Model Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The description by this model says that she was built around 1806-1808 by P. Glavimans using the designs of the British Ringby and Crass (1). There were a lot of complaints dealing with her worse sailing performance caused by her heavy armament consisting of 3-30 pd guns and 12-36 pd carronades, overloaded and a to large height of her rigging as a 3-master. . She was used for several experiments and finally sold in 1821 at Medemblik, Netherlands to be broken up. Flat-bottomed with 3 sliding keels.
Asmus (Archives Admiralty Colleges XLVII no. 17, National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands) ) reports that she was built at the navy yard at Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1807, an armament of 15 guns and as dimensions 100 x 27 x 9 2/11 feet, 3 sliding keels and 3 masts.
In the archive of the Department of navy 1795-1813 aanhangsel II no. 7 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands) is something reported about the above mentioned experiments. She was indeed fitted out with sliding keels. When the keel boards were not lowered was her speed 7 ¾-8 miles. With a wind strength of 6-7 was her speed 7½ miles. The armament consisted of 2-18pd guns on the bow, 1-18pd gun at the stern and at both sides 6-24pd carronades.
Note
1.Asmus mentioned a British 12 gun brig Ruby with as dimensions 83 x 23 ½ x 9½ Dutch feet stranded in 1799 on the Dutch island Vlieland and apparently not earlier sold as in 1810.
J.J. Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, 2006. Mentioned a gun vessel Crash (the gunboat No. 15), launched at the shipyard of Barnard, Deptford, England on 5 April 1797 and which was sold in September 1802. Her armament consisted of 2-32 pdr carronades, 2-24pd carronades and 8-18pd carronades. Between 26 August 1798 and 11 August 1799 was she in Dutch hands. Asmus mentioned a 12-gun brig captured in 1799 off Ameland, Netherlands. Rif Winfield. British warships in the Age of sail 1793-1817 mentioned also a gun brig Crasher of the Acute-class. This indeed the ship referred by the description of the Rijksmusem as she was fitted out with Schank drop (‘sliding’) keels. This class was designed by John Henslow, originally registered as brig rigged gunboats, although in the same year (1797) as gun brigs. Their dimensions were 75’ 22’ x 7’11” and a builders measurement of 158 63/94 tons.
