USS Grampus (1821)

USS Grampus (1821-1843)
Grampus depicted flying her National Ensigns upside down, a sign of distress
History
United States
NameUSS Grampus
BuilderWashington Navy Yard
Laid down1820
LaunchedAugust 1821
Stricken1 August 1843[1]
FateFoundered, 15 March 1843
General characteristics
TypeSchooner
Displacement171.5 long tons (174.3 t)
Length97 ft (30 m)
Beam23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Draft9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
PropulsionSail
Complement142 officers and enlisted
Armament2 × 9 pdr (4.1 kg) guns, 8 × 24 pdr (11 kg) carronades
Plans of USS Grampus

USS Grampus was a schooner in the United States Navy. She was the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for the Grampus griseus, also known as Risso's dolphin.

Grampus was built at the Washington Navy Yard under the supervision of naval constructor William Doughty, based on a design by Henry Eckford. Her 73 ft (22 m) keel was laid down in 1820. She was launched in early August 1821. The need to suppress piracy and to maintain ships to catch slavers led to the building of five such schooners, the largest of which was Grampus. This was the first building program undertaken by the Navy since the War of 1812.

  1. ^ "Missing and presumed lost". U. S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 16 August 2024.