A full bodied Downeaster from the Bath, Maine Yard of the renown builder John McDonald, credited with building more wooden sailing ships than any other American, ST. FRANCES embodied the post-clipper era of a capable sailing ship that could carry large cargos at a decent speed with a reduced crew. On a day when the sea is rolling a deep azure blue and the sky is tall, ST. FRANCES is headed on one of her eight voyages round Cape Horn to San Francisco. She would complete her last in 1899, selling afterwards to California owners.
An eastern schooner shows off the bow, while ST. FRANCES' dominant size - 231'4"L x 41'8"B x 17'8"D - would keep most well clear of the sailing ship. Patterson puts her forth in a very realistic manner, with just enough sail to properly pull the ship smartly through the water; no exaggeration of effort or speed. ST. FRANCES would average about 140 days in her East to West Coast voyages, and 134 on the return trip to the Northeast. After ten years in West Coast lumber and cargo trade, she sold again to salmon packers out of Alaska, where she lasted until 1914.
The downeaster features a four-flag International Code arraignment beneath the American Ensign, "H.V.W.J.", and the crew is readily apparent near the bow, while lifeboats are nested on top the forward cabin. An unusual dual set of cabins aft indicate the officer's quarters, a tradition carried down from the earliest days of nautical endeavors. Fitting that such a worldly ship should be presented by one of the best sailor-artists ever to paint.
