HMS Pelican (1777) facts for kids
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Pelican
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Pelican |
| Ordered | 24 July 1776 |
| Awarded | 6 August 1776 |
| Builder | Adams & Barnard, Grove Street Shipyard, Deptford |
| Laid down | August 1776 |
| Launched | 24 April 1777 |
| Commissioned | May 1777 |
| Fate | Wrecked off Jamaica in August 1781 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 24-gun Porcupine-class sixth-rate post ship |
| Tons burthen | 520 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m) |
| Draught |
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| Depth of hold | 10 ft 3+1⁄2 in (3.137 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 160 |
| Armament |
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HMS Pelican was a 24-gun ship of the Royal Navy. It was a type of ship called a "post ship," which was a smaller warship. Pelican was built in 1777 and sadly wrecked in 1781.
Contents
Building and Getting Ready for Sea
The ship Pelican was built for the Royal Navy. It was launched, meaning put into the water for the first time, in April 1777. After that, it was prepared for service. This process is called "fitting out."
In May 1777, Pelican was officially "commissioned." This means it was ready to join the Navy's fleet. Its first commanding officer was Captain Henry Lloyd.
Adventures at Sea
Pelican had several missions during its time in service.
Early Patrols
Captain Lloyd first took Pelican to patrol the North Sea. By 1778, the ship was sailing near Cape Finisterre, which is off the coast of Spain. A year later, it moved to the coast of Portugal.
New Commanders and Missions
In late 1779, Pelican returned to England for repairs and updates. This was called a "refit." After this, Captain William Lockhart took command. He was only with the ship for a short time.
By January 1780, Captain Thomas Haynes became the new commander. Under Captain Haynes, Pelican sailed to the Jamaica Station on April 13. This was a naval base in the Caribbean Sea.
While in the Caribbean, Pelican captured a French ship on December 9. This ship was a "privateer" called La Marquise de Saint-Pern. A privateer was a private ship allowed by its government to attack enemy ships.
In June 1781, Captain Cuthbert Collingwood took over command from Captain Haynes. Captain Collingwood later became a very famous admiral. On July 22, Pelican captured another French ship, the 16-gun Le Cerf.
The End of Pelican
Just a few weeks after its last capture, Pelican faced a terrible storm. On August 2, 1781, the ship was caught in a powerful hurricane. It was wrecked on the Morant Cays, which are small islands off the coast of Jamaica.
