Golden Hind

Golden Hinde, a sea-worthy reconstruction of the original vessel
History
England
NamePelican
Launched1577
Sponsored byQueen Elizabeth I of England
RenamedGolden Hind(e) (1578)
FateDisintegrated and broken up in c. late-17th century; two replicas exist
General characteristics
TypeGalleon
Tonnage100–150 tons[1]
Displacement300 tons
Length102 ft (31 m) on deck
Beam20 ft (6.1 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m)
PropulsionSail; Wind
Speed8 knots (15 km/h)
Complement80–85
Armament22 guns
ArmourNone
NotesSail area: 386 m²

Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. She was originally known as Pelican, but Drake renamed her mid-voyage in 1578, in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind (a female red deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage. A full-sized, seaworthy reconstruction is in London, on the south bank of the Thames.

  1. ^ Raymond Aker, expert nautical architect, calculated the Golden Hind at "150 tons with twelve guns on the lower deck and six smaller ones on the upper deck. She had a hull length of about eighty feet, breadth of about twenty-three (feet), and a draft of thirteen feet when deeply laden."Aker, Raymond; Von der Porten, Edward (2000). Discovering Francis Drake's California Harbor. Drake Navigators Guild. p. 16.