Captain Robert 'Bully' Waterman Sea Witch Captain Robert Waterman was the first to sail the clipper, Sea Witch -- built at the yard of Smith & Dimon at the foot of Fourth Street in New York. Launched on the 8th of December, 1846, she proved to be no disappointment to her owners, Howland & Aspinwall. Sea Witch can be considered the first of the very sharp-ended full midsection clipper ships. She had little sheer, a straight keel with no drag, and markedly hollow bows. At the time of her launching she was the most beautiful ship afloat: painted black with a bright stripe, her figurehead was a gilded Chinese dragon whose long coiling tail gave emphasis to her hollow bows. She was described as being rakish and heavily sparred, her mainmast being 83’ 2” long. Captain Waterman was responsible for her sail plan, and under his direction she spread more canvas for her size than many of the later clippers. She departed on her maiden voyage December 23rd, 1846, arriving in Hong Kong 104 days out. Her return was a record 81 days against the monsoon. On her second voyage she bettered this run, establishing one of her permanent records, when she arrived in New York March 15th, 1848, 77 days out from Canton. Yet her third voyage beat even this record with the time of 74 days 14 hours, Canton to New York, arriving March 25th, 1849. Her run of 14,255 miles from Canton to New York was more than a thousand miles shorter than the recommended sailing route in the Northeast Monsoon, illustrating the uncanny genius Waterman had for finding shorter routes and favorable winds.