Presidente-class, Chilean Cargo Liner laid down 1938
Rising passenger traffic between North and South America, and competition with the Grace Line gave CSAV the idea of ordering a pair of fast, powerful, and prestigious cargo-liners in the late 1930s. These two vessels became the Chilean merchant marine's "ships of state".
Presidente was scheduled on the Valparaiso to New York run, while
Independencia sailed a schedule between Valparaiso, Atlantis, and Marseilles.
Displacement:
13,500 t light; 13,916 t standard; 20,768 t normal; 26,250 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
656.17 ft / 639.76 ft x 82.02 ft x 26.25 ft (normal load)
200.00 m / 195.00 m x 25.00 m x 8.00 m
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Electric motors, 2 shafts, 31,428 shp / 23,445 Kw = 22.00 kts
Range 15,000nm at 22.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 12,334 tons
Complement:
864 - 1,124
Cost:
£3.342 million / $13.369 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 861 tons, 4.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 8,440 tons, 40.6 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 7,268 tons, 35.0 %
Miscellaneous weights: 4,200 tons, 20.2 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
89,743 lbs / 40,707 Kg = 831.0 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 7.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 4.5 ft / 1.4 m
Roll period: 16.3 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: 0.528
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.80 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.29 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 39 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 7.13 degrees
Stern overhang: 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 52.49 ft / 16.00 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 45.93 ft / 14.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 39.37 ft / 12.00 m
- Quarterdeck (25 %): 32.81 ft / 10.00 m (39.37 ft / 12.00 m before break)
- Stern: 32.81 ft / 10.00 m
- Average freeboard: 40.55 ft / 12.36 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 36.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 325.5 %
Waterplane Area: 35,868 Square feet or 3,332 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 351 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 112 lbs/sq ft or 546 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.89
- Longitudinal: 6.30
- Overall: 1.08
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:
1800 tons for 200 1st-Class Passengers
1600 tons for 400 2nd-Class Passengers
800 tons for Cargo
4867 tons cargo simmed as bunker fuel . Actual range is 9,000nm @ 22 knots
Range 9,000nm at 22.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 7,489 tons
Conversion Commission notes for War Use:
These two vessels are listed under the Class B merchant ship reserve. In the unlikely event of their activation, they could be converted either to troopships (most likely) or armed merchant cruisers (less likely).
Ships in Class:
-
Presidente
-
Independencia