WesWorld

This is just a general collection of French merchant ships that are not full-fledged passenger liners. It is intended to be representative and not exhaustive.

TS St. Germain, French Cross-Channel Train Ferry laid down 1943

Displacement:
4,896 t light; 5,008 t standard; 5,647 t normal; 6,157 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
364.51 ft / 360.89 ft x 60.70 ft x 16.40 ft (normal load)
111.10 m / 110.00 m x 18.50 m x 5.00 m

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 5,134 shp / 3,830 Kw = 16.00 kts
Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,149 tons

Complement:
325 - 423

Cost:
£1.243 million / $4.972 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 133 tons, 2.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,263 tons, 40.1 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 751 tons, 13.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 2,500 tons, 44.3 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
13,142 lbs / 5,961 Kg = 121.7 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 2.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 2.8 ft / 0.9 m
Roll period: 15.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 60 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.550
Length to Beam Ratio: 5.95 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 19.00 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 40 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 30
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 10.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 20.51 ft / 6.25 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 19.69 ft / 6.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 19.69 ft / 6.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 6.56 ft / 2.00 m (19.69 ft / 6.00 m before break)
- Stern: 6.56 ft / 2.00 m
- Average freeboard: 17.78 ft / 5.42 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 56.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 176.4 %
Waterplane Area: 15,287 Square feet or 1,420 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 204 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 101 lbs/sq ft or 493 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 1.28
- Longitudinal: 3.06
- Overall: 1.40
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

Notes:
Owned by the Societe Nouvelle d'Armement Transmanche.

Ships in Class:
- Saint Germain
- Saint Cloud
- Saint Denis

MS Gustav Perreau, French Ferry laid down 1944
he Gustav Perreau was built to serve as a car ferry between La Pallice and the Ile de Ré.

Displacement:
552 t light; 564 t standard; 600 t normal; 629 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
204.67 ft / 196.85 ft x 38.71 ft x 3.94 ft (normal load)
62.38 m / 60.00 m x 11.80 m x 1.20 m

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 580 shp / 433 Kw = 12.00 kts
Range 2,300nm at 12.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 65 tons

Complement:
59 - 78

Cost:
£0.144 million / $0.576 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 15 tons, 2.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 287 tons, 47.8 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 48 tons, 8.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 250 tons, 41.7 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
2,687 lbs / 1,219 Kg = 24.9 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 1.4 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.26
Metacentric height 1.8 ft / 0.6 m
Roll period: 12.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.56

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.700
Length to Beam Ratio: 5.08 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 16.61 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 37 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 45
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Mid (50 %): 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Stern: 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
- Average freeboard: 11.40 ft / 3.47 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 54.3 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 226.5 %
Waterplane Area: 6,379 Square feet or 593 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 215 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 37 lbs/sq ft or 179 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.91
- Longitudinal: 2.47
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

Notes:
Ship built to serve as a car ferry between La Pallice and the Ile de Ré.

Ville de Ajaccio, French Ferry laid down 1944
The Ville de Ajaccio and Ville de Bastia were laid down in 1944 to replace all other ferries on the Marseilles to Corsica service. Their novel design allowed vehicles to quickly load and unload at their ports of call.

Displacement:
5,200 t light; 5,345 t standard; 7,204 t normal; 8,692 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
410.11 ft / 410.11 ft x 62.34 ft x 14.11 ft (normal load)
125.00 m / 125.00 m x 19.00 m x 4.30 m

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion generators,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 9,566 shp / 7,136 Kw = 18.00 kts
Range 11,500nm at 18.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,347 tons

Complement:
390 - 508

Cost:
£1.455 million / $5.818 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 244 tons, 3.4 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 2,256 tons, 31.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,004 tons, 27.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 2,700 tons, 37.5 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
21,361 lbs / 9,689 Kg = 197.8 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 3.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.20
Metacentric height 3.4 ft / 1.0 m
Roll period: 14.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has low quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.699
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.58 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 20.25 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 44 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.99 ft / 9.75 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 26.25 ft / 8.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 21.98 ft / 6.70 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.81 ft / 3.60 m (21.98 ft / 6.70 m before break)
- Stern: 11.81 ft / 3.60 m
- Average freeboard: 22.41 ft / 6.83 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 52.8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 229.7 %
Waterplane Area: 20,474 Square feet or 1,902 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 226 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 74 lbs/sq ft or 363 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.92
- Longitudinal: 2.32
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily

Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 700 tons for day passengers
- 200 tons for onboard facilities (restaurant, etc)
- 120 tons for ramps and loading gear
- 600 tons for eight Class-A lifeboats and gear
- 1000 tons for vehicles and onboard cargo
- 80 tons for navigational teledetection equipment, communications, etc
2,700 tons total

Ships in Class:
- Ville de Ajaccio
- Ville de Bastia

Notes:
Vehicles are loaded through stern ramp and offloaded through bow ramp.