Donald McKay launches the Great Republic

Background. Donald McKay, a Nova Scotian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships famed for his record-setting extreme clippers, established his own shipyard on Border Street, East Boston in 1845, where over a career of almost 25 years he built some of the finest American ships. He designed the Great Republic as a four-deck, four-masted medium clipper barque and built her for trade on his own account to Australia, intending her to be the most profitable wooden sailing ship ever to ply the Australian gold rush and southern oceans merchant trade.

Design and Scale. The Great Republic was the largest wooden ship in the world at launch, sharing the title with the steamship Adriatic. It was also the largest full-rigged ship ever built in the United States. With a registry of 4,555 tons, it was the largest clipper ship ever built, though not the longest wooden sailing ship ever constructed.

Launch Delay. The launch was originally planned for September 4, 1853, coinciding with Donald McKay's birthday. However, the event was postponed to October 4, 1853, due to problems with timber supplies. This delay shifted the historic launch date from the builder's birthday to early October.