Coonatto (clipper ship)
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 Coonatto by Thomas Goldsworthy Dutton and William Foster, about 1863 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Coonatto |
| Owner | Anderson, Thompson & Co |
| Port of registry | London |
| Builder | Thomas Bilbe and William Perry, Rotherhithe |
| Launched | 1863 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Wrecked February 1876 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | clipper |
| Tonnage | 633 GRT |
| Length | 160.2 ft (48.8 m) |
| Beam | 29.0 ft (8.8 m) |
| Depth | 18.7 ft (5.7 m) |
| Sail plan | full rig |
Coonatto, was a British three-masted clipper that was built in 1863 and wrecked in 1876. She traded between London and Adelaide for 12 years. She was wrecked in the English Channel in February 1876.
Thomas Bilbe and William Perry built Coonatto at the Nelson Dock, Rotherhithe, Surrey in 1863 for Anderson, Thompson & Co., previously James Thompson & Co.[1] and later Anderson, Anderson & Co., who from 1861 trade as "The Orient Line of Packets", commonly referred to as the "Orient Line" of London. Their relationship with the builder began with Celestial, an all-timber ship constructed on their patented system of framing, followed by the clipper Orient, from which the line gained its name. Other ships built by Bilbe for the company were Argonaut, Borealis and Yatala, the last-named also on the Adelaide route.
Coonatto was named after the once-famous sheep station of Grant and Stokes.[2] She was a ship of 633 GRT, 160.2 ft (48.8 m) long, with a 29.0 feet (8.8 m) beam and 18.7 ft (5.7 m) depth. She was designed to carry passengers and cargo swiftly between Britain and Australia. The cargo on the return voyage was chiefly wool, but also copper. She was an early example of a composite ship, with an iron frame and timber cladding, giving more open space for cargo.[3]
Anderson, Thompson & Co registered Coonatto at London. Her United Kingdom official number was 47320 and her code letters were VNDP.[4]
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