The _Samuel Plimsoll_ was in the Sydney trade until 1887; she was then transferred to the Melbourne trade. On her first passage to Melbourne, she left London 2nd March, 1888, dropped her pilot off the Start on 5th March, but was only 270 miles from the Start on the 15th owing to westerly gales; she crossed the equator 5th April, in 26° W., and averaged 218 miles a day from Trinidad to 130° E., her best run being 310 miles. She arrived in Hobson’s Bay on 22nd May, 79 days from the Start. During the whole of her career under the Aberdeen house-flag, her only mishap was the carrying away of a fore topmast: and this freedom from casualties was the case with most of Thompson’s green clippers.
Writing about the increase of sailing ship insurance rates in 1897, Messrs. Thompson remarked:—
Five of our sailing vessels now in the Australian trade, viz., _Aristides_, _Miltiades_, _Patriarch_, _Salamis_ and _Samuel Plimsoll_ are over 20 years of age, but they are in as good condition, by careful looking after and upkeep, as they were upon their first voyage; whilst they have a record that no general average homewards has ever been made on underwriters by any one of them since they were launched 21 to 28 years ago. (A remark which applies with equal truth to all our sailing vessels now running.) According to a reliable statement made up by the largest shippers and consignees of wool carried by our sailing ships during the last two years, we find that the claims thereon made on the underwriters, from inception of risk (which in many cases began in distant parts of the Colonies before shipment) were £149 1s. 7d., which, on 24,807 bales carried, valued at £12 per bale, came only to 1/- per cent. These figures clearly show that age does not affect the efficient carrying of cargo by vessels, built, as ours have been, of superior strength and scantlings, carefully kept up and treated in every way with a view to the safe carrying of valuable cargoes to and from Australia.
On the occasion of her only mishap a tropical squall carried away the bobstay, and down came the fore topmast and main topgallant mast. It happened that a Yankee clipper was in company; this vessel beat up to the dismantled _Samuel Plimsoll_ and sent a boat off with the message that she was bound to Australia and would gladly tranship the passengers and carry them on to their destination. This offer, Captain Simpson, who then commanded the _Samuel Plimsoll_, declined with thanks, so the American went on her way.