The Castalia in Dover Harbour - end view - she was named after Lady Granville who launched the ship in June 1874. It was designed by Captain Dicey who was convinced of the trustworthiness and stability of the catamaran design, based on his observations of native canoes and catamarans while he was Harbour Master in Calcutta. The ship was in effect two half hulls joined together by girders and with paddle wheels between the hulls. She was the largest ship yet built for the Channel service, measuring some 290ft by 60ft with a gross tonnage of 1,553. It was her unusually wide beam that Captain Dicey hoped would be the answer to the problems of seasickness that plagued cross-Channel passengers. The astalia?was designed to carry 700 passengers and, because manoeuvring in Calais harbour was so difficult, the ship was double ended so that it would be unnecessary to turn round. Although the astalia?was owned by the English Channel Steamship Company, the London, Chatham and Dover Railway encouraged them and were keen to monitor performance. She arrived in Dover in October 1874 but had to return to London the following month to have new boilers and paddles fitted as her speeds on trial were nothing like as high as were expected. 固opFoto