Home Defense Guns: My Choices

Dear Readers,

From your letters, it's easy to see that you have questions regarding "the best" choice for a Home Defense gun.

Ever since vice president Joe Biden said get a shotgun, I've had readers ask me about the positives and the negatives of having a shotgun versus other guns.

The email that I receive shows a split between handguns and shotguns, with a few making a pretty good argument for having an AR-15.

Maybe it was my training as a United States Marine, but my attitude on Home Defense is the same as any situation where you need to defend yourself: Any weapon is better than no weapon, and anything can be a weapon.

Most of us already know about women being told to use their car-keys against an attacker in the advent of an emergency situation on the street. That is a good example of anything can be a weapon.

For our homes, hopefully we're a little more prepared than that. But before choosing "the best" weapon for you, you have to look at your living situation.

If you have a lot of kids coming and going at all hours of the day and night like a bus terminal, than your choices are extremely limited simply because you might not know if the person coming in the door is your kid or not.

I know someone who once lost his house key and decided to climb in through a window to get in. His wife almost made herself a widow because she was ready to shoot at the very moment that he finally realized that his wife was standing there with a gun in her hand.

And of course, there is the case of the husband who likes to stay out drinking with the boys till late before coming home. If he's one of these guys who sees no reason in announcing himself as he's stumbling in the door, he could have a problem waiting for him inside. And no ladies, no matter how mad you are, you can't shoot him just because you might really want to!

Other limiting factors are things such as if you live in an apartment or have roommates who come and go for example. So before figuring out what we need, we really have to assess our needs and choices.

As for living in an apartment, I'll be real frank and say that I think a small caliber pistol is the best defensive weapon in the way of firearm. Because of the concern about a round going through a wall and entering a neighbor's apartment, I think that that concern can be minimized with a small caliber firearm such as a .38 revolver and the right kind of ammo. And yes, ammo manufacturers actually make ammo these days that are designed to reduce travel upon impact.

For example, "frangible" ammo is designed for use at close quarters to reduce the danger of ricochet.
One "frangible" ammo type is the "Glaser Safety Slug" which is designed for self defense in conditions where others might be injured by standard bullets, and they have a proven track record for safety.

The bullet design can produce large shallow wounds in flesh while failing to pass through structural barriers thicker than drywall or sheet metal. These qualities make it less likely to strike unintended targets, such as people in another room during an indoor shooting. Also, when it strikes a hard surface from which a solid bullet would glance off, it fragments into tiny, light pieces and creates much less ricochet danger.

So yes, if you want to put an assailant down with killing him in an apartment situation, it see Glaser Safety Slugs would work well in the right conditions like say an apartment.

Having said that, whether you use some sort of new "frangible" round or the standard .158 grain .38 caliber bullet, a .38 revolver is ideal for home defense.

If there is a question as to what sort of ammo to use, some police department will help you to find out what ammo is authorized for department use, and which is very defensible in court.

For a residential house, ask yourself what we have to chose from in the way of a rifle, a pistol, or a shotgun? And yes, some will ask why not a baseball bat, a kitchen knife, or simply use the telephone?

Well, I've always believed that knives are used as a last resort.

It takes a lot of nerve to slice and dice someone. While fear is a great motivator, the problem with using a knife is that it is an up close and personal weapon that will bring us eyeball to eyeball with our assailant. And in that situation, the odds are only 50/50 that we will succeed in getting out without getting injured or worse.

The reason it's only 50/50 is the same as using a baseball bat -- if your assailant is a bigger stronger younger intruder, it could end up being used on you.

The telephone is great, but contrary to what liberals are trying to tell us -- no, it's not a weapon.

If an intruder is breaking into your home, instruct your wife to dial 911 and put the phone down so that the 911 operator can automatically locate where you are calling from -- then grab a gun and get on with a defense.

While I like shooting with one hand, and have been trained to do so while holding a flashlight or a radio or whatever else, most people need to dial 911 and put the phone down so that their hands are free to hold a firearm.

Whether you're using a pistol or shotgun or rifle, its my believe that a phone in your hands is just going to get in the way. Besides, there is nothing that the 911 operator can say to you to keep you safe at that moment. It is all up to you. 

The pistols that I keep loaded are a "his and hers" situation. Yes, I really did say "his and hers!"

I keep a no frills easy to use .357 Smith & Wesson Model 64 revolver and one of my old trusty M1911A1 .45 Government Model semi-auto ready to go.

Why both? Because, while I'm comfortable with either handgun, my wife is more comfortable with the "less complicated" revolver.  Loaded with .38 caliber rounds, I'm fairly certain that she can handle using it very well. 

I also have a rifle and a shotgun that I keep in the ready. By about now, you're probably asking why so many choices?

Well, partly it's because of where my wife and I live. We live in the country. This is rural America, and not all of the intruders that I am worried about have two legs -- some definitely have four. 

You see, while a pistol and a shotgun are great for close quarters when someone is breaking in the back door -- and a shotgun will give you some range and a wider pattern -- I need to have a rifle in case a predator is after my livestock.

For that reason, I keep a either my .30-30 Marlin or my .45-70 Marlin lever-action rifle ready in case of Mountain Lions and Bears and such. Though I own a semi-auto rifle or two, I'm most comfortable with my lever-action Marlin rifles for game. And yes, a .45-70 is a big round that will certainly put down a bear if I had to.

While I don't own one, I have been trained in the use of an M16 rifle. The civilian version is the AR15 rifle. I am not against owning one, I just have others that I prefer over an AR15. And even though that's the case for me, I really believe that the AR15 can be a good home defense weapon in rural areas. But frankly, I really don't think that I'd use one in an urban setting.

The problem that I have with citizens using an AR15 in urban settings is the exact same problem that I have with law enforcement officers using an AR15 in urban settings -- bullet travel and lousy training.

In a rural area, like say the area I live in where my nearest neighbor is over 200 yards away, when taking a shot at an intruder -- if you miss, your stray rounds, those misses, go into the landscape.

In an urban setting, where your neighbor's house can be a few feet away, when taking a shot at an intruder -- your stray rounds, those misses, go through a wall and into the next home and possibly into somebody's bedroom.  

And yes, even the most well trained combat Marines miss now and then in the heat of battle. So knowing that fact, I've often worried about civilian law enforcement using AR15s. After all, there is no telling how many police officers can't hit the side of a barn. 

This is the reason that police have traditionally used shotguns. With less range, a shooter gets less bullet travel. But the trade off is public safety. Besides, even a poor marksman, as many police officers are, can be proficient with a shotgun.

And yes, the weapon that won the West was the American shotgun. That shotgun, which was handed down from generation to generation in most American families, was used for hunting small game, birds, and family defense. Back then, as is the case today, a person with a shotgun didn't need a lot of practice to learn to hit what they aimed at, and shotgun were not complicated to use.

As for my choice of home defense shotgun? While I like side-by-side double barrel shotguns, I have owned a Mossberg 500 pump action shotgun for more than 30 years.

 

Like the 911 operator, an alarm system is of absolutely no use when you have a violent criminal breaking down your door.

Shame on you if you have nothing to protect yourself or your family with. The basic solution to that problem is to get a gun. And if you're uncomfortable using a pistol, get a shotgun. The Mossberg 500 would be a good choice.

Criminals don’t like guns when they are used against them. And yes, it is absolutely true that they don't like the sound of pump shotgun chambering a round and getting ready for business. Frankly, the racking of a pump shotgun speaks an international language which can be enough to deter even the most hardened of criminals.



Mossberg 500

It happened to my father when he was living in the residential area in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Hayward. One very late night, my dad woke up after hearing noise coming from the patio door which led to my folks' backyard.

He grabbed his pump shotgun and saw the silhouette of two intruders trying to jimmy the door open.

Standing back away from the door, he racked the pump shotgun to chamber a round.

He heard one say, "that was a shotgun!" as they jumped the back fence and ran away.

If the sound of a pump shotgun being racked to chamber a round doesn't work, knowing you can pull the trigger and accurately use deadly force to take care of one or more criminals is priceless in the scheme of things when it comes to home defense protection.

And yes, Home Defense means Family Defense!

While I'm partial to pump action shotguns like the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870, a side-by-side shotgun may be easier and less complicated for some folks.

Whatever you choose, rifle, shotgun, or pistol, training is key! Training is important to know how to use any gun. You need to know how to use it. It has to be done naturally with ease and comfort.

Fumbling with safeties or a slide release can put you in danger. For that reason, as much as I like the pump action shotgun, the old standby side-by-side shotgun may be a better choice for some folks. But, either way you go, training is important.

