HMS Rodney (1809)

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

HMS Rodney was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 8 December 1809 at Deptford.^[1]

'Rodney'of the 'Armada'/'Conquestadore'/'Vangeur' class (1806)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Rodney
Ordered	28 May 1808
Builder	Barnard, Deptford
Laid down	March 1808
Launched	8 December 1809
Fate	Sold, 1836
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Vengeur-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	1754 (bm)
Length	176 ft (54 m) (gundeck)
Beam	47 ft 6 in (14.48 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	74 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 4 × 12 pdrs, 10 × 32 pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 12 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades Poop deck: 6 × 18 pdr carronades

The Dockyard was suffering from a shortage of seasoned timber at the time Rodney was being built. In consequence the hull was built from unseasoned wood which quickly shrunk and rotted when exposed to seawater. After just three years at sea all of the hull fastenings had given way and Rodney was returned to Deptford for decommissioning.^[2]

In 1827 she was reduced to a 50-gun ship, and in 1836 Rodney was sold out of the Navy.^[1]

In commercial service, Rodney collided with the British paddle steamer Thames at Havana, Cuba, on 11 October 1846, destroying her pinnace, and was driven ashore.^[3][4]

Notes

1. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 188.
2. Albion 2000, p. 395
3. "Awful storm at Havannah". The Standard. No. 6939. London. 5 November 1846.
4. "The Havannah and Mexico". Daily News. No. 137. London. 5 November 1846.

References

• Albion, Robert Greenhalgh (2000). Forests and Sea Power: The Timber Problem of the Royal Navy, 1652-1862. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557500215.
• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.