British sloop 'Fly' (1776)

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Fly	7653
Nominal Guns	14	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1.8.1775	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.1776	BWAS-1714
Named	25.8.1775	BWAS-1714
Launched	14.9.1776	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	17.7.1776	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Swan Class	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	George White	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Sloop	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Foundered	1.1802	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck96' 7"Imperial Feet29.2904
Length of Keel78' 11 ½"Imperial Feet23.7871
Breadth26' 10"Imperial Feet7.9248
Depth in Hold12' 10"Imperial Feet3.6576
Draught Forward6' 9"Imperial Feet2.0574
Draught Aft10' 9"Imperial Feet3.2766
Burthen302 ³⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

14.9.1776Broadside Weight = 45 Imperial Pound ( 20.4078 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck14 British 6-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Forecastle4 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

1780Broadside Weight = 51 Imperial Pound ( 23.1288 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck16 British 6-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Forecastle4 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

1794Broadside Weight = 84 Imperial Pound ( 38.094 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck16 British 6-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 12-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 12-Pound Carronade

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
8.5.1766125Design Complement

13 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
17.7.1776 - 1.10.1779Commander Edward Garner ADM 6/21/200BWAS-17141.10.1779 - 15.8.1781Commander Billy Douglas (d.1817) ADM 6/22/31BWAS-171415.1.1781 - 15.8.1781Commander Milham Ponsonby ADM 6/22/369
Issued by George Brydges Rodney (Baronet ) (1719-1792), Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 23.11.1781ADM 6/2215.8.1781 - 16.3.1782Commander Martin Waghorn (d.1788) ADM 6/22/325ADM 6/2216.3.1782 - 12.5.1783Commander Timothy Kelly (c.1740-1788) ADM 6/22/425ADM 6/221.12.1787Commander George Blagden Westcott (1753-1798) ADM 6/23/440ADM 6/2310.5.1790 - 3.12.1791Commander James Drew (d.1798) ADM 6/24/27BWAS-171425.10.1792 - 29.10.1793Commander William Brown ADM 6/24/179BWAS-171429.10.1793 - 6.1794Commander Thomas Affleck (1762-1805) ADM 6/24/278BWAS-17149.6.1794 - 4.1797Commander Richard Hussey Moubray (1776-?)BWAS-17145.1797 - 8.11.1798Commander William CumberlandBWAS-17148.11.1798 - 15.11.1800Commander Zachariah Mudge (1770-1852)BWAS-171415.11.1800 - 1.1802Commander Thomas Duvall (d.1802)†BWAS-1714

Service History

DateEventSource
1.1776Began building at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
14.9.1776Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
14.9.1776Completed building at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £8694.8.4dBWAS-1714
19.10.1776Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
4.12.1776Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
7.1778Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1778Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1998.11.0dBWAS-1714
1779In the North SeaBWAS-1714
25.9.1782Took the Cutter L'Escamoteur (10) with his 2 prizes : a brig and a sloopBG
21.5.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
11.1788Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1789Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £3111.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.1789RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1790Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
6.1790Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £1589.0.0dBWAS-1714
20.6.1790Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
10.6.1791Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
3.12.1791

Paid off

BWAS-1714
10.1792RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1792Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
12.1792Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £2798.0.0dBWAS-1714
20.3.1794Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
22.8.1796Took the Lugger Le Furet off PortlandBG
6.2.1799

Arrived at Plymouth with the prize Glaneur

TNC
14.2.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth on a cruise

TNC
31.3.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth

TNC
7.1800At HalifaxBWAS-1714
24.8.1800Took the Cutter Le Trompeur in the Channel
1801Sailed with convoy to AfricaBWAS-1714
1.1802Lost with all hands off NewfoundlandBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

TNCVarious, Periodical

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Patrick Reid on Monday 15th of February 2021 13:33

Great info.Does anyone have any ideaa whether Fly was oak or fir built?

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