Comet (1791 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Comet (ship).

History
Great Britain
NameComet
BuilderMarmaduke Stalkart, Rotherhithe[1]
Launched29 September 1791[1]
FateWrecked 1 December 1843
General characteristics [2]
Tons burthen297, or 29746⁄94,[1] or 300,[3] or 301,[4] or 30250⁄94,[5] or 303, or 31185⁄94,[5] or 312 (bm)
Length
  • Overall:96 ft 5 in (29.4 m), or 99 ft 2 in (30.2 m)[5]
  • Keel:76 ft 3 in (23.2 m)
Beam27 ft 1 in (8.3 m), or 26 ft 11+3⁄4 in (8.2 m)[5]
Depth of hold12 ft 0 in (3.7 m),
Complement
Armament
  • 1793: 12 × 2-pounder guns[3]
  • 1797: 12 × 6-pounder guns[3]
  • 1811:4 × 9-pounder + 6 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 × 4-pounder guns

Comet was launched in 1791 at Rotherhithe. At the outbreak of war with France, she briefly became a privateer before the British East India Company (EIC) chartered her for one voyage to bring back sugar, saltpeter, and other goods from Bengal. Between 1812 and 1821 she made three voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. Then between 1823 and 1840 she became a whaler based in Hull, whaling in the northern whale fishery. She returned to trade in 1841 and was lost on 1 December 1843 homeward bound from Quebec.

  1. ^ a b c Hackman (2001), p. 83.
  2. ^ British Library: Comet (1).
  3. ^ a b c d e "Letter of Marque, p. 56 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference LR1791 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Credland (1984), p. 142.