# Taeping

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Tea clipper, built 1863

Taeping History United Kingdom Builder Robert Steele & Company, Greenock Launched 1863 In service 1863–1871 Out of service 1871 Fate Wrecked near Ladd Reef 1871 General characteristics Class & type Clipper Tonnage 767 NRT Length 183 ft (56 m) Propulsion Sails

The ***Taeping*** was a tea [clipper](/source/Clipper) built in 1863 by [Robert Steele & Company](/source/Robert_Steele_%26_Company) of Greenock and owned by Captain Alexander Rodger of Cellardyke, Fife. Over her career, *Taeping* was the first clipper to dock in London in three different tea seasons. This compares with the highly successful [*Fiery Cross*](/source/Fiery_Cross_(clipper)), who won the "premium" in four separate tea seasons.[1]: 120-123

*Taeping* was one of the front runners in the very close [Great Tea Race of 1866](/source/Great_Tea_Race_of_1866). Despite [*Ariel*](/source/Ariel_(clipper)) being ten minutes ahead of *Taeping* at [Deal](/source/Deal%2C_Kent), *Taeping* docked 28 minutes before *Ariel* as she did not need to wait so long for the tide to rise to allow entry to her dock – and it was whoever docked first that was the winner.

The ship's first captain was Donald MacKinnon (Dòmhnall ’ic Nèill ’ic Dhòmnaill Ruaidh) of Heanish, [Tiree](/source/Tiree). He was taken ill on the outward passage to China for the 1867-68 tea season and put ashore in South Africa, where he died. The first mate, J. Dowdy took over command, remaining in that position until he moved to another clipper in 1871.[1]: 146-147, 336-239

*Taeping* was wrecked on 22 September 1871 on [Ladd Reef](/source/Ladd_Reef) in the [South China Sea](/source/South_China_Sea) while traveling to New York.[1]: 147

## Construction

Taeping was the first ship built of [composite construction](/source/Composite_construction) in the yard of Robert Steele and Company. Composite construction, a metal framework with wooden planking, gave a stiffer hull that occupied less internal volume, but could still be sheathed with copper (to avoid marine fouling) as the timber electrically insulated the copper from the underlying iron structure – so preventing [galvanic corrosion](/source/Galvanic_corrosion).

She was launched on 24 December 1863. She measured 183.7 feet (56.0 m) length on deck, had a beam of 31.1 ft (9.5 m) and a depth of hold of 19.9 ft (6.1 m) feet. She was 767 tons.

## Career

### 1864–65 and 1865–1866 tea seasons

*Taeping* encountered a typhoon on her first trip back from China with a cargo of tea. She left Shanghai on 1 July 1864. After losing her bowsprit, foremast and the main and mizzen topmasts in the storm, she was towed into Amoy by [HMS Flamer](/source/Albacore-class_gunboat_(1855)) on 23 July. After the substantial repairs that were needed, she sailed again on 8 October and made the very quick passage of 88 days to Deal.[1]: 146-147

Her 1865 outward passage from London to Hong Kong was 94 days. The homeward passage started on 29 June and was of 104 days.[1]: 146-147, 234

### 1866–67 tea season

*Taeping* and *Ariel* racing up the Channel, by the contemporary marine artist [T. G. Dutton](/source/Thomas_Goldsworthy_Dutton)

In May 1866 *Taeping* was one of 16 clippers waiting to load tea in Foochow (Fuzhou). This was the port where the new crop of tea became available at the earliest point in the season – so this is where ships trying to be the first back to London had to load. She sailed on 30 May, as did [*Ariel*](/source/Ariel_(clipper)) (after a delay getting over the bar) and [*Serica*](/source/Serica_(clipper)). A multiple previous winner of tea races, [*Fiery Cross*](/source/Fiery_Cross_(clipper)) had been the first to sail the day before, and [*Taitsing*](/source/Taitsing_(clipper)) left on 31 May.[1]: 155-157

The very close race that followed became known as the [Great Tea Race of 1866](/source/Great_Tea_Race_of_1866). Though these ships were out of sight of each other for much of their passage back to England, they were a few days apart for most of that time. Ariel was the first to enter the [English Channel](/source/English_Channel), but with *Taeping* in sight as soon as the sun rose.[1]: 155-157[2]

*Ariel* was ten minutes ahead of *Taeping* at [Deal](/source/Deal%2C_Kent), where both ships signalled their numbers and collected pilots. After taking tugs, the two ships had to wait for the tide at [Gravesend](/source/Gravesend) before proceeding to their respective docks in London. Taeping had the advantage that there were two sets of lock gates to enter [London Docks](/source/London_Docks). When the tide was high enough, she was able to pass through the outer set of gates and the lock was topped up from the water in the basin. *Ariel's* destination, [East India Docks](/source/East_India_Docks), only had a single set of lock gates. So she had to wait for the tide to rise a little further before she could enter. The result was that *Taeping* docked 28 minutes before *Ariel*, being the winner under the rules.[1]: 155-157

*Serica* docked late on the same tide, so three tea clippers had arrived, in commercial terms, at the same time. This would cause a glut in the market for new crop tea. To avoid the tea merchants (who were obliged to pay a "premium" of 10 shillings per ton, as written into the bills of lading, to the winning ship) calling the race void through some technicality, Taeping's owners agreed to share the premium with Ariel if they did not contest the result – and this agreement was put into effect. This was the last tea season in which a "premium" was written into any bill of lading for being the first clipper home from China.[1]: 155-157[2]: 152

### Later voyages

On *Taeping's* next outward passage to China, Captain MacKinnon, her master, became seriously ill and was landed at [Algoa Bay](/source/Algoa_Bay). He died on the way home, at the age of 41. The first mate, Dowdy, took over command. On the return trip to London, for the 1867–68 season, *Taeping* was the fourth ship to sail from Foochow, with *Serica* and *Maitland* having crossed the bar of the Minh river 3 days before. By the time *Serica* was passing Hong Kong, 5 days later, *Taeping* had caught up. With a total passage time of 102 days, *Taeping* was the first tea clipper to dock in London that season.[1]: 146-147, 236

In the 1868-69 tea season, *Taeping* was one of the front runners, putting in a passage of 102 days, but was beaten both on passage time and arrival date by *Ariel* and *Spindrift*.[1]: 182-184, 237 She was the first tea clipper home in the 1870–71 season.

### Loss

*Taeping* struck [Ladd Reef](/source/Ladd_Reef) in the China Sea on the night of 22 September 1871. She was on route to New York from Amoy.[1]: 182-184, 237 Every effort was made to get her off, but she was stuck fast. The crew took to the ship's three boats and stayed with the ship in the hope that she would be lifted off by the tide. She was abandoned on 24 September and the boats set off for [Saigon](/source/Saigon). They became separated in rough weather. One was picked up by *Serica*, who was also bound for New York with tea. The other two boats made it safely to land.[3]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-MacGregor_1983_1-11) MacGregor, David R. (1983). *The Tea Clippers, Their History and Development 1833–1875*. Conway Maritime Press Limited. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-256-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-256-0).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Lubbock_1946_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Lubbock_1946_2-1) [Lubbock, Basil](/source/Basil_Lubbock) (1946) [1914]. *The China Clippers*. Glasgow: Brown, Son and Ferguson Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0851741096](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0851741096). {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Total Loss of the China Clipper Taeping"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004033/18720116/027/0003). *Liverpool Journal of Commerce*. pg 3 column 2. 16 January 1872. Retrieved 12 August 2023.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: location ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Taeping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taeping) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taeping?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.