The SS Brighton was a 1,384 gross register ton (GRT) steamship constructed in 1903 by W Denny & Bros of Dumbarton, with yard number 683. Launched on 13 June 1903 and completed by August of the same year, she measured 273 feet 6 inches (83.36 meters) in length, with a beam of 34 feet 2 inches (10.41 meters) and a depth of 14 feet 1 inch (4.29 meters). Powered initially by three Parsons steam turbines rated at 580 horsepower (430 kW), she was capable of reaching speeds up to 21 knots (39 km/h). Her turbines drove three screw propellers, enabling efficient service on her designated routes. Brighton was built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, primarily serving the Newhaven - Dieppe route. She was intended to be the first turbine-powered steamship for the railway company, but a fire at the shipbuilders delayed her completion, resulting in her being the second turbine vessel of her kind. Her port of registry was Newhaven. Throughout her service, Brighton was involved in notable incidents. On 5 November 1910, she collided with the windjammer Preußen south of Newhaven. Brighton returned to port to summon aid, but the Preußen was damaged beyond repair and sank after being driven onto rocks. The master of Brighton was held responsible, losing his license and reportedly later committing suicide. During World War I, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy, serving as a troopship and later as a hospital ship. Notably, on 19 December 1914, she rescued survivors from the naval trawler HMT Orianda, sunk by a mine in the North Sea. She also transported President Woodrow Wilson back to Dover after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. After the war, Brighton was returned to her owners in 1920, passing into the Southern Railway at Grouping. In 1930, she was sold to W E Guinness and converted into a private yacht, renamed Roussalka after a Slavic mythological creature. Her steam turbines were replaced with two 8-cylinder Atlas diesel engines of 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW), and one of her funnels was removed. Her speed was reduced to approximately 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h). Roussalka met her end when she was wrecked in thick fog on 25 August 1933 at Blood Slate Rock, Freaklin Island, Killary Bay, Ireland; all passengers and crew were rescued. Her wreck remained lost until June 2024, when members of the Athlone Sub Aqua Club rediscovered and began documenting her remains, which had previously been found in the 1970s but with an unknown position.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.