Ship Type Menu.
Small paddle avisos (acquired)

CHACAL class (acquired 1844)
RUBIS (acquired 1844)
LIAMONE class (acquired 1844)


CHACAL class small paddle avisos

Displacement: 253t
Dimensions:103ft 1in x 17ft 11in x 9ft 10in
Same, meters:31.42 x 5.47 x 3.00m
Machinery:60nhp (Maudslay).6.7kts
Hull material:Wood
Armament:2-12p carronades
Complement:?

Name          Builder    Launched Fate         
CHACALPaimboeuf1834Stk. 5.4.62
ANTILOPEPaimboeuf1834Stk. 14.8.51

In 8.44 Regny Bernadac offered to sell the steamers Océan and Méditerranée, then laid up at Marseilles, to the navy. The offer was accepted and the ships were renamed Chacal and Antilope on 2.9.44. The two ships had been built for a service from Marseilles to Naples, which Océan inaugurated upon completion on 5.2.34, but they served nearly all of their mercantile careers operating between Marseilles and Spain. The engines of Antilope were converted to screw and reused 1853 in the transport Zélée (built in 1812).



RUBIS small paddle aviso

Displacement: 260t
Dimensions:112ft 10in wl, 119ft 1in deck x 19ft 6in ext x 8ft 2in mean, 8ft 6in max.
Same, meters:34.40, 36.30 x 5.95 x 2.50, 2.60m
Machinery:(Benet) 70nhp (navy rating. Rated 80nhp in civil service.)
Hull material:Wood
Armament:(1847) 2-12p carronades
Complement:44

Name          Builder    Launched Fate         
RUBISBenet, La Ciotatca.1841Stk. 8.11.62

On 11.6.44 the minister authorized the purchase of this ship from Chappon & Cie for use in Algeria. Possibly built for use at the port of Tunis, she had served commercially between Toulon and Marseilles. Her original machinery built by Benet was replaced in the 1850s by machinery used previously in Eridan and Alecton. Rubis was BU 1865.



LIAMONE class small paddle aviso

Displacement: 197t
Dimensions:91ft 10in x 16ft 9in ext x 8ft 2in
Same, meters:28.00 x 5.10 x 2.50m
Machinery:(Maudslay in Liamone, Fawcett in Var) 60nhp (navy. 50nhp civil.)
Hull material:Wood
Armament:3-4 small (pierriers)
Complement:44

Name          Builder    Launched Fate         
LIAMONEToulon15.6.30Stk. 3.5.62
VARToulon10.7.30Stk. 1854

On 6.7.44 the minister authorized the purchase of two ships, Liamone and Var, from Gérard & Fils. These ships were believed to be more suitable and economical for service on the North African coast than the ones then there. Gérard had had them built in 1830 with a sister (Golo, launched 19.6.30, not acquired) to carry out a postal packet service between Toulon and Corsica for which he had won a 9-year contract from the government. Liamone became a coal hulk in 1862 and was BU 1866. Var became a tug in 1854, was renamed Haleur before 1865, and was BU 1882.

Copyright © Stephen S. Roberts 2004-2015.