H.M.S. Naiad tows H.M.S. Bellsille toward Gibraltar after the battle of trafalgar
The H.M.S. Naiad was a 32 gun frigate of the Royal Navy. She was 147 feet long. She was built in 1797 and lasted a remarkable 101 years. She was an elegant looking Frigate, as is seen the painting shown. She captured her 1st ships on April 3rd 1798. They were both probably Frigates and were likely admitted to the royal navy. 16 days afterwards, she watched H.M.S. Jason, a 32 gunned frigate captured a 6 gun French brig. She also captured a French brig herself on May 16th. On August 11th, H.M.S. Naiad chased a French Privateer named Tigre for 4 hours and captured her. On August 24th she began a long 36 hour chase of a French Frigate. She took her prize into the royal navy as H.M.S. Decade. In 1799, Naiad went on a capturing spree and took 3 ships in 3 months. She also took back a ship called the Princess Royal, but her largest prizes were yet to come. On the 15th of October, she sighted 2 Spanish frigates and wiith the help of a cutter and 2 other Frigates, captured them after a climatic 8 hour battle. During the year 1800, Naiad captured an American ship called Abigail. She also snared two more ships with the help of a cutter that same year. Naiad captured many more ships during the war against Napoleon before the battle of Trafalgar arrived. Because of her small size, Naiad did not particapate in the battle much, if at all. After Trafalgar, she captured more French and other nationalties of ships until 1846. Already 49 years old, Naiad was recommissioned as a coal carrier in bulk. She did this for a great number of years until 1866, when he was sold to become an oil tanker. She is the 2nd longest British navy ship to last more than 100 years. She was broken apart in 1898. I would guess she would be in a museum today if Britian hadn't broken her up. A beauty ruined at the scrap yard-r.i.p. H.M.S. Naiad