Porcupine-class post ship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Class overview
Name:	Porcupine-class post ships
Operators:	Royal Navy
Completed:	10
Lost:	6
General characteristics
Type	Sixth-rate post ship
Tons burthen	513 55⁄94 (bm; as designed)
Length	114 ft 3 in (34.8 m) (gundeck) 94 ft 3+1⁄2 in (28.7 m) (keel)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Depth of hold	10 ft 3 in (3.1 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	160
Armament	Upperdeck: 22 × 9-pounder guns QD 2 × 6-pounder guns

The Porcupine-class ships were a group of ten sailing warships built for the Royal Navy (Britain's navy) in the late 1700s. These ships were called 'post ships' and had 24 guns. They were designed by John Williams in 1776.

These ships were important during the American Revolutionary War (also known as the American War of Independence). Some even fought in the French Revolutionary wars and the Napoleonic Wars later on. The first ships were ready in 1777, and the last ones were completed in 1781.

Designing the Porcupine-Class Ships

John Williams was the main ship designer for the Royal Navy. His official title was the Surveyor of the Navy. He created the plans for the Porcupine-class ships.

These new ships were an improved version of an earlier design from 1773, called the Sphinx-class. The 1776 design made the ships bigger. This extra space allowed them to carry more guns. They could have an extra pair of 9-pounder guns on the main deck. They also had two smaller 6-pounder guns on the quarterdeck (the back part of the upper deck).

Ships of the Porcupine Class

The British Admiralty (the group in charge of the Royal Navy) ordered ten ships using this design. The orders were placed over two years. The first ship, Porcupine, was ordered in June 1776 and launched in December 1777. The second, Pelican, was ordered in August 1776 and launched in April 1777.

The cost to build each ship was about £10 to £11 per ton. This table shows all ten ships, when they were ordered, who built them, and what happened to them.