As for prices? I believe a Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun can be had for under $400. Stoeger side-by-sides are about the same price.

A good quality .357 magnum revolver, such as a Ruger SP101 cost about $700 while a Smith & Wesson Model 60 will run around $800.

The .30-30 Marlin Model 336 lever-action rifle, which of course is a great deer rifle, will run you about $500. The Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle in .45-70, which is a great bear rifle, will probably set you back around $700. A basic AR15 is running between $1000 and $1200 these days.

Of course, shop around for deals just like anything else. Also, watch for when they're on sale and you can safe a lot of money!

So all in all, as you can see, if you need to have a shotgun sitting in the back of a closet or over a door, a pistol in a drawer out of the reach of children yet accessible for quick recovery, a rifle in the back of the door for that midnight prowling big cat, you have options.

It's all a matter of wanting peace of mind in the event trouble comes your way. And yes, the guns shown above would be my choices to pick from.

Good luck with making your choice.

Tom Correa

 

Duck Dynasty on Faith, Family & Facial Hair

Todd Starnes is the host of Fox News & Commentary – heard daily on 250+ radio stations. He’s also the author of "Dispatches From Bitter America".

In his spare time, Todd is active in his church, plays golf, follows SEC football, and eats barbecue. He lives in New York City.

Jun 14, 2013
Story by Todd Starnes

Duck Dynasty makes America happy-happy. And that’s a fact, Jack.

The reality television show following the adventures of Louisiana’s Robertson family has become one of the nation’s most-watched programs. A&E’s Duck Dynasty drew an average of 8.4 million viewers per episode last season – the second-highest-rated cable show on television.

I’m proud to say I was a Duck Dynasty fan from season one, episode one. Last Christmas, I was honored to have Phil and Kay Robertson on my Fox Radio Christmas Spectacular. And earlier this week I had a chance to catch up with their son — Jase.

“I was one of the ones who said the reality show would never work,” he told me. “We were in the hunting world. I had this perception of reality shows that you had to have all this friction and fits of rage and four-letter words.”

Think Jersey Shore and the Kardashians.

“We’re pretty calm compared to that,” he said. “We’ve got some crazy characters in our family — but I didn’t think people would want to see that.”

The nation has fallen in love with Louisiana’s favorite duck call makers – especially with Uncle Si – and his ever-present Tupperware glass filled with sweet tea.

“People just identify with our principles and values,” Jase said. “We’re all about faith, family and facial hair.”

Jase said he hasn’t seen his dad clean shaven in about 30 years.

“My wife hates the beard,” he said. “When we dated, I would grow it out during duck season. she said she could handle anything for three months — but now I have it all the time.”

But he did acknowledge the beard has its advantages.

“No one ever tries to mug us — ever,” he said. “They look at us and say, ‘No, it’s not worth it.’”

A few years ago the brothers and their dad were hunting in Idaho when a guy tried to break into their motel room. It was around 3 a.m. and Phil heard the door knob turn.

“My dad sat up with his long beard, wearing his tighty-whiteys and his gun,” he said. “He leaned over, grabbed the gun and then the guy opened the door. My dad said, ‘Wrong room!’”

Jase said the would-be robber’s hands flew up in the air.

"He turned into a crawfish and started back out,” he said. “He backed up about 250 yards into the parking lot.”

When it comes to guns – the Robertsons are “all about the Second Amendment.”

But the greatest joy in Jase’s life is not the show or the family business — it’s his family. He lives in West Monroe, La. with his wife Missy and their three children — teenage boys Reed and Cole and 10-year-old Mia.

He said keeping the kids focused has been their biggest struggle in this age of Facebook and Twitter and instant feedback.

“I’ve had to sit down with both my sons and tell them that just because 1,000 girls say you’re the best-looking thing since sliced bread – that doesn’t mean it’s true,” he said. “They’re not mature enough to deal with that.”

He said he and his wife try to keep their priorities straight.

“The best thing Missy and I can do is have a good relationship,” he said. “We have a strong, godly relationship. They see that fame and fortune is not what we are after.”

Jase believes that helps keep the kids grounded.

“We also have to take time out of almost every day and say to the kids — this is what we’re about,” he said. “I try to do something positive every day – plan a positive action every day to keep their priorities straight. That’s all you can do. It’s not going to happen by accident.”

