In 1904 _Loch Carron_ had a great race home from Frisco round the Horn with the French ship _Jules Gommes_. _Loch Carron_ hove up her anchor in Frisco Bay on the morning of Christmas Eve, the _Jules Gommes_ leaving in the afternoon. After being six days in company the two ships lost sight of each other. They met again on the equator in the Atlantic; finally the _Loch Carron_ arrived at Queenstown one morning 112 days out, the Frenchman arriving eight hours later at the same port. On her next passage the _Loch Carron_ had the most disastrous event in her career, in her collision with the _Inverkip_. The two ships were both outward bound, the _Loch Carron_ from Glasgow to Sydney with general cargo. At 11.20 on 13th August, 1904, the _Loch Carron_ was about 60 miles to the S. and E. of the Fastnet light, going 6 or 7 knots close-hauled on the port tack, with a moderate gale blowing from the S.W., when the red light of the _Inverkip_ was suddenly seen ahead. But it was too late to avoid a collision, and the _Loch Carron_ struck the _Inverkip_ abreast of the foremast, stem on. The latter ship went down in a few minutes, only two men, the carpenter and the steward, being saved out of her ship’s company. These two managed to jump aboard the _Loch Carron_. Captain Jones of the _Inverkip_ had his wife aboard, and as the ship went down she was seen praying on her knees aft. They were both great personal friends of Captain Clarke, and he was so distressed by the sad accident that his health broke down and he gave up his command for a voyage. The _Loch Carron_, with a large hole in her bows, her fore topgallant mast and all head gear carried away, besides other damages, managed to make Queenstown. Her repairs came to £1500, and as she was on the port tack and the _Inverkip_ on the starboard, the Loch Line had to pay over £30,000 damages. When _Loch Carron_ was again ready for sea, Captain Henderson, of _Thermopylae_ and _Samuel Plimsoll_ fame, took her out. Captain Clarke returning to his command on her return home. As late as 1908 _Loch Carron_ made the run from Melbourne to London in 80 days. _Loch Broom_ was commanded for the greater part of her career by the well-known veteran, Bully Martin. Though they were absolute sister ships according to the tape-measure. _Loch Broom_ was always a stiffer ship than the _Loch Carron_, and her sailing records were not quite as numerous, nevertheless she was a very fast ship. In 1904 Captain Martin brought her home from Melbourne in 82 days. He left Port Phillip on 12th January, and was only 24 days to the Horn, most of the run being made under six topsails and foresail. On her following passage out _Loch Broom_ took case oil from New York to Melbourne in 96 days. It was a nasty trip for her officers, as the hands before the mast were all hobos, Bowery toughs and hard cases, and had to be driven to their work in the old-fashioned belaying pin style.