In 1856, Neptune’s Car, an extreme clipper (a merchant ship built for speed), sailed from New York around Cape Horn to reach San Francisco. Its captain, Joshua Patten, was ill, unable to do his duties. Its first mate was in irons for insubordination. The second mate was illiterate and could not navigate. The third mate was too junior for command. Joshua’s wife, Mary Ann Patten, took command.
“The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World” by Tiler J. Mazzeo, tells how Mary Ann Patten went around the dangerous cape and brought Neptune’s Car successfully to San Francisco, shipshape and with the cargo intact.
