White Wings Vol I. Fifty Years Of Sail In The New Zealand Trade, 1850 TO 1900
The Peter Denny
The Peter Denny.
the Peter Denny At Dunedin.
To return to the Peter Denny, she was a ship of close upon 1000 tons, with first-class accommodation for from 300 to 400 passengers, and was a fast sailer. She was most consistent in the regularity of her passages to Port Chalmers, none of which exceeded 92 days, port to port. The first two or three voyages were made from Glasgow, and the remainder from London. Captain George Adams was given command of the Peter Denny when she was launched, and remained in charge for eight years. Her maiden voyage was to Port Chalmers in 1865, and during the next three years she was engaged in the China trade. Mr. Basil Lubbock describes in his book, "Colonial Clippers," an interesting account of a race from China to London between the Wild Deer, Douglas Castle, and Peter Denny. He says the three ships were well matched for speed, and from the Gaspar Straits were in company almost daily. When the Wild Deer was making fast to her buoy at Gravesend, the Douglas Castle and Peter Denny were close astern.
In 1869 the Peter Denny resumed her running in the New Zealand trade and appears to have been fortunate in avoiding the severe storms usually encountered in the Southern Ocean. On one occasion, however, in 1869, during a dense fog, she collided with the French barque Apple, and suffered some damage, but it was not serious and Captain Adams proceeded on the voyage.
To Dunedin. | |||
Sailed. | Arrived. | Captain. | Days. |
---|---|---|---|
June 2, '65 | Sep. 2, '65 | Adams | 92 |
Land to land | 82 | ||
Feb. 15, '69 | May 12, '69 | Adams | 86 |
July 16, '70 | Oct. 15, '70 | Adams | 89 |
Land to land | 82 | ||
July 28, '71 | Oct. 27, '71 | Adams | 91 |
July 9, '72 | Oct. 9, '72 | Adams | 91 |
June 14, '73 | Sep. 3, '73 | Adams | 80 |
May 2, '74 | July 26, '74 | Pyecroft | 85 |
Land to land | 72 |
* Brought out plant for the New Plymouth Harbour Board.