Parma was a notable four-masted steel-hulled barque constructed in 1902 by A Rodger & Co in Port Glasgow, with yard number 361. She measured approximately 328 feet (99.85 m) in length, had a beam of 46 feet 5 inches (14.15 m), and a depth of 26 feet 2 inches (7.98 m). Rigged as a barque with four masts, she featured royal sails over double top and topgallant sails, exemplifying the typical rigging of large sailing ships of her era. Her initial service was with the Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, London, primarily engaged in the kerosene trade. In 1912, she was sold to the German firm F. Laeisz of Hamburg for £15,000 and renamed Parma. She became part of the nitrate trade between Germany and Chile, and during World War I, she was interned at Iquique, Chile. After the war, she was assigned to the United Kingdom as part of war reparations in 1920, later transferred to the Belgian government in 1921 under the management of the Association Maritime Belge, Antwerp. Subsequently, she was repurchased by F. Laeisz for £10,000 and resumed nitrate trade activities. Throughout the 1920s, Parma demonstrated her seafaring capabilities with notable voyages, including a transit from Hamburg to Talcahuano in 86 days and a journey from Land’s End to Talcahuano in just 70 days. In 1931, she was sold to Finnish owners Ruben De Cloux and Alan Villiers, becoming the largest sailing ship under the Finnish flag until 1935. She was employed in the wheat trade between Germany and Australia, achieving a record-breaking 83-day passage from Port Victoria to Falmouth in 1933, the fastest recorded time for a sailing vessel at that point. Her career ended after a collision at Princes Dock, Glasgow, on 1 July 1936, when a gust of wind caused her to strike an observation tower, damaging her hull. Subsequently, she was stripped of her masts and rigging, converted into a hulk, and sold to Rederei A/B Parma U V Wennstrom in Mariehamn. Later, she was sold to Barnett Bros, London, and served as a hulk at Haifa, Palestine, until her scrapping in 1938. Parma’s legacy includes a preserved model at the Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum in Mariehamn, reflecting her significance in maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.