Officially known as a sailing steamer Britannic was launched in 1874 and still used sails to complement her steam power but with a propeller as opposed to the Scotia's paddle wheels.

In December 1875 she made an eastward crossing at 15.94 knots giving her the record at a cost of burning 100 tonnes of fuel a day.

These record breaking runs across the north Atlantic must have been quite exciting experiences as a passenger, Mr C Stansfield Hicks wrote about her in 1924, many years after her heyday: "To the men of her day, the old Britannic was a magnificent ship. In fact, were she running today I am not sure but that a good many of the more sporting kind of passenger would not prefer to take a passage in her."

Here is a verse composed by another passenger and Britannic fan:

Then hail to the proud Britannic,
Queen of the broad Atlantic.
Gem of the sea,
Hail every sail and spar.
Hail to the great White Star,
With three times three.

At first the Britannic had an experimental propeller which was lower than usual, the centre line being just above her keel. This could be lifted up by means of a universal joint when in shallow water, but in practice power was wasted and after nine voyages Britannic returned to Belfast to have the propeller changed to a more conventional design.

As the ship grew older somehow her speed increased, and she made her fastest crossing when she was 18 years old. All food was provided, but passengers aboard had to supply their own bedding and eating utensils, although a complete kit was available for 10 shillings (50p).

Return fares were from £24 to £40 and passengers enjoyed a dining room which could seat 200 and centrally situated, luxuriously furnished saloons and state rooms. Britannic also had a barber shop, baths and a nursery to cater for her complement of 258 passengers.

In 1881 she collided with the Belfast steamer Julia, which promptly sank, and in 1885 she collided with the Celtic in thick fog 200 miles off Sandy Hook, and had to put back to New York for repairs where her master was censured for sailing too fast for the conditions. In 1889 she collided with the Czarawitz which, again, sank. Travelling to Australia in 1900 she ran aground and was stranded in the Suez canal but was eventually refloated and sent to Belfast where she was sold to a Hamburg scrap dealer for the princely sum of £11,500.

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