 Europa of 1848 at Boston. This is one of the earliest known photos of an Atlantic steamship
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Clyde (Steele), Clyde (J. Wood), |
| Operators | Cunard Line |
| Preceded by | Britannia class |
| Succeeded by | Arabia |
| Subclasses | Asia class |
| Built | 1848–1850 |
| Completed | 6 |
| General characteristics : America, Niagara, Europa & Canada | |
| Tonnage | 1,850 GRT |
| Length | 251 ft (77 m) |
| Beam | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion | Napier two-cylinder side-lever steam engine, 1,400 ihp (1,000 kW), paddle wheels |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| General characteristics : Asia & Africa | |
| Tonnage | 2,226 GRT |
| Length | 266 ft (81 m) |
| Beam | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion | Napier two-cylinder side-lever steam engine, 2,000 ihp (1,500 kW), paddle wheels |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
The America class was the replacement for the Britannia class, the Cunard Line's initial fleet of wooden paddle steamers. Entering service starting in 1848, these six vessels permitted Cunard to double its schedule to weekly departures from Liverpool, with alternating sailings to New York. The new ships were also designed to meet new competition from the United States.[1]
Larger and more powerful than the Britannias they replaced, the initial America quartette proved to be steady performers. In 1849, they averaged 13 days 1 hour to New York via Halifax and 12 days 2 hours homeward.[1] Two upgraded units, Asia and Africa, were ordered for delivery in 1850. However, the new Cunard liners were quickly eclipsed by the Collins Atlantic class in both luxury and speed.[2]
All six Americas had long careers with Cunard. The initial units completed about 100 round trips and Europa lasted in the fleet for nineteen years. The final two ships, Asia and Africa, completed 120 round trip voyages, the record for wooden steamships on the Atlantic route, and were not sold until 1868.[1]