Cutty-sark (witch) Cutty-sark (witch) "Cutty sark" is 18th-century Scots for "short chemise" or "short undergarment". Hyphenated, Cutty-sark was a nickname given to the witch Nannie Dee, a fictional character created by Robert Burns in his "Tam o' Shanter", after the garment she wore. The figurehead of the tea clipper "Cutty Sark" is named after the character and a brand of Scotch whisky is named in turn for the ship. "Cutty" or "cuttie" (the diminutive form of "cuttit", from Early Middle English "cutte", "kutte", "cute" "ugly") is "short" or "stumpy". "Sark" or "serk" (from Old English "serc"; Old Norse "serk") is a "shift",
Blackadder (clipper) operate on guaranteed timetables and make use of the shorter route through the canal, which was unsuitable for sailing ships. However, steamers had the disadvantage of having to purchase coal for the journey and to carry coal, reducing the space available for cargo. A number of ship owners therefore still believed there was a place for good sailing ships, and these continued in profitable service for many years. In 1869 Jock Willis, junior (son of Jock Willis, senior, founder of the company) had commissioned another clipper, "Cutty Sark", which was a composite design (timber hull on iron frame). He now