British fireship 'Megaera' (1783)

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Megaera
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	5.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	5.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	7.1793	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Ipswich - Suffolk	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Tisiphone Class (1779)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Stephen TeagueBritish Ship Builder	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Fireship	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Sold	3.4.1817	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 11 ½"Imperial Feet32.9311
Length of Keel90' 10 ½"Imperial Feet27.4447
Breadth29' 8"Imperial Feet8.8618
Depth in Hold9' 0"Imperial Feet2.7432
Burthen425 ⁴⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

5.1783Broadside Weight = 48 Imperial Pound ( 21.768 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
177955Design Complement

15 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
21.9.1790 - 21.11.1791Commander ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 7.4.1791Commander Transfered ADM 6/24/89ADM 6/2419.7.1793 - 30.7.1794Commander ADM 6/24/256BWAS-171430.7.1794 - 9.1795Commander ADM 6/25/68BWAS-17149.1795 - 1796CaptainBWAS-17141796 - 12.12.1796CaptainBWAS-171412.12.1796 - 11.9.1797CommanderBWAS-171411.9.1797 - 26.4.1798CommanderBWAS-171426.4.1798 - 11.1799CommanderBWAS-171426.4.1798 - 1800CommanderBWAS-17141800 - 11.8.1800CaptainBWAS-171411.8.1800 - 1.1.1801CommanderBWAS-17141.1.1801 - 3.1801CommanderBWAS-17143.1801 - 1802CommanderBWAS-171410.1803 - 7.1805CommanderBWAS-1714

4 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
19.11.1793 - 7.2.1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/285ADM 6/248.2.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/258.2.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant ADM 6/25/12ADM 6/2517.10.1800 - 24.6.1802LieutenantNAO

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
14.3.1784 - 8.3.1795GunnerADM 29-1

Service History

DateEventSource
7.6.1783Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
10.1784Laid up at ChathamBWAS-1714
10.1784Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £1709.0.0dBWAS-1714
27.6.1793Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
10.9.1793Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £5202.0.0dBWAS-1714
23.6.1795Action of Ile Groix
29.4.1799

Sailed from Plymouth on a cruise

TNC
1802Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1803Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
12.1803Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
7.1805Laid up at PlymouthBWAS-1714
3.4.1817Sold at Plymouth to James Dashin for £910BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

TNCVarious, Periodical

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