Shamrock-class schooner

The Shamrock class was a Royal Navy class of six 8 or 10-gun schooners built under contract in Bermuda during the Napoleonic War. The class was an attempt by the Admiralty to harness the expertise of Bermudian shipbuilders who were renowned for their fast-sailing craft. The Admiralty ordered all six vessels in February 1808.[1]

Class overview
Name: Adonis class
Operators:  Royal Navy
Preceded by: Cheerful class
Succeeded by: Pygmy class
Planned: 6
Completed: 6
Active: 1808—1816
Lost: 4
General characteristics [1]
Tons burthen: 1503294 (bm)
Length:
  • 78 ft 8 in (24.0 m)
  • 60 ft 8 18 in (18.494 m)
Beam: 21 ft 7 in (6.58 m)
Draught: 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m)
Complement: 50
Armament: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 8 × 12-pounder carronades (last four had six carronades)
Notes: All measurements are per design, not "as built"

The vessels were all constructed of Bermuda cedar. This durable, native wood, abundant in Bermuda, was strong and light, and did not need seasoning. Shipbuilders used it for framing as well as planking, which reduced vessel weight. It was also highly resistant to rot and marine borers, giving Bermudian vessels a potential lifespan of twenty years and more, even in the worm-infested waters of the Chesapeake and the Caribbean.

Of the six vessels in the class, four were lost to the perils of the sea; two survived to be sold in 1814 and 1815.

Ships

NameLaunchedFate
Shamrock 15 September 1808 Wrecked 23 February 1811
Thistle 27 September 1808 Wrecked 6 March 1811
Bramble 1809 Sold 14 December 1815
Holly 1809 Wrecked 29 January 1814
Juniper 1809 Sold 3 November 1814
Mistletoe 1809 Foundered 14 December 1816

Citations and references

Citations

  1. Winfield (2008), pp. 362–363.

References

  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
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