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Description[]

250px-HMSPicklereplica

The replica of the Pickle, with topsail set

The H.M.S. Pickle was a schooner with 8 guns. She was about 73 feet in length. She was built in 1800 and originally called the Sting. Her owner built her for 250,000 farthings. However, due to a crisis, the ship was renamed Pickle at a cost of 10 farthings on orders of the Admiralty and taken into the service of the Royal Navy of Great Britain.

History[]

That same year in December, she assisted in the capture of 4 French ships. In 1802, she attacked a French schooner and captured her. Throughout 1803 and 1804, she captured more vessels and then, the year of Trafalgar broke out. Under the command of Lieutenant Lapointerre, she joined Nelson's growing fleet in great haste. On October 7th, she captured an American brigantine. On October 9th, she went with H.M.S. Weazel to help Capt. Blackