| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | HMS Experiment |
| Launched | 1794 |
| Fate | Sold 1801 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Tons burthen | 8479⁄94 (bm) |
| Length | 62 ft 9 in (19.1 m) (overall); 50 ft 7+1⁄8 in (15.4 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 17 ft 9 in (5.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 7 in (2.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | Sailing master + nine men |
| Notes | Two decks |
Experiment was one of 12 small vessels that the Navy Board purchased pursuant to an Admiralty Order dated 6 March 1794. The aim was to expend the vessels as fire ships. None was used as a fire ship; instead, most served with Sir Sidney Smith's squadron off the coast of France. [1]
Experiment was commissioned under Mr. James Stewart in June 1794. She was recommissioned in August 1798 under Mr. L. Huggins. She was paid off in January 1799. [1] The Board of Commissioners and Principal Officers of the Navy offered Experiment, of 85 tons burthen, copper-sheathed and fastened, and laying at Woolwich for sale on 16 December 1801. [2] She sold there on that date for £205. [1]