The British shipyard at Birkenhead had already built the Confederate raider CSS Florida, but the vessel that followed it was designed to be even more formidable. Designated as hull number 290, the ship was larger and more powerful than the Florida, built specifically for the mission she was meant to carry out. At 900 tons and 220 feet in length, she measured 32 feet across the beam and drew 15 feet of water. Her construction reflected careful attention to detail.
The masts were made of yellow pine, while the rigging used Swedish iron wire considered the best available. A 300-horsepower engine drove her at 10 knots under steam alone, and with sails added, the ship could reach 13 knots. She carried equipment that allowed her crew to condense seawater into fresh drinking water, along with a fully equipped machine shop capable of handling repairs at sea. With full coal bunkers, the vessel could steam continuously for 18 days.
If the coal ran out, the propeller could be detached in 15 minutes and lifted into a protective well. An inscription in French was placed across the ship’s wheel. Translated, it read, “Heaven helps those who help themselves. ”
The ship cost $250,000 to build.
She was the second of at least six cruisers constructed for the Confederacy by British builders. Launched on Thursday, May 15, 1862, she would be known as the Enrica.