hollow and waterlines. He was perhaps influenced by the writings of John W. Griffiths, designer of the China clipper Rainbow in 1845. The long hollow bow helped to penetrate rather than ride over the wave produced by the hull at high speeds, reducing resistance as hull speed is approached. Hull speed is the natural speed of a wave the same length as the ship, in knots, , where LWL = Length of Water Line in feet. His hulls had a shorter afterbody, putting the center of buoyancy farther aft than was typical of the period, as well as a full midsection with rather flat bottom. These characteristics led to lower drag at high speed compared to other ships of similar length, as well as great stability which translated into the ability to carry sail in high winds (more power in extreme conditions). His fishing schooner design was even more radical than his clippers, being a huge flat-bottomed dinghy similar in form to 20th century planing boats. These design changes were not favorable for light wind conditions such as were expected on the China trade, but were profitable in the California and Australian trades. Legacy and honors Pan Am named one of their Boeing 747s Clipper Donald McKay in his honor. There is a monument to McKay in South Boston, near Fort Independence, overlooking the channel, that lists all his ships. There were more than thirty ships listed. His house in East Boston was designated a Boston Landmark in 1977 and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. A memorial pavilion to McKay, including a painting of his famous “Flying Cloud,” can be found at Piers Park in East Boston. McKay was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame on November 9, 2019. See also List of clipper ships Bibliography of early American naval history References Further reading Judson, Clara Ingram (1943). Donald McKay: Designer of Clipper Ships Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, p. 136, Url External links Images of Donald McKay's Shipyard – Museum of Science, Boston, MA Donald MacKay Memorial, Jordan Falls, NS Model of Flying Cloud Clipper Ship, Smithsonian Figurehead from clipper ship Donald McKay, Mystic Seaport Museum List of ships built by Donald McKay 1850 McKay and the Clipper Age – .pdf case study in innovation, bostoninnovation.org Scientific American, "Donald McKay", 09 October 1880, p. 228 1810 births 1880 deaths Boat and ship designers