HMS Hyacinth (1829)

HMS Hyacinth was an 18-gun Royal Navy ship sloop. She was launched in 1829 and surveyed the north-eastern coast of Australia under Francis Price Blackwood during the mid-1830s. She took part in the First Opium War, destroying, with HMS Volage, 29 Chinese junks. She became a coal hulk at Portland in 1860 and was broken up in 1871.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Hyacinth.

Hyacinth and Volage engage Chinese war junks, 3 November 1839
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Hyacinth
Ordered: 10 June 1823
Builder: Plymouth Dockyard
Cost: £17,361 including fitting[Note 1][1]
Laid down: March 1826
Launched: 6 May 1829
Commissioned: 12 January 1830
Fate:
  • Coal hulk at Portland, November 1860
  • Breaking completed in November 1871
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Favorite-class ship sloop
Tons burthen: 429 40/94 bm
Length:
  • 109 ft 6 in (33.4 m) (gundeck)
  • 86 ft 9 1⁄2 in (26.5 m) (keel)
Beam: 30 ft 9 in (9.4 m) oa
Depth of hold: 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m)
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Complement: 125
Armament:
External image
A contemporary 1:60 full hull model of Hyacinth at the National Maritime Museum

Design and construction

Hyacinth was the second of four Favorite-class ship sloops, which were a ship-rigged and lengthened version of the 1796 Cruizer-class brig-sloop. All four ships of the class were ordered on 10 June 1823 and Hyacinth was laid down at Plymouth Dockyard in March 1826. She was launched on 6 May 1829 and commissioned for the West Indies Station on 12 January 1830.[1]

Dimensions

Hyacinth measured 109 ft 6 in (33.4 m) along the gun deck by 30 ft 9 in (9.4 m) in the beam, and had a tonnage of 429 40/94 bm.[1] She was flush-decked with a small forecastle and quarterdeck.

Armament

She was armed with sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two 9-pounder bow chaser guns.[1]

Service

During her 42-year career, she was stationed in the West and East Indies from 1829–41, took part in the First Opium War from 1841–42, and from 1843-46 was stationed off the west coast of Africa in the suppression of the slave trade. After being reduced to 14 guns in 1848,[1] she later became a coal hulk at Portsmouth before being broken up in 1871.[1]

Notes
  1. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £1,539,000 in today's money.

References
  1. Winfield (2004) p.118
  • Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6.
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