Glenlee – Down Channel with a Fair Wind

The barque Glenlee heads down the English Channel, with the South Foreland to starboard, before a steady Fair Wind. This was familiar territory, as it was for most ships leaving ports on the East coast of the UK, for destinations on the other side of the world.

The term ‘Fair Wind’ describes any wind of any strength, that allowed a sailing ship to sail a compass course, rather than having to tack.

Glenlee was built at Glasgow in 1896 by Anderson Rodger & Co. for Archibald Sterling & Co. She had steel hull and lower masts and yards. Her rig can be described as a ‘bald headed barque’, meaning, she had no ‘royals’. These uppermost sails ceased to be rigged on some sailing vessels around this period in an attempt to cut down on crew numbers. It was also referred to as the ‘Jubilee rig’ as it had been first adopted during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Year in 1887.

The ‘painted gun ports’ hull decoration, which is obvious here, was a feature of many British sailing ships from the early 19^th century. Ships sailing ‘east’- meaning, to China, were painted in this manner as a deterrent against Chinese pirates, who might believe they had fallen in with an armed vessel. It was still in use late in the century as shipowners thought it enhanced the lines of their vessels. It was adopted on some French ships but was modified slightly so that it had a ‘French look’.

In 1922 Glenlee was bought by the Spanish Navy for use as a training ship and re-named Galatea. By 1980 they had no further use for her and she was laid up and abandoned.

In 1990 she was bought by the Clyde Maritime Trust, who have since refurbished her as an exhibition ship and she is now on display at the Clyde Riverside Museum.