apply light pressure and remove excess glue. Fast-drying glue Apply a tiny amount directly to the point where the parts are to be joined. It is very important that the parts are correctly positioned as you will not be able to move the parts again to set them correctly. Metal glue Super Glue Gel or Two-part epoxy glue PUTTIES Use regular stopping putty for wood. Read the manufacturer s instructions carefully! Applying putty To fill holes or cracks in the ship s hull, apply the putty with a flat spatula. Allow to dry and softly sand the entire surface of the hull to level off the putty. VARNISHES Use clear (not coloured) stopping varnish. Read the manufacturer s instructions carefully! Applying varnish Use a brush to apply varnish to wood. Sand the surface and thoroughly clean the part before varnishing. Varnish as follows:. Apply a first coat and allow to dry.. When dry, sand and clean the part.. Repeat Steps and.. Apply a third coat and allow to dry.. When dry, polish the part using steel wool. PAINTS Use acrylic (water-based) paints. Read the manufacturer s instructions carefully! Applying paint Use a paintbrush. Sand the surface and clean the part thoroughly before painting. Paint in the following order.. Apply a coat of varnish to prepare the surface to be painted. Allow the part to dry.. When dry, sand and clean the part.. Apply a first coat of paint and allow to dry.. When dry, apply a second coat of paint. THE CUTTY SARK: GENERAL TIPS

have all the necessary paints, varnishes and glues and the tools

Vertical keel and mast reinforcements THE CUTTY SARK: STEP BY STEP

stern bulkhead and the vertical keel from the mm plywood pre-cut

Fit and glue the stays to into their corresponding slots in the

5 THE CUTTY SARK STEP BY STEP! Check that all the necessary ship parts are present and that you have all the necessary paints, varnishes and glues and the tools that you need to build the model. Follow the steps CAREFULLY. Vertical keel and mast reinforcements THE CUTTY SARK: STEP BY STEP Remove all the frames to, mainmast and foremast stays, stern bulkhead and the vertical keel from the mm plywood pre-cut sheet. Fit and glue the stays to into their corresponding slots in the vertical keel, ensuring that each is perpendicular, making a 0º angle with the keel. They should be fitted evenly, leaving them flush with the vertical keel. Use white glue.

False keel and frames 0 0 0 0 0 0 THE CUTTY SARK: STEP BY STEP 0 0 0

It is advisable, after sanding them, to place them in order from bow

Place them in the corresponding slots on the vertical keel, ensuring

6 False keel and frames THE CUTTY SARK: STEP BY STEP All the frames through to are numbered. It is advisable, after sanding them, to place them in order from bow to stern. Place them in the corresponding slots on the vertical keel, ensuring that each is perpendicular, making a 0º angle with the keel. They should be fitted evenly, leaving them flush with the vertical keel. Do not glue them yet.

7 Bow and Stern strengtheners THE CUTTY SARK: STEP BY STEP Glue the strengtheners and onto the bow stem on the vertical keel. Glue the stern knightheads, and 0 onto frame, ensuring that each is perpendicular, making a 0º angle with the keel. They should be fitted evenly, leaving them flush with the vertical keel. Use white glue.

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