This page is for the Sailing Ships that have appeared in Thomas & Friends.
Notable Sailing Ships[]
The following Sailing Ships have their own separate pages:
Schooners[]
A schooner is a sailing ship with two or more masts and with its sails parallel to the length of the ship, rather than across it.
The schooners were once on display at Brendam Docks during the annual Regatta. Sometime afterwards, they were seen beached at Tidmouth Beach and moored at the Fishing Village.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
The schooners are based on the real sailing ships of the same name. The origins of schooner rigged vessels is obscure, but there is good evidence of them from the early 17th century. Schooners were popular on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Livery[]
The first schooner is painted dark blue with light brown lining. The second schooner is painted white with light brown lining.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- The schooners originally appeared in Thomas & Friends sister series, TUGS.
- Due to the fact that the models were never seen after the fifth series, it can be assumed that it was destroyed during the transit back from Canada after Thomas and the Magic Railroad filming wrapped up.
Captain Calles' Pirate Ship[]
- "Rocky didn't find that ship. I did!"
- ― Thomas, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure
Captain Calles' Pirate Ship is an old pirate ship originally owned by Captain Calles. Many years later, Thomas found the ship buried in a large cavern.
Biography[]
Back in the sixteenth century, Captain Calles hid his ship in a cavern between Arlesburgh and Harwick in an attempt to get away from the merchants and the Navy. The entrance to the cavern collapsed, leaving the ship there to rot away.
Over four hundred years later, Thomas found the ship after falling into the cavern during the construction of the Harwick Branch Line. However, Rocky took the credit of finding the ship after he pulled it out. The ship was placed on a flatbed and Donald and Douglas took it to Arlesburgh Harbour to be put on display. The discovery of the pirate ship was the reason Sailor John converted Skiff to run on the rails; in order to search for Captain Calles' buried treasure. Sailor John later converted the ship into an escape vehicle to get away from Thomas, but the ship was pulled over thanks to Bert, Rex, Mike and Ryan.
The ship was eventually recovered and put back on display in the water at Arlesburgh Harbour while Thomas and Skiff, who would now give railboat tours, watched the fireworks in the sky.
A mermaid figurehead was added onto the ship later on.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Captain Calles' ship is based on a Carrack, a type of a three- or four-masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal and Spain.
Famous carracks include the Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus and the Victoria, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522.
Livery[]
Captain Calles' ship is brown with some woodwork painted blue. Its sails are white and on top its central mast is a weathered Jolly Roger flag.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Captain Calles' Pirate Ship is made of wood, but incredibly remained complete and undamaged for more than 400 years, while it should have rotted away long ago. It is possible it was built using Jobi Wood.
Merchandise[]
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- TrackMaster (discontinued)
- Mega Bloks (discontinued)
- Kabaya (discontinued)
Cutty Sark[]
- "This is a very old ship called the Cutty Sark. It used to bring tea all the way from China."
- ― Thomas' driver, A Visit to London for Thomas the Tank Engine
The Cutty Sark is a big sailing ship which used to bring tea all the way from China.
Biography[]
Thomas and Annie once saw the Cutty Sark on their way to the Queen's birthday. Thomas mistook the old ship for a regular boat, but his driver assured him that it was no simple boat and explained the Cutty Sark's history.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
The Cutty Sark is a real ship which was used in the tea trade between Britain and China, known as "tea clippers". Due to the rise of steamships and the opening of the Suez Canal, she soon became outdated in the role and was eventually changed to the Australian wool trade. Steamships eventually took this traffic, and in 1895 she was sold to a Portuguese company and renamed Ferreira. By 1922 she was the last clipper operating anywhere in the world and was renamed again to Maria do Amparo. Later in the year, she was sold back to British ownership and restored to original condition. She was sold again in 1936 to the Thames Nautical Training College for use as a training ship. In 1954, she was moved to a specially constructed dry-dock in Greenwich, London, where she is now preserved.
Livery[]
The Cutty Sark is painted dark blue with gold lining and decals and a brown hull. Her masts are white and she has a white figurehead on her prow.
Appearances[]
Mayflower[]
Mayflower was an English three-masted, square-rigged sailing ship.
In the magazines, a model of Mayflower was on display as part of the "Model Boat Museum" at the Boatyard.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
Mayflower is based on the real sailing ship of the same name. It transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.
Livery[]
The model of Mayflower is painted blue with dark blue, brown and white lining.
Appearances[]
The Merchant Ships[]
The Merchant Ships were three- or four-masted ocean-going sailing ships.
Once, Salty told the tale of how Captain Calles would attack merchant ships and steal their valuables to keep as his treasure aboard his pirate ship. The merchants and the Navy tried to reclaim their treasure, but were unsuccessful. Sometime afterwards, Salty told the story about a two-headed Sea Serpent, one of the heads loved to eat ships.
Technical Details[]
Basis[]
The Merchant Ships are based on carracks. These were developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal and Spain. Famous carracks include the Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus and the Victoria, which completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522. Captain Calles' Pirate Ship shares the same basis.
Livery[]
The Merchant Ships are mostly painted faded brown, some ships have blue woodwork.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- In the magazines, a model of a carrack was on display as part of the "Model Boat Museum" at the Boatyard.
Other Ships[]

Several other sailing ships have appeared in various Thomas & Friends media.
Once, Salty told the tale of how Captain Calles would attack merchant ships and steal their valuables to keep as his treasure aboard his pirate ship. The merchants and the Navy tried to reclaim their treasure, but were unsuccessful. Sometime afterwards, Salty told the story about a two-headed Sea Serpent, one of the heads loved to eat ships.
Appearances[]
Merchandise[]
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Motor Road and Rail (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play