The Wanderer Boat: A Name And Its Legacy

The Wanderer is the name of several boats, including a sailing dinghy, a slave ship, and a racing vessel. The Wanderer sailing dinghy is a 14-foot fibreglass hull Bermuda-rigged boat designed by Ian Proctor. The Wanderer slave ship was a high-speed schooner used in 1858 to illegally import slaves from Africa. The Wanderer II is a racing vessel designed and built by William Brighton in Great Yarmouth in 1886.

The Wanderer was a luxury yacht turned slave ship

However, Johnson sold the Wanderer to William C. Corrie in 1858, who, in turn, partnered with Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar to convert the yacht into a slave ship. Corrie and Lamar oversaw the transformation of the Wanderer, adding storage capacity for 15,000 gallons of drinking water and making other modifications that aroused suspicions about their true intentions. Despite the rumours, the Wanderer passed inspections and was cleared for its voyage.

On June 18, 1858, the Wanderer departed from New York harbour, flying the pennant of the New York Yacht Club. It arrived in Charleston seven days later, where additional provisions were loaded before the ship set sail for Africa. The Wanderer reached the mouth of the Congo River in present-day Angola, where Corrie and Lamar negotiated with Captain Snelgrave, a representative of an illegal New York slave-trading firm. They purchased 490-600 African captives, who were loaded onto the ship for the six-week journey across the Atlantic.

The Wanderer arrived at Jekyll Island, Georgia, on November 28, 1858, with approximately 409 enslaved people, as some had perished during the voyage. The survivors were quickly dispatched to slave markets in Savannah, Augusta, South Carolina, and Florida. Despite the illegal nature of their activities, Lamar and Corrie were tried for piracy in federal court but acquitted, due in part to the jury composition of white Southern men.

The Wanderer incident incensed many Northerners and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and the South, ultimately leading to the American Civil War. During the war, the Wanderer was seized by Union troops and used for various military roles before being decommissioned and returned to commercial use. In 1871, the Wanderer sank off the coast of Cuba, ending its notorious journey.

Illegally smuggled slaves from Africa to Georgia in 1858

The Wanderer was the last ship to bring enslaved people from Africa to Georgia, arriving at Jekyll Island on November 28, 1858, with 409 West African captives. The ship was originally commissioned by Colonel John D. Johnson, a New Orleans sugar baron, as a luxury sailing vessel for his personal use. Johnson sold the Wanderer to William C. Corrie in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1858. Corrie, a prominent South Carolinian, was approached by Charles A. L. Lamar, a Savannah businessman, who proposed they retrofit the Wanderer and convert it into a slave ship. Corrie and Lamar were both opposed to the US government's restrictions on importing slaves.

Corrie returned the Wanderer to New York, where it was transformed from a luxury yacht to a slave transport vessel. A 15,000-gallon freshwater tank was installed, and a secret deck was added—necessary additions for the long and gruesome voyage ahead. Despite rumours and suspicions, the Wanderer passed all inspections and was cleared for its voyage.

On June 18, 1858, the Wanderer departed from New York, arriving in Charleston seven days later. There, it was further outfitted with foodstuffs, pans, and tins, as well as Georgia pine to construct a second deck. The Wanderer then set sail for Africa, arriving at the mouth of the Congo River in present-day Angola on September 16, 1858. In Angola, Corrie and Lamar made contact with an illegal slave-trading firm, placing an order for 500 Africans, who were delivered to the Atlantic beaches. The Americans paid $50 per person with rum, gunpowder, cutlasses, and muskets.

The return voyage to the United States began in mid-October 1858. The Wanderer arrived at Jekyll Island on November 28, 1858, with 409 survivors out of the 487 Africans who had been loaded onto the ship. Within days, Lamar and Corrie sent the survivors to slave markets in Savannah, Augusta, South Carolina, and Florida. Locals quickly spread the word about the newly imported Africans, and an investigation was launched. Lamar, Corrie, and their conspirators were tried in federal court in Savannah in May 1860 on three separate counts of piracy but were ultimately acquitted.

The Wanderer incident outraged many northerners and contributed to the growing tensions between the North and the South, leading to secession and the Civil War. During the war, the Wanderer was seized by Union troops and used for various military roles. It was decommissioned in 1865 and lost off the coast of Cuba in 1871.

Caused outrage in the North and contributed to the American Civil War

The Wanderer was a slave ship that smuggled 409 West African captives into Jekyll Island, Georgia, on November 28, 1858. This was 50 years after the African slave trade had been made illegal. The incident outraged many in the North and contributed to the growing sectional tensions between the North and the South that would soon lead to the American Civil War.

