| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Jefferson |
| Builder | Freeman, Knapp & Totten |
| Completed | April 1845 |
| Fate | Abandoned in Patagonia in 1851 due to storm damage |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Survey ship |
| Tons burthen | 343 tons |
| Length | 160 ft 0 in (48.77 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Propulsion | One high-pressure steam engine, 36" cylinder with a throw of 32" producing 120 horsepower |
| Sail plan | Three-masted schooner |
| Speed | 6.9 knots under steam 9.2 knots under sail and steam |
| Crew | 4 officers and 40 men |
| Armament | 26 gun ports, but only 1 gun mounted |
USRC Jefferson was a three-masted, coal-fired steamship built for the US Revenue Cutter Service in 1845 and named for Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson. Her design and construction were advanced and experimental for her time. Her hull was made of riveted iron plates, rather than wood planks. She was fitted with experimental propellers rather than paddlewheels, but was still expected to sail. Like many early attempts at new technology, the ship was an operational failure. She was slow and subject to mechanical breakdowns. Originally expected to patrol Lake Ontario for smugglers from Canada, it became clear that she was not going to be able to catch them.
The Jefferson was reassigned to the US Coast Survey, where speed was less important, in 1848. In 1849 she made at least one survey on the Atlantic coast, albeit with ongoing mechanical issues. After this survey season, she was converted to sidewheel propulsion and ordered to San Francisco where she was to lead survey efforts on the West Coast of the United States. In June 1851, on her voyage to take up her new assignment, she was damaged in a storm off the east coast of Patagonia. Jefferson made it to port without loss of life, but the ship was a total loss. She was condemned as unseaworthy and abandoned in Argentina. Her place on the west coast was taken by USCS Active.