NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Encounter			Sheerness DYd	19.6.1871	1.1.1873	7.1873	sold 10.1888
Amethyst			Devonport DYd	28.7.1871	19.4.1873	7.1873	sold 11.1887
Modeste			Devonport DYd	27.11.1871	23.5.1873	1.1874	sold 1.1888
Diamond			Sheerness DYd	1873	26.8.1874	7.1875	sold 8.1889
Sapphire			Devonport DYd	17.6.1873	24.9.1874	8.1875	sold 9.1892

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1934
Displacement full, t
Length, m	67.1 pp
Breadth, m	11.3
Draught, m	5.48 hold depth
No of shafts	1 hoisting
Machinery	sails + 1 2-cyl HC, 6 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	Encounter: 2031 Amethyst: 2144 Modeste: 2068 Diamond: 2140 Sapphire: 2364
Max speed, kts	Encounter: 13 Amethyst: 13.2 Modeste: 12.5 Diamond: 12.6 Sapphire: 13.6
Fuel, t	coal 270
Endurance, nm(kts)	2060(10) - 2500(10)
Armament	Encounter, Modeste: 14 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR Mk III Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire: 12 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR, 2 x 1 - 64pdr 64cwt MLR
Complement	225

Standard scale images

Project history

Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby who reintroduced the knee-bow and square frigate type of stern. The first three were similar to Briton, having heavy, rounded sterns, the last pair having the outward sloping frigate-type stern. They were the first complete class of their size to be fitted with compound engines. All were ship-rigged with 1700m² sail area, except Encounter which was barque-rigged. They were excellent seaboats, being the only class of small cruisers able to sail or steam at just over 13kts. In hull form, their lines were rather full towards the extremities, but they did not have the bulbous ram bow. They were deeply embrasured, the use of embrasures aft overcoming the difficulty of combining the hoisting screw with stern fire. They had neither quarter galleries nor bilge keels, nor watertight bulkheads. All except Encounter had a heavy knee added to their stems. Sapphire was the last wooden cruiser built for the Royal Navy, and Diamond was the last wooden hull to be built at Sheerness Dockyard.

Modernizations

1880s, Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire: all were re-rigged as barques; - 12 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR; + 10 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 64cwt MLR

Naval service

No significant events.