Livadia
1880 Built by John Elder and Co.
235ft. long, 153ft. broad, draught 6ft. 6 in.
1880 Extracts from Paper read before the Fairfield Association of Engineers and shipbuilders: 'The Fairfield Yacht for the Czar, and Vessels of her
Type considered as Means of International Communication.
By E. E. Goulaeff, Captain of the Corps of Naval
Architects, R.I.N., Ad.C., F.R.S.N.A., M.I.N.A.
GENTLEMEN,- In a few days you will see one of the
most remarkable pieces of naval architecture glide gently
into the waters of the Clyde. Already hundreds of people
have visited the Fairfield Yard, coming nearly from all
parts of the globe to see this wonderful ship, intended to
serve as the sea-going yacht for the Emperor of Russia,
and the interest in her seems to be growing with the
growth of the ship. So novel is this vessel, both in her principal features and
in all her details, that her construction shows wonderful
combination of ideas and foresight, proving the extraordinary amount of inventive genius in the mind of her
designer. ... The late Mr. W. Froude, who
conducted, at the request of Admiral Popoff, some experiments with the models of vessels of his design, was the first
to demonstrate by exact data the influence of draught on
the reduction of resistance. .... This turbot-like portion of the vessel is built of steel,
with a double bottom, whose height is no less than 3ft. 6 in. in the centre. This double bottom is divided into forty
water-tight compartments, and extends throughout the
flat portion of the bottom. .... The whole decorative works of this saloon will
remind us of the rooms of Louis XVI. at Fontainebleau, and
th9 designs of this and other apartments were prepared by
the well-known Scotch artist, Mr. W. Leiper. The drawing-room will be furnished in the Crimean-Tartar style,
whilst other rooms will be of a simple kind of modern English, regard being made to obtain the greatest comfort. ... The propelling engines of the yacht, which have been
designed by Mr. A. D. Bryce, are of a construction decidedly novel, and have been erected in a somewhat novel
manner. Their foundation, which is of steel, forms part of
the framing of the double bottom, as is also the case, on a
smaller scale, in the circular vessels. ... There are three
screw propellers of 16ft. in diameter, spaced 18ft. 3 in.
apart - the centre one being in the line of keel, and each of
them worked by an independent engine capable of exerting
an indicated horse power of 3500. ... In less than one year Mr. Pearce, the head of the most
eminent shipbuilding and engineering firm in Scotland,
and, as you all know, one of the most enterprising men of
the day, after having gone through all the calculations of
the vessel, and having satisfied himself as to the principles
embodied in her design, has built the new yacht, and now
she is so far advanced that she will be launched next week. ....'[1]
The editor of Engineering was less enthusiastic:-
'.... When we remember that the Livadia will have 10,500 horse power, which may be expected to consume at full speeds from 200 to 250 tons of coal per day, it will be seen that it is an expensive luxury more fit for emperors than for mercantile companies or simple traders, and this, be it remembered, with the small displacement of less than 4000 tons, and moderate speed of 14 knots. Indeed if we assume that the designer's views as to the relation of speed to power are correct, and compare the results with any of our present Atlantic mail steamers, it will be seen that the type could not become a commercial success, although the Czar may well be proud of the enormous lofty saloons, and the freedom from rolling which the vessel will doubtless possess among such waves as she is likely to encounter in the Black Sea.'[2]
1880 Report of official speed trials.[3]