Before the Ironclad: Warship Design and Development 1815-1860 by David K Brown

Author:David K Brown [Brown, David K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781591146056
Amazon: B01A7K80VI
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
Published: 2015-09-08T21:00:00+00:00

Archimedes, Smith’s demonstration ship. The illustration includes a row of guns but it seems most unlikely that any were carried. She is shown off the North Foreland in heavy weather during her inaugural voyage from Gravesend to Portsmouth. (© National Maritime Museum PY0211)

Soon after this trial there was an accident to the boiler and Archimedes had to return to London where it took five months to fit a new one. Soon after this repair was completed, she broke the crankshaft on the way to the Texel for a demonstration to the Netherlands navy. The engine was repaired by Miller, Ravenhill and Co and it was at this time that the propeller was altered. The changes were proved in Barking Creek on 30 April 1840 where she reached a speed of 8½ knots.

A series of trials were then carried out for the Admiralty by Captain E Chappell, who had been superintendent of the Packet Service for thirteen years, and by Thomas Lloyd, the chief engineer of the Woolwich Steam Factory. They found she would answer her helm and ‘obey all necessary movements’ when advancing, stopping or backing as well as any paddle steamer. It must be realised that few engineers and others outside the Admiralty had any expectation that screw propulsion would be successful. Bourne records his own doubts at this date and there were several unfavourable reviews in the press.¹⁴

On 3 May, Archimedes left her moorings and reached Gravesend, twenty miles away, in an hour and forty-five minutes. On the following day the trials team was joined by Admiral Otway, commanding the squadron which was at anchor off Sheerness, and he was able to prove her manoeuvrability for himself as he steered her in and out of the line of anchored warships. There may have been yet another propeller change at Ramsgate before the series of trials began at Portsmouth later in the month.

Before then she was visited by Rennie, who said:

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