HMS Trincomalee

HMS "Trincomalee" is a Royal Navy "Leda"-class sailing frigate built shortly following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. She was ordered on 30 October 1812 and was finally launched on 12 October 1817. After serving as a hulk, she was restored to her original appearance, and now serves as a museum ship.

The "Trincomalee" is one of two surviving frigates of this era. She was built in Bombay, India in 1817 in teak, due to oak shortages in Britain as a result of shipbuilding drives for the Napoleonic Wars. The ship was named "Trincomalee" after an action in 1782 between the Royal and French navies off the Ceylon (Sri Lanka) port of that name.

"Trincomalee" was purchased by George Wheatley Cobb in the early 20th century who renamed her "Foudroyant" in honour of HMS "Foudroyant", his earlier ship that was wrecked in 1897. She remained in service until 1991 when she was restored and renamed back to "Trincomalee".

Though not the oldest warship in Britain (that honour goes to HMS "Victory"), she is the oldest British warship afloat ("Victory" is dry docked).

Following her recent restoration the "Trincomalee" has become the centrepiece of an historic dockyard museum in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, known as 'Hartlepool's Maritime Experience', which also includes PS "Wingfield Castle".

ee also

*HMS "Victory" - 18th century first rate ship of the line
*USS "Constitution" - 18th century US Navy frigate
*HMS "Unicorn" - a surviving sister ship
*Historical Maritime Society

Further reading

*Andrew Lambert - "Trincomalee: the last of Nelson’s frigates", Chatham Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-86176-186-4

External links

* [http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/ HMS "Trincomalee" official website]
* [http://uk.youtube.com/HartlepoolCollege YouTube Channel] Online video resource set up by Hartlepool College, which features short films about the history, culture and current activities of the town, including the Tall Ships Race 2010 and several featuring HMS Trincomalee
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~philipr/woodmanowar.htm The perfecting of the wooden man-of-war in the context of early 19th century international politics]