The Wanderer was originally built in New York as a luxury yacht for Colonel John Johnson, a New Orleans sugar baron. Johnson sold the ship to William C. Corrie, a prominent South Carolinian, in 1858. Corrie was then approached by Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar, a wealthy businessman and cotton planter from Savannah, Georgia, who proposed they retrofit the Wanderer to smuggle slaves from Africa. Corrie and Lamar were both opposed to the restrictions on importing slaves, as the demand for domestic slaves had driven up prices.

The Wanderer was returned to New York, where it underwent alterations to prepare for the long voyage and the transport of slaves. Despite rumours and suspicions that the ship would be used for slave-smuggling, it passed all inspections and was cleared for its voyage. On June 18, 1858, the Wanderer departed from New York harbour, arriving in Charleston, South Carolina, seven days later. There, it was further outfitted with supplies and a second deck, before setting sail for Africa.

The Wanderer arrived at the mouth of the Congo River in present-day Angola on September 16, 1858. In collaboration with Captain Snelgrave, a representative of an illegal New York slave-trading firm, Corrie and Lamar purchased 487 slaves, who were loaded onto the ship. Many of these captives died during the six-week journey across the Atlantic, with only 409 surviving the passage.

The Wanderer arrived at Jekyll Island, Georgia, on November 28, 1858, and the slaves were quickly dispatched to markets in Savannah, Augusta, and other cities in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Despite attempts to evade arrest, word spread of the slave ship's arrival, and the federal government launched an investigation. Lamar, Corrie, and their conspirators were tried in federal court in Savannah on three separate counts of piracy in May 1860. However, they were acquitted by an all-white, Southern jury.

The Wanderer incident caused outrage in the North, as it was a clear violation of the federal Slave Importation Act of 1807, which banned the foreign importation of enslaved people into the United States. The incident highlighted the growing sectional tensions and contributed to the deteriorating relationship between the North and the South, ultimately leading to the American Civil War, which began in 1861.

Seized by the Union Navy in 1861 and used for various military roles

The Wanderer was seized by Union troops in 1861 and used for various military roles during the Civil War. The ship was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat, a tender, and a hospital ship. Operating out of Key West, the Wanderer supported the Gulf Blockading Squadron by carrying wood, coal, water, and mail to the vessels. The ship was also involved in patrolling and blockade duties, operating between Tortugas, Havana, and Cape San Antonio. In one notable incident, the Wanderer stopped the British schooner Telegraph off Key Vaccas, Florida, which led to a diplomatic protest from the British government.

The Wanderer underwent several ownership changes and was even stolen for a piratical and slaving voyage before being seized by the Union Navy. The ship was caught in the port of Key West during the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861 and confiscated by the Union to prevent its use by the Confederacy. The Wanderer was officially condemned by a Philadelphia prize court in May 1863 and purchased by the US Navy. During its service in the Navy, the Wanderer deteriorated rapidly due to relative inactivity, especially during the autumn of 1863 and the winter of 1863-1864. The ship was eventually decommissioned, sold at auction, and entered the banana trade, operating commercially until it was lost off the coast of Cuba in 1871.

Wanderer II is a racing vessel designed and built by William Brighton in 1886

The Wanderer was the name of a ship used in 1858 to illegally transport enslaved people from Africa to the United States. However, the prompt also mentions another vessel by the name of Wanderer II, which was designed and built by William Brighton in Great Yarmouth, Suffolk, in 1886.

Wanderer II was a racing vessel, a 10-ton gaff-rigged cutter with a clipper bow and a long overhang aft. With an overall length of 40 feet on deck and 33 feet at the waterline, a breadth of 9 feet, and a draught of 5 feet, it was built for speed and performance. The hull of Wanderer II was constructed from 1 1/4-inch-thick yellow pine planks, which were fastened to alternating oak sawn frames and steamed frames.

William Brighton, the designer and builder, also crafted the sails for the vessel. Wanderer II was a highly successful racer, winning numerous first prizes before being outpaced by newer, faster boats. The vessel's original design included a small cabin for racing, with a large open cockpit. However, after 1900, the boat's primary use shifted to cruising, and the cabin was raised and extended forward of the mast, with a doghouse added for better protection from the elements.

The boat's racing achievements were documented in contemporary literature, including "Broadland Sport" (1902) by Nicholas Everitt and the Badminton Library on Yachting (1894). Wanderer II is recognised as one of the last and most successful long-keel racing yachts of the late nineteenth century.

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