Hurricane (clipper)

	Hurricane in the English Channel; detail of a lithograph after a painting by Stephen Dadd Skillet
History
Name	Hurricane
Owner	C. W. & A. Thomas
Port of registry	New York, United States (1851–60) ; Singapore, Straits Settlements (after 1860);
Builder	Isaac C. Smith (Hoboken, New Jersey)
Launched	25 Oct 1851
Maiden voyage	17 Dec 1851
In service	1851–57; 1859–76?
Out of service	1857–58
Renamed	Shaw-Allum (c. 1860)
Fate	Unknown; disappears from shipping registers after 1876
Notes	Reputedly the most extreme clipper ever built Made several record port-to-port or point-to-point passages
General characteristics
Type	Extreme clipper
Tons burthen	1608
Length	230 ft (70 m) (oa) ; 215 ft (66 m) (deck) ; 206 ft (63 m) (keel);
Beam	40 ft (12 m)
Draft	20 ft (6.1 m)
Depth of hold	22 ft (6.7 m)
Decks	Two
Sail plan	Ship-rigged
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h) in ideal conditions; typical speed 7–10 knots (13–19 km/h)

Hurricane was a large extreme clipper of 1608 tons burthen built in Hoboken, New Jersey, United States in 1851. Reputedly the most extreme clipper ever built, Hurricane proved a very fast vessel, reportedly capable of speeds of up to 18 knots (33 km/h) in ideal conditions, and establishing a number of record passages in the early years of her career.

Hurricane made a total of four New York–to–San Francisco voyages while under the American flag, the fastest of which was an outstanding 100-day passage in 1854. After arriving at San Francisco, the ship would usually continue on to China or Hong Kong before returning via San Francisco to New York. She also made several voyages between the United Kingdom and India during this period, including two record passages in 1855–1856.

Due partly to an economic depression in the United States, Hurricane was laid up for about a year at New York in 1857–58. In late 1858, she sailed via San Francisco for Singapore, Straits Settlements, where in 1860 she was sold to British interests. Renamed Shaw-Allum, little is known about her subsequent career. Her last entry in shipping registers was in 1876.

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