One unique feature of this ship is that it is steered by a tiller rather than a rudder as demonstrated here by Volunteer Seaman Christopher Muzik. In fact, the US Brig Niagra is the largest vessel in the world that uses a tiller.The Sparred Length of the present day Brig Niagara is 198 ft. The Hull Length is 123 ft., some 12 ft. more than the original. The ship's Beam is 32 ft. (width at widest point) and its Draft at the sternpost is 10 ft. 3 inches. (distance between the waterline and the bottom of the ship's hull) The Niagra's Displacement is 297 tons. while its Tons burthen (old measure) is 492 and 60/95 tons.
Clearly this is a very large brig.
Dwarfing the brig HMS Hunter, and the US Brig Caledonia, even the 1813 version was a very large brig. It was only 15 ft. shorter than the large Frigate HMS Detroit, and may have been as large or larger than the Frigate HMS Queen Charlotte. The US Brig Niagra of 1813 certainly was more heavily armed than the Frigate HMS Queen Charlotte. Compare the brig's eighteen 32 lb. carronades and two 12 lb. long guns to the Frigates 17 long guns.
