Marco Polo was a three-masted wooden clipper ship, launched in 1851 at Saint John, New Brunswick.

The ship carried emigrants and passengers to Australia and was the first vessel to make the round trip from Liverpool in under six months.

The ship was of a medium clipper design which had an unusually sharp bow, tall masts and was broad amidships.

[2] After conversion to a passenger ship in 1852, the vessel's hull was coated with a layer of felt and tar and then sheathed in copper to prevent fouling.

[6] Intermediate passengers had quarters placed between the decks and received better fare than the steerage class and took their meals separately.

The uneven pressure from the weight of the ship caused the keel to become curved so it was 6 inches (15 cm) higher in the middle than at the ends.

[9] On May 31, 1851 Marco Polo sailed from Saint John to Liverpool, England with a cargo of timber, making the crossing in 15.3 days.

[10] The vessel's maiden voyage under William Thomas was a success and upon arrival, was offered for sale by James Smith.

[16] Marco Polo sailed from Liverpool under the command of James Forbes on July 4, 1852 and arrived at Port Phillip, Australia in 68 days, on September 18.

"[26] In total, Marco Polo made roughly 25 round trip voyages to Australia and averaged between 80 and 90 days each way.

The first occurred in October 1854 after the captain beat the third mate, attacked another member of the crew and challenged all on board to a fight.

[28] On December 6, 1855,[29] the clipper parted her tow rope while leaving the Mersey, collided with the barque Glasgow and ran aground.

[25] On March 4, 1861 Marco Polo collided with an iceberg north of Cape Horn, her bowsprit lost, her bow and foremast damaged.

During her career as a cargo ship, the vessel carried guano, coal and timber and visited ports from Aden to Rio de Janeiro and around the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1871, James Baines and Co. sold the vessel to Wilson and Blair of South Shields, England and used in the coal and timber trade.

In the early 1880s, the vessel's hull was deteriorating so to strengthen it, chains were wrapped around it and a windmill-driven pump was installed to counter increasing leakage.

The pumps were unable to keep up with the leakage and Captain Bull ran the ship aground off Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.

The original half-model of Marco Polo now lies in the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

[35] A 28-foot (9 m) replica, named Marco Polo II, was constructed in Saint John over 30 years at the cost of over $50,000.