Balclutha (1886)

The Balclutha, launched in 1886, is a steel-hulled, three-masted, square-rigged sailing ship (a "windjammer"). Built by Charles Connell and Company of Glasgow, Scotland, she was originally designed for the J.J. Moore & Company to transport cargo around Cape Horn.

The ship primarily carried general merchandise, including wine, case oil, and hardware, from Europe and the East Coast of the United States to the west coast of the Americas. She then typically transported Californian grain back to Europe. She participated in the grain trade, lumber trade, and coal trade routes.

In the early 20th century, the Balclutha was renamed Star of Alaska and refitted for use in the Alaskan salmon trade, carrying fishermen and canning supplies north and returning with canned salmon. This period involved considerably less prestigious cargo than her earlier voyages.

The ship was later sold and again renamed, this time to Pacific Queen, and was used as a floating exhibition.

In 1954, the Balclutha was acquired by the San Francisco Maritime Museum (now part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park) and restored to her original appearance and name. She is now a museum ship, permanently berthed at Pier 39 in San Francisco, California, and open to the public. The Balclutha is a National Historic Landmark and a well-preserved example of a late 19th-century merchant sailing vessel.