Sirius was chartered for an Atlantic crossing when a company's purpose-built British Queen was delayed and Brunel's Great Western was nearly ready. The 1838 passage from Cork carried 40 passengers and took eighteen days. The account describes Sirius exhausting her coal and burning furniture, spare spars, and a mast to complete the voyage. Great Western had been designed for the route, with a large share of her hull devoted to coal, and arrived with 200 tons remaining. The comparison supports the case for designing an ocean steamer around its intended service. Coaling stations at strategic ports and islands then helped extend steam routes toward more distant destinations.
Notable Point · 2:17:54-2:20:43
Sirius and Great Western test Atlantic steam endurance
The Atlantic crossings show how purpose-built steamship design and a coal network affected endurance.