Argonaute-class ship of the line
The Argonaute class was a pair of 74-gun ships built for the French Navy, designed by naval constructor François-Guillaume Clairin-Deslauriers to improve stability over the Scipion class. To achieve this, the design was lengthened by about 4 feet 9.5 inches. The designer died on 10 October 1780, and construction was completed by his successor, Jean-Denis Chevillard, who became chief engineer at the dockyard in July 1781.
Specifications: displacement about 2,943 tons (1,424 tons burthen); length 55.22 m; beam 14.29 m; draught 7.39 m. Propulsion was sails. Armament consisted of 74 guns in three tiers: 28 × 36-pounders on the lower deck, 30 × 18-pounders on the middle deck, and 16 × 8-pounders on the third tier (gaillards).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:33 (CET).