Ship speeds during the Industrial Revolution: East India Company ships, 1770–1828

Peter M. Solar and Luc Hens

European Review of Economic History, 2016, vol. 20, issue 1, 66-78

Abstract: The duration of voyages to Asia by English East India Company ships fell by a quarter to a third between the 1770s and the 1820s. The adoption of copper sheathing was the main reason for faster passages and worked through two channels. The more direct was to increase sailing speed by about 11 percent. The indirect, but quantitatively more important, effect was to eliminate the need for a stop at or near the Cape. These results show that there were significant improvements in shipping technology well before the use of steam and iron.

Date: 2016
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