NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Names	Builders	Completed	Losses	Transfers	Discarded
TB98	Thornycroft, Chiswick: TB98	1883: TB98	none	none	1900s: TB98

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	14.5
Displacement full, t
Length, m	22.2 wl
Breadth, m	2.29
Draught, m	0.84
No of shafts	1 water jet
Machinery	1 2-cyl VC, 1 locomotive boiler
Power, h. p.	167
Max speed, kts	11.7
Fuel, t	coal
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	2 - 356 TT (bow)
Complement	7

Project history

The concept of purpose-built small TBs capable of being lifted by the davits of large ships seems to have originated with the Royal Navy; certainly more were built for that service than for any other. One TB carrier, Vulcan, was specially built to carry them, and for some years numbers of this type of boat were built. However, in the long run experience showed it was better to use the slower but much sturdier and more seaworthy steam pinnaces for this purpose, rather than the frail specially built Second Class boats.

TB98 was built as an experiment to test the Ruthven 'turbine' (water jet propulsion by centrifugal pump), in a hull as similar as possible to the other Second Class boats (though the boiler had to be placed aft). Her speed compared badly with her sisters, manoeuvrability was 'disappointing', she had difficulty in going astern, and, worst of all for a TB, the propulsion system made a noise that could be heard 10 miles away on a calm day.

Modernizations

No significant events.

Naval service

Fate of TB98 is unknown, but she still extent in 1898.