Expert: Mark Smith - 9/9/2010

Question
Hello! ...And thank you for attending to my question(s). Here goes: If a sailing ship, say in the mid-1800's were built at Buckler's Hard, and small enough to have sailed down the shallow waters of the Beaulieu River, would it be stout enough to be an ocean going cargo/exploration vessel,(not a slave ship)--let's say, to Brazil? And what would have been the route...? What point, or port would have been most common to land in Brazil?--and would it be common to stop in the Canary Islands along the way? I guess what I really need is you to give a description of (or point me in the right direction of where I might find)a common British vessel used for cargo transport, as well as exploration to South America and the Far East, that could have been built at Buckler's Hard between 1800 and 1850. --I'm trying to compile accurate data for writing a piece of historical fiction. At present,I am using as a template for my story's ship, a 40 ton, four-masted, shallow draft, merchant vessel...a type employed early on between the UK and the American colonies. I just don't know for certain if this type would have  been used for trans-Atlantic travel from England to Brazil and then on to the Far East as well...I just don't want to assume.  Also, what would a common ports of call/route have been from UK-Brazil-Singapore. Again, thanks, for whatever answers you might be able to help with providing.  Sincerely, L.O.

Answer
Hello Linda.
First the bad news. There were no passenger ships crossing the Pacific in the first half of the 19th century. The voyage was considered too long and dangerous for passengers, even for cargo, until the advent of iron steamships, the first of which made the journey from Australia to Panama in 1854. The only ships in the Pacific, other than coastal traders etc were scientific and geographic expeditions, naval vessels from a number of powers with interests in the Pacific and whalers. It would have been all but impossible to cross the Pacific as a private individual before the 1850s.
I assume you mean a 400 ton vessel not 40 ton ? Nothing much less than 400 tons would ever be considered for a commercial ocean crossing with cargo and passengers.
Large ships were definately built at Bucklers Hard, three warships that fought at the battle of Trafalger were built at Bucklers Hard, ships of nearly 2000 tons.
Ships sailing from England to Brazil would probably call at Vigo in Spain or Lisbon, Portugal, then the Azores, the Canaries or the Cape Verde Islands before crossing the Atlantic to make landfall in Brazil at Pernambuco, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.
Mark

There's a book published in the USA called "Transpacific Steam" by E Mowbray-Tate which tells the story of commercial and passenger shipping across the Pacific from the first regular steamship route opened in 1867. It will also have information on earlier atempts in the 1850s and the difficulties of commercial sailings before that date.