Financial District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Wavertree
1885
South Street Seaport Museum
Wavertree was built at Southampton, England in 1885 for R.W. Leyland & Company of Liverpool. She was first employed to carry jute, used in making rope and burlap bags, between eastern India (now Bangladesh) and Scotland. When less than two years old she entered the tramp trades, taking cargoes anywhere in the world she could find them. After sailing for a quarter century, she limped into the Falkland Islands in December 1910, having been almost totally dismasted in a gale off Cape Horn. Rather than re-rigging her, her owners sold her for use as a floating warehouse at Punta Arenas, Chile. She was converted into a sand barge at Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1947, and acquired there by the South Street Seaport Museum in 1968 for eventual restoration to her appearance as a sailing vessel.
By the time Wavertree was built, she was nearly obsolete. Steam engines suitable for efficiently propelling ships across the ocean had been introduced in the 1870s and were being used on nearly all the shorter trade routes. While this was taking place, iron long the choice of ship builders in iron producing countries, such as England was giving way to steel. Wavertree was one of the last large sailing ships built of wrought iron. She is today the largest afloat.
Most countries stopped building large sailing ships altogether in the first decade of this century. The last cargo-carrying sailing ship was launched in Germany in 1926. The last two to round Cape Horn with cargoes did so in 1949, carrying grain from Australia to Europe.
Extreme length: 325
Construction: Iron hull
Rig height: 167
Length on deck: 363
Draft: 22 (loaded)
Gross tonnage: 2,170
Beam: 40.2
Rig: Full-rigged ship
Net tonnage: 2,118
Erected by South Street Seaport Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1910.
Location. 40° 42.321′ N, 74° 0.229′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Financial District. Marker can be reached from South Street west of Fulton Street. Marker is at the northwest end of the Wavertree's dock on the grounds of the South Street Seaport complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 89 South Street, New York NY 10038, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Pioneer (a few steps from this marker); W.O. Decker (within shouting distance of this marker); Capstan (within shouting distance of this marker); Ambrose (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Wavertree (within shouting distance of this marker); Cargo Hatches (within shouting distance of this marker); High Water Mark (within shouting distance of this marker); Forecastle Head (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Also see . . . Wavertree. (Submitted on September 17, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional keywords. windjammer Wavertree
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 534 times since then and 11 times this year. Last updated on October 3, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on September 17, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 2, 3. submitted on October 2, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4. submitted on November 4, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 5. submitted on May 29, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.