SS AMERICa
Circa 1959
Illustration by Michael C Brady, 2020
‘no finer way to usa’
Designed by acclaimed naval architect William F Gibbs, the SS America was, at the time of her introduction in 1939, one of the most modern and forward-thinking liners afloat. Not quite large or fast enough to compete with Europe’s 80,000 ton + liners, America carved out a legacy as a reliable and comfortable transatlantic vessel before being sold to Chandris Lines and re-christened ‘Australis’ in the 1960s. America’s design directly influenced the construction of America’s largest passenger vessel; the SS United States.
ss america
Length: 723’
Beam: 93’
Draught: 33’
Tonnage: 26,4540 GRT
Max Speed: 22.5 kn
explore the drawing
THE details
Deckchairs are stacked towards America’s stern. This portion of the deck was for the use of ‘Tourist Class’ passengers. The deck below contained warping equipment - heavy-duty machinery used to moor the vessel.
America’s iconic red, white and blue funnels. Gibbs experimented with the design aiming for a shape that would use aerodynamics to clear smoke from the deck of the ship. A very similar design was used on the United States a decade later.
America’s raked prow. One design flaw of the vessel was her almost perpendicular stem below the waterline. This could cause pitching in rough weather and was rectified with the United States.
SS AMERICA THROUGH THE YEARS
