| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Namesake | Matthew Flinders |
| Builder | HMA Naval Dockyard, Williamstown |
| Laid down | February 1971 |
| Launched | 29 July 1972 |
| Commissioned | 27 April 1973 |
| Decommissioned | 1998 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold into civilian service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Hydrographic survey ship |
| Displacement | 740 tons full load |
| Length | 161 feet (49 m) length overall |
| Beam | 33 feet (10 m) |
| Draught | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) |
| Range | 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
HMAS Flinders (GS 312/A 312), named for Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), was a hydrographic survey ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria, Flinders was commissioned into the RAN in 1973, and was used to conduct hydrographic surveys in the waters to Australia's north, including parts of New Guinea. In 1974, the ship was tasked with assisting clean up efforts in the wake of Cyclone Tracy, which devastated large parts of Darwin. The ship was decommissioned in 1998 and sold to civilian operators, who have since converted her into a private yacht in the Cayman Islands.