Swan-class ship-sloop
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Swan-class ship sloop |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Built | 1793 - 1817 |
| In service | 1794 - 1833 |
| Completed | 25 |
| General characteristics (design details) | |
| Type | Ship sloop |
| Tons burthen | 300 bm |
| Length | list error: <br /> list (help) 96 ft 7 in (29 m) (gundeck) 78 ft 10 in (24 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 26 ft 9 in (8 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 125 (121 from 1794) |
| Armament | list error: mixed text and list (help) As built:
1780 onwards:
|
The Swan class were built as a 14-gun class of ship sloops for the Royal Navy, although an extra 2 guns were added soon after completion.
Design
The class was designed by the Surveyor of the Navy, John Williams, and two vessels to this design (Swan and Kingfisher) were ordered in January 1766. Twenty-three more were ordered to the same design between 1773 and 1779. The design provided for 16 gunports (8 per side) but one pair was initially left unoccupied, and the ships were always rated at 14 guns. However an eighth pair of guns was added from 1780 onwards to utilise the vacant ports.
The Swan class sloops were unusually attractive for the type of vessel. Not only did they have sleek hull lines but they also carried an unusual amount of decoration for their size. They were built just before the Admiralty issued orders that all vessels (especially lesser rates and unrated vessels) should have minimal decoration and carvings to save on costs, due to the seemingly ever-continuing war with France and other nations.
Ships
| Name | Ordered | Builder | Launched | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swan | 18 January 1766 | Plymouth Dockyard | 21 November 1767 | Sold 1 September 1814 |
| Kingfisher | 18 January 1766 | Chatham Dockyard | 13 July 1770 | Burnt to avoid capture 30 July 1778 |
| Cygnet | 15 April 1773 | Portsmouth Dockyard | 21 January 1776 | Sold August 1802 |
| Atalanta | 1 December 1773 | Sheerness Dockyard | 12 August 1775 | Sold August 1802 |
| Pegasus | 10 April 1775 | Chatham Dockyard | 27 December 1776 | Lost, presumed foundered October 1777 |
| Fly | 1 August 1775 | Sheerness Dockyard | 14 September 1776 | Lost, presumed foundered January 1802 |
| Swift | 16 October 1775 | Portsmouth Dockyard | 1 January 1777 | Burnt to avoid capture 22 November 1778 |
| Dispatch | 16 October 1775 | Deptford Dockyard | 10 February 1777 | Lost, foundered 8 December 1778 |
| Fortune | 16 October 1775 | Woolwich Dockyard | 28 July 1778 | Captured by the French 26 April 1780 |
| Hound | 30 October 1775 | Adams & Barnard, Deptford | 8 March 1776 | Taken to pieces at Woolwich in November 1784 |
| Hornet | 30 October 1775 | John Perry and Co, Blackwall | 19 March 1776 | Laid up in October 1783, and sold in July 1793 |
| Vulture | 30 October 1775 | John & William Wells, Deptford | 18 March 1776 | Sold in August 1802 |
| Spy | 30 October 1775 | Edward Greaves, Limehouse | 6 April 1776 | Wrecked off Newfoundland on 16 June 1778 |
| Cormorant | 30 October 1775 | John Barnard, Ipswich | 21 May 1776 | Taken by the French 24 August 1781 |
| Zebra | 24 May 1776 | John Barnard, Ipswich | 8 April 1777 | Wrecked off Delaware 18 October 1778 |
| Cameleon | 21 June 1776 | John Randall, Gray & Brent, Rotherhithe | 26 March 1777 | Wrecked off St Lucia 24 August12 October 1780 |
| Fairy | ||||
| Nymph | ||||
| Savage | ||||
| Fury | ||||
| Delight | ||||
| Thorn | ||||
| Bonetta | ||||
| Shark | ||||
| Alligator |
References
- British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1714-1792, Rif Winfield, Seaforth Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6
- British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1793-1817, Rif Winfield, Seaforth Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4