Alonso de Ercilla, Chilean Motorship laid down 1925
These four ships became the most notable members of the Chilean merchant marine in the 1920s and 1930s. Ordered from Harland and Wolff in Britain, they were close copies of that company's SS
Monowai, which was employed in service between Britain, India, and Australia. Operated by CSAV, the quartet attracted an avid and loyal following among passengers on the western coast of South America, and their popularity assured CSAV's continued success.
Displacement:
8,500 t light; 8,791 t standard; 10,862 t normal; 12,519 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
519.04 ft / 500.33 ft x 63.32 ft x 19.69 ft (normal load)
158.20 m / 152.50 m x 19.30 m x 6.00 m
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 10,960 shp / 8,176 Kw = 18.00 kts
Range 9,250nm at 18.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,728 tons
Complement:
531 - 691
Cost:
£1.439 million / $5.756 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 110 tons, 1.0 %
Machinery: 356 tons, 3.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 3,109 tons, 28.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,362 tons, 21.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,925 tons, 45.3 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
19,147 lbs / 8,685 Kg = 177.3 x 6.0 " / 152 mm shells or 2.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.09
Metacentric height 3.0 ft / 0.9 m
Roll period: 15.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.10
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.610
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.90 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.37 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 36 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 25
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 12.80 degrees
Stern overhang: 13.12 ft / 4.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 22.97 ft / 7.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 21.33 ft / 6.50 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 19.69 ft / 6.00 m
- Stern: 21.33 ft / 6.50 m
- Average freeboard: 21.62 ft / 6.59 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 68.4 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 178.3 %
Waterplane Area: 23,379 Square feet or 2,172 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 167 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 85 lbs/sq ft or 417 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.70
- Overall: 1.01
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather
Notes:
Built by Harland and Wolff.
Ships in Class:
-
Alonso de Ercilla
-
Pedro de Valdivia
-
Bernardo O'Higgins
-
Lautaro