A number of viewers have commended the family’s frank discussions about life – including lessons on the birds and the bees.

“My dad told us to wait until we got married — do it God’s way,” he said. “I like the fact that my parents are so open about sex. I waited until I got married and a lot of the reason for that is because at an early age – my parents were real open.”

He admits that some viewers have not appreciated their candor.

“Godly sex is biblical and it’s a good thing,” Jase said. “I’m glad my dad loves my mom. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

Sure the Robertsons are a little rough around the edges but that’s their culture. That’s who they are. And that’s why American families are flocking to their show.

“The bottom line is we are trying to do what’s right,” he said. “We don’t just say we believe in God — we have active relationships with God.”

And they don’t preach at folks who may not share their Christ-centered values.

“If people want to simulate a godly lifestyle — great,” he said. “If they don’t — good luck with that.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

I agree!  

Attack of the Insensitive Rodeo Clowns?

Before we talk about the supposed insensitivity of Rodeo Clowns, let's talk a minute about King Obama's Dog Bo who was airlifted to the King's family vacation spot. 

King Obama commanded that his dog be airlifted via United States Marine Corps aircraft to the King's family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard - and it was promptly done!

By the way, more than Bo was airlifted to the King's family holiday on the Vineyard – also airlifted for his royal ass was his all-important "presidential basketballs".

As reported by The Telegraph, more than 70 hotel rooms, each costing up to $345 a night, have been booked for Secret Service agents.

The Obamas are staying in a $7.6 million, 5,000-square foot retreat on nine acres, which includes a basketball court, of course.

We should note that this is the first time Marine Corps aircraft, two Osprey helicopters were used to transport the King and his family.

One was for the Obamas, and one for Bo and the basketballs.

It must his way of enduring all of the cuts he's making to everyone else but himself.

But than again, it must be nice to be King!

Now as for those supposedly insensitive Rodeo Clowns?

The president of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association has resigned after getting flak about a State Fair event in which a Rodeo Clown stirred up the crowd by wearing a mask of President Obama - and poking fun about the president being clown.

An attorney for rodeo announcer Mark Ficken said Tuesday that his resignation from the group is not an acknowledgment of wrongdoing on his part but rather a protest that the association has not banned the rodeo clown from its membership.

Ficken's resignation from the rodeo group comes as he tries to hold on to his job as superintendent of the Boonville School District.

The school system announced Monday that it is hiring an investigator to look into whether Ficken was involved in any "inappropriate conduct" during last Saturday's bull riding event at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.

Missouri's elected officials have denounced the rodeo clown act as "disrespectful" to Obama.

The event featured a clown wearing an Obama mask with an upside down broomstick attached to his backside who was positioned on the arena's dirt floor as if he were a dummy.

Another clown drew cheers from the audience as he asked if they wanted to see "Obama run down by a bull" and made comments about the bull coming to get Obama.

Ficken's attorney said a rodeo clown wearing a microphone - not Ficken - orchestrated the act and made most of the comments about a bull charging after Obama.

The Missouri State Fair said Monday that it has permanently banned the clown from performing at the fair. Imagine that!

The rodeo association, which was responsible for the event, has not publicly said what -- if any -- action it has taken against participants.

"When he found out that the association had no plans to remove the rogue clown from its membership ranks, (Ficken) felt that the better part of valor - given what was said - was to resign from the association," said his Ficken's attorney, Albert Watkins.

Neither the State Fair nor the rodeo association has identified the rodeo clown who made the comments about Obama. But a friend and relative both identified the clown as Tuffy Gessling.

"He was at our house the next day for Sunday dinner and told us that he thought people took it wrong - that it was supposed to be a joke," said his cousin, Chrissy Gessling, of Slater, Mo.

Tuffy Gessling has not responded to Associated Press requests for an interview made through Facebook, his cousin and a friend.

So where's the problem?

While there is no written law, we may have finally reached a place in America where it’s forbidden to publicly mock the king president of the United States — of course, that's assuming that the president is black (or half-white) and a Democrat.

I was angry when liberals like David Letterman attacked Sarah Palin's family. And yes, I was angry when liberals wore masks of George W. Bush in liberal sponsored protests that called for his assassination.

How about this picture of a liberal protester wearing a Bush mask with what's supposed to be blood all over his hands?



No outcry from the left? Imagine that?

But wait, Bush was white and a Republican - to the left even a lynching would have been OK!

In fact, it was reported that death threats against President George W. Bush were not even investigated as they are now since President Obama was elected.

The left's outcry over a rodeo clown putting on an Obama Halloween mask is laughable if it weren't for so many people getting their panties in a bunch over this.

Farmers and ranchers are having there private information distributed to anti-agriculture liberal environment extremist groups -- by Obama's EPA.

Conservative groups and citizens are being denied tax-exempt status by Obama supporters in the IRS.  Yes, that is an illegal act.

Over 2,217 semi-automatic AR-15 style rifles were handed over to Mexican Drug Cartels by the Obama Justice Department.  Yes, that is an illegal act.

The IRS and the GAO have spent millions of taxpayer dollars on lavish conferences.

Americans are being spied on by the NSA, the FBI, Homeland Security, and only God knows who else, all condoned by the Obama administration.

The president not refuses to even look at any favorable report about the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline because he is a slave to his liberal environmentalist donors.

Four Americans were killed in Libya while assets that could have kept them alive were told to "stand down" and no one in the Obama administration can fine the person who did that -- subsequently getting four Americans killed.

But wait, the left is not upset with any of these - yet they are about a rodeo clown wearing an Obama Halloween mask!

I ask you, is this a little insane or what?

Talk about absurdity, the man behind the mask has been permanently banned from performing at the fair ever again, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Missouri State Fair officials barred the rodeo clown from ever performing at the fair again and are requiring that “all officials and subcontractors associated with the association must participate in sensitivity training,” the Post-Dispatch noted.

Why is it that Republicans and Conservatives have to attend "Sensitivity training" over something like this, yet Democrats and Liberals don't when the situation is turned around and they step way over the line.

Not just have a little fun at President Obama's unfavorable ratings, but Liberal get nasty!

As stupid as it is, liberal state lawmakers in Missouri are also demanding an investigation after threatening to cut funding for the fair, an annual event that receives state tax dollars.

Politicians and the national media jumped all over the incident, deeming it "inappropriate and disrespectful."

So where were the Democrats back in 1994 when a rodeo dummy wearing a President George H.W. Bush mask, propped up by a broomstick, was employed in the exact same was as a decoy during the bull riding at that rodeo.

Why didn't anyone demand resignations and investigation back then?

Could it have been because the left is sensitive and overly protective because President Obama is half-white/black and a Democrat?

One member of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association who was at Saturday’s event told the Associated Press that there was nothing offensive or unusual about the rodeo clowns actions — he was trying to look like a dummy and that rodeo clowns have long performed such acts, often imitating sitting presidents.

“The joke is not that it was the president,” he said. “They drag out this person dressed like a dummy and all of the sudden this dummy just takes off running. That’s what’s funny.”

The only difference between then and now is the hyper-sensitivity and double standard that applies to the first black president.

Hyper-sensitivity that was on full display when the apparent Obama supporter who drew attention to the incident, Perry Beam, said "it felt like some kind of Klan rally you’d see on TV," as reported by the USA Today.

Yes, the "race card"! And no, I don't think the left has gotten the memo that the "race card" means absolutely nothing simply because it is worn out.

Like the double-standard and the denial that Democrats find themselves enjoying, all this talk about race is getting old.

Democrats on the Left cannot understand how Americans could care less what color Obama is or isn't. And frankly, since the Democrats are the only ones concerned with race at every turn - I can't help but wonder why they don't understand that race just doesn't matter?!

Fact is, Americans believe Obama's policies suck! It's just that simple, his policies are not good for Americans.

You'd think, that that is simple enough that even a Democrat would understand it.  His policies scare Americans.

Story by Tom Correa

The Flying Cloud - America's Most Famous Clipper Ship

I hate it when I try rushing out an article. Sometimes, right after I click on the publish button, I  notice how the article could have been better. When gathering information about the Old West, or American History in general, I'm always taken by the small stories that were big in its day, or the small facts that have been left out of a story.

I enjoy finding out the fact that the tribe was so angry with the medicine man who instigated the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, that they renamed him "Coyote Shit" (Isa-tai) after the battle because his so-called medicine was found to be nothing but a fraud. Yes, the Indian medicine man who became known as Coyote Shit was nothing but a wannabe messiah.

I enjoy finding out that Frank and Tom McLaury were not in Tombstone on the day of the gunfight to have it out with the Earps. That story is nothing more than fiction built up by people who think the mundane is too mundane. Sure, Earp supporters like to say that the Frank and Tom McLaury were in town as part of the gang of Cowboys just there to break the law and intimidate the public.

But frankly, that's not true. Fact is, Frank and Tom McLaury were not there in Tombstone that fatal day because they belong to some gang called the "Cowboys". Unknown to the Earps, the McLaury brothers were simply in town to get cash before leaving to travel across country back to their hometown in Iowa to attend their sister's wedding, and to buy a prized bull for their herd.

And really, let's be honest when it comes to discussing what took place that day in Tombstone. Sure they were armed. But wouldn't you have stocked up on arms and ammunition as they did that day if you were about to travel across Indian country with the Apache on the prod and no one there to protect you in route to where you're going? That's what took place and that's what they were about to do, but people seem to forget that part of the story when talking about what took place before that shootout. 

Some folks think the Old West, our Western expansion, was only by horse and covered wagon, and later by trains. But friends, before trains crossed the open expanse of the West, ships traveled south around the Horn taking thousands to the gold rich California port of San Francisco.

In the early days of the California Gold Rush, it took more than 200 days for a ship to travel from New York to San Francisco. Remember those were the days before the Panama Canal. It was a long hard voyage of more than 16,000 miles.

It was a treacherous voyage that included going around Cape Horn, and subsequently some of the most dangerous waters known to mankind. Yet, in 1851, a clipper called the Flying Cloud made the same journey in only 89 days. It was a headline-grabbing world record which the Flying Cloud itself beat three years later. 

The Flying Cloud, America's most famous clipper ship, was the masterpiece of Donald McKay, the foremost marine architect and shipbuilder of his time. Most of my regular readers understand and have accepted the way I write. They know that I don't like political correctness. And yes, it would be politically correct to not refer to a ship as a lady. 

When I was a boy growing up in Hawaii, I asked my grandfather why we referred to ships and planes and cars and such as "she" or "her". My grandfather told me something that I've never forgotten. He said, "We do it because the vessel, or the thing that is getting us from one place to another, keeps us safe - just like a mother would when taking care of her child."

For that reason, I refer to the Flying Cloud as a grand lady who took care of passengers and crew as any mother would her children. She was known for her extremely close race with the Hornet in 1853; for having a woman navigator, Eleanor Creesy, wife of Josiah Perkins Creesy who skippered the Flying Cloud on two record-setting voyages from New York to San Francisco; and for sailing in Australia, and the timber trades.

She was popularly called an "extreme clipper," as are many of Donald McKay's ships, but as her dead rise was less than 40" - in reality she was not an "extreme clipper".

Donald McKay built many fast clipper ships but only one, the Stag Hound was an extreme clipper, even if others may have been advertised as such. You see, it was popular to advertise clippers as "extreme" because of the popular conception of speed. And yes, speed back then meant the same as today - getting somewhere faster!

Clipper ships were born in the shipyards of Baltimore around 1820 and represented the zenith of the age of sail. They had completely new and original naval design characteristics, still emulated today by marine designers.

These included a long and narrow hull, a narrow cutting bow, low freeboard, a streamlined stern, and a deep draft. They were especially renowned for carrying large amounts of sail relative to their displacement and were capable of remarkable speed. The Flying Cloud could be seen racing into port before the wind, her acres of sail flashing in the sun.

An ordinary sailing ship would lift her bows and plunge with the seas. But not this one, as her sleek, jet-black hull sliced through the swells, the only visible motion was the white curl at her bow and an occasional toss of spray. She seemed to skim the waves like a gigantic black and white bird.

The Flying Cloud was built in East Boston, Massachusetts, and intended for Enoch Train of Boston, who paid $50,000 for her construction.

While she was still under construction, she was purchased by Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of New York, for $90,000, which represented a huge profit for Enoch Train & Co.

She was launched in East Boston in 1851, just at the time of the California "Gold Rush", when travel and transport between East Coast ports and California was best undertaken by ship.

A reporter for the Boston Daily Atlas of April 25th, 1851 wrote:

"If great length [235 ft.], sharpness of ends, with proportionate breadth [41 ft.] and depth, conduce to speed, the Flying Cloud must be uncommonly swift, for in all these she is great. Her length on the keel is 208 feet, on deck 225, and over all, from the knightheads to the taffrail, 235— extreme breadth of beam 41 feet, depth of hold 21½, including 7 feet 8 inches height of between-decks, sea-rise at half floor 20 inches, rounding of sides 6 inches, and sheer about 3 feet."

The Flying Cloud acquired a reputation for sailing faster than any other ship of her time. Within six weeks of launch, the Flying Cloud sailed from New York and made San Francisco 'round Cape Horn in 89 days, 21 hours under the command of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. Then, in 1853, she beat her own record by 13 hours.

On that record breaking trip again under the command of Captain Josiah Creesy, she made the passage from New York to San Francisco in 88 days, 22½ hours, a feat never again achieved by a sail-powered tall ship.

Back in the day, clipper ships were in great demand because the California Gold Rush. In newspaper accounts of the day, the clipper Andrew Jackson was acclaimed as holding the record passage to San Francisco. After careful scrutiny of the logbooks, it has been concluded that either the Flying Cloud or Andrew Jackson can make claims to holding the record.

The Andrew Jackson holds the record for fastest passage pilot-to-pilot, arriving at the San Francisco pilot grounds in 89 days and 4 hours.

Because Andrew Jackson spent all night between the Farrallones and the Golden Gate awaiting a harbor pilot, some will consider this figure as the appropriate indicator of fastest sailing performance around Cape Horn. And though that's the case, the Flying Cloud holds the record time for a completed voyage from New York to San Francisco in 89 days 8 hours anchor-to-anchor.

Then there was the race with the Hornet. The Hornet had a two day head start on the Flying Cloud in their famous 1853 race. She left New York for San Francisco, 26 April 1853, with the Flying Cloud departing two days later.

After the roughly 16,000 mile voyage around Cape Horn, both ships arrived in San Francisco harbor 106 days later at almost the same time, with Hornet sailing in just 45 minutes ahead of the Flying Cloud. The Flying Cloud's achievement was remarkable under any terms. But there is something else she was famous for, that of having a woman navigator.

David W. Shaw wrote:

"It was all the more unusual because its navigator was a woman, Eleanor Creesy, who had been studying oceanic currents, weather phenomena, and astronomy since her girlhood in Marblehead, Massachusetts. She was one of the first navigators to exploit the insights of Matthew Fontaine Maury, most notably the course recommended in his Sailing Directions. With her husband, ship captain Josiah Perkins Cressy, she logged many thousands of miles on the ocean, traveling around the world carrying passengers and goods. In the wake of their record-setting transit from New York to California, Eleanor and Josiah became instant celebrities. But their fame was short-lived and their story quickly forgotten. Josiah died in 1871 and Eleanor lived far from the sea until her death in 1900."

In 1862, the Flying Cloud was sold to the Black Ball Line of Liverpool, England, sailing under British colors without a change of name, and was soon traveling between England and Australia and New Zealand. Her latter years were spent in the log trade between Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. During her later years, she also carried tea from China to London, making the passage from Foochow in 123 days.

Like all of the fast clipper ships, her time came to a close as steam-powered vessels took over maritime commerce. The Flying Cloud met an unfortunate end when she ran aground in 1874. She could not be rescued, so she was burned to salvage metalwork.

It's true! On June 19th, 1874, the Flying Cloud went ashore on the Beacon Island bar, Saint John, New Brunswick, and was condemned and sold. The following June she was burned for the scrap metal value of her copper and iron fastenings.

After 136 year, that record that stood the test of time was finally broken in 1989 when the breakthrough-designed sailboat Thursday's Child completed the passage in 80 days, 20 hours. The record was once again broken in 2008 by the French racing yacht Gitana 13, with a time of 43 days and 38 minutes.

But frankly, it shouldn't be considered a fair comparison. The crafts that beat the Flying Cloud's record were not ships. They were instead just small racing boats with small crews. They didn't have the tonnage, size, or number of crew to make it an equal race.

It's like comparing a Peterbilt truck and trailer's travel time with that of what it would take for formula one race car to cover the same distance. It's not a fair comparison because it there's simply no comparison between the two.

Today, the Flying Cloud can be seen on one special bottle of Old Spice after-shave. The Clipper Ship Flying Cloud appeared on a  flask decanter back in 1985.


Tom Correa