HMS Experiment (1689)

History
England
Name	HMS Experiment
Ordered	28 June 1689
Builder	Royal Dockyard, Chatham
Launched	17 December 1689
Commissioned	1690
Fate	Breaking completed at Portsmouth in July 1738
General characteristics
Type	32-gun fifth rate
Tons burthen	3712/94 bm
Length	105 ft 0 in (32.0 m) gundeck 92 ft 0 in (28.0 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Complement	as fifth rate 145/100 as sixth rate 115/85
Armament	as built 4 × 4 demi-culverines on wooden trucks (LD) 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD) 4 × 4 minions on wooden trucks (QD) 1703 Establishment 4 × 4 9-pdr guns on wooden trucks (LD) 22/20 × 6-pdr guns on wooden trucks (UD) 6/4 × 4-pdr guns on wooden trucks (QD) as sixth rate 20/18 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD)
General characteristics as rebuilt 1727
Type	20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen	374+66⁄94 bm
Length	106 ft 0 in (32.3 m) gundeck 87 ft 9 in (26.7 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	28 ft 4 in (8.6 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
Sail plan	ship-rigged
Armament	20 × 6-pdr 19 cwt guns on wooden trucks (UD)

HMS Experiment was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Deptford Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines,^{[Note 1]} sakers^{[Note 2]} and minions.^{[Note 3]} After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1724. Her breaking was finally completed at Portsmouth in 1738.^[1][2]

Experiment was the third named vessel since it was used for a double-hulled sloop built in 1664 and lost in 1687.^[3]

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