Paddle avisos (1st class, 160 nhp, early)

NAGEUR class (launched 1827-28)


NAGEUR class paddle aviso (1st class)

Displacement:	615t
Dimensions:	147ft 8in wl, 157ft 6in oa x 27ft 7in x 8ft 2in mean
Same, meters:	45.00, 48.00 x 8.40 x 2.50m
Machinery:	160nhp (Manby, Wilson in Nageur; Aitken, Steel in Souffleur; and Gengembre in Pélican)
Hull material:	Wood
Armament:	(Nageur 1829) 4-24p
Complement:

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commiss.	Fate
NAGEUR	Cherbourg	8.26	11.9.27	10.27?	Stk. 21.2.38
SOUFFLEUR	Cherbourg	31.8.26	14.4.28	5.28?	Stk. 10.9.34
PELICAN	Lorient	1826	6.10.28	8.11.28	Stk. 10.9.34

Class. Plans for these three ships were completed in 1.26 by a commission consisting of the French navy's leading experts: Rolland, Lair, Boucher, Dupin, Marestier, and Delamorinière. The designed armament for this class (probably never carried) was two large guns forward, one aft, and three carronades on each side. The contracts for their engines were awarded in 7.26. In 1827 the recipient of one of them, Gengembre, was appointed the first director of the navy's new steam engine factory at Indret, partly so he could install the engines of Pélican there (done in 1829). Pélican was possibly unique among seagoing paddle steamers in having four paddle wheels, a pair forward and a pair aft, each driven by its own set of 80nhp engines. By late 1830, following experience with all three ships during the Algerian expedition, the navy had become disillusioned with this arrangement, which took up a lot of space and caused the engines to operate unevenly in heavy seas. The beam outside Pélican's paddle wheels was 44ft 3in. Nageur left Cherbourg 10.27 to receive her machinery at Rouen, returned to Cherbourg in 4.29 and departed in 5.29 under sail for Toulon. Similarly, Souffleur arrived at Cherbourg in 11.29 after installation of her machinery and departed for Toulon 1.30.

Disposals. The machinery of Nageur was removed c1838 for use in Ténare and she was BU. Souffleur and Pélican were reclassified as service craft in 1834 for use as tugs. Souffleur served as a tug until her engines were ordered BU in 12.43, then became a coal hulk and was BU 1865. The after set of engines of Pélican was removed around 1835 and put in the aviso Flambeau and Pélican, now of 80nhp, resumed service in 7.36 as a tug. When her hull wore out, her remaining machinery was put in a tug launched at Rochefort on 28.7.43 for service at Fort Bayard. Her hull became a mooring hulk at Rochefort c1845 and was BU 1865.