Cutty Sark

Cutty Sark Review

This sleek, romantic clipper was built in 1869, one among fleets and fleets of tall-masted wooden ships that plied the oceanic highways of the 19th century, trading in exotic commodities—in this case, tea. Cutty Sark (named after an old Scottish term for women's undergarments) was the fastest, sailing the China-London route in 1871 in only 107 days. The clipper has been preserved in dry docks as a museum ship since the 1950s, but was severely damaged in a devastating fire in 2007. As luck would have it, however, roughly half the ship had been dismantled for cleaning at the time, so a near-full restoration was possible. Check the Web site for opening hours and other details before you go.