Nov 4, 2018
HMS Discovery & Chatham Becalmed in Rosario Strait - June 9, 1792
by Steve Mayo 2012
- The Discovery was built as a merchant ship on the Thames in 1789 but was purchased by the Admiralty before she was launched. She was fitted out specifically for her role as a Royal Navy survey and exploration ship. She had a useful naval career until 1808 but ended her days as a lowly prison hulk. Worn out and rotten, the old hulk was broken up in 1834.
- The Chatham was built as a collier at Dover in 1788 and later purchased for the Royal Navy. She was plain, beamy and a rather dull sailer but apparently a reliable and sturdy vessel. The Navy kept her until 1830 when she was sold out of the service.
