CRUSADER

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a iron ship under yard no 25 by Charles Connell & Co., West Yard, Kalvinhaugh, Glasgow for J.Lidgett & Sons, London.
23 March 1865 launched under the name CRUSADER.
Tonnage 1.058 gross, dim. 210.7 x 35.0 x 22.8ft.
Off. No. 52696.

Lloyds Register 1866 gives, she was underway from London to India under command of Capt. Gronsund.
.
She was a beautiful little ship.
1869 Sold to Shaw, Savill, and registered in Glasgow
She was a frequent visitor to New Zealand, sailing from England with emigrants, and homeward bound a few passengers, but mostly loaded with wool or other general cargo.
Her first voyage to New Zealand was when she sailed on 17 December 1870 from London under command of Capt. Kerr, and arrived 13 March 1871 at Lyttelton. She made the passage in 86 days.
During a voyage to New Zealand in the mid-1870s under command of Capt. C.H. Renaut, she began to leak after leaving the Azores, it was decided to call a South American port for repairs, but the ships doctor was against it, as she was carrying many emigrants, and yellow fever was rife in South American ports.
The captain therefore held on and when she was nearing the Cape of Good Hope the leaking had stopped and she pressed on.
After passing the Cape, the leaking started again and it was not possible to turn back due to the prevailing winds.
A sail had been rigged under the hull, the boats were swing out and fully provisioned, by the constant pumping the pumps got worn out, and the young emigrants had to form a bucket brigade to cope with the inflowing water.
Luckily she arrived safely at Lyttelton and during dry-docking it was discovered that there was a hole in the ships bottom, and inside was the skeleton of a fish that had got in through the hole.
When in 1882 the Shaw Savill and Albion Line were formed after the two companies got conflicting interests and decided that a better source was amalgamation, the CRUSADER was transferred to the new company, she got now painted ports on her hull, as seen on the stamp.
All together she made 28 voyages to New Zealand, most to Lyttelton but also to Auckland, Wellington, Bluff and Port Chalmers.

Her fastest passage was on her third voyage to Lyttelton in 1872/73 when it took her 81 days. A return voyage to London via Cape Horn she made in 65 days. (She never made a passage from London to Port Chalmers in 65 days, as given in Watercraft Philately Vol 37 page 24, her fastest passage was 83 days to that port.) In only two occasions did her outward passages run into three figures.

1898 Sold to Reederie Crusader (Daniel Steen) at Ljarn near Oslo, he bought the ship-rigged vessel for £2.750.
Thereafter rigged as a barque.
1910 Sold to ship breakers in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. A other source gives broken up in 1915.
Lloyds Register of 1910 gives the masters name as Capt. F.S.Jensen.

New Zealand 1990 80c sg1544, scott983.

Source; White Wings by Henry Brett. New Zealand Post. Watercraft Philately. Ocean Racers by C. Fox Smith. Sea Breezes 1947. John D.Stevenson.

[john sefton]

CRUSADER (80c) This ship was a frequent visitor to New Zealand between 1871 and 1897.
During those years she made 28 voyages out and home to England.
The three masted CRUSADER was a Shaw Savill liner carrying immigrants to New Zealand. Built of iron, she was reputed to be a fast sailer, making one run from Lyttelton to London in 65 days.
On her voyages to New Zealand she carried immigrants to Auckland, Wellington, Bluff and Port Chalmers.
The Shaw SaVill and Albion Line eventually sold CRUSADER to the Norwegians.
Details: Built 1865 by Charles Connell, Glasgow, for J Lidqett & Sons, London. 1058Gt. Length 210'7". Beam 35'1". Draught 21' 4". Two decks. Ship rigged.
Acquired by Shaw Savill 1869. Sold 1898 to Daniel Steen, Norway. Broken up 1910 at DorJracht

Merchant Ships in Profile.
Log Book April 1990
New Zealand SG1544