Sea of Gray (2006)

It’s about the Confederate Raider Shenandoah in 1864 timeframe. She is a 222 foot auxiliary steamer that circumnavigated the globe hunting Union whaling ships/ merchants. I’m a 1/3 through it and I am enjoying the details. Aside from the 2 steam engines rated at 200 horsepower each, she also was a composite ship with iron frames which were lighter than the full wooden type which allowed for more storage. Her boiler could create 600 gallons of drinking water but it burned several tons of coal in the process.

When under sails the crew would lift the prop above the waterline so that it would not produce drag.

The Union shipowners sold a lot of their ships to foreign owners to protect against their destruction. Interesting seeing the advantages of steam.

The ship had to be built under the guise of a merchant ship in London before being transformed into a raider. Great Britain was neutral but blocked building warships for the Confederacy.

It’s a good read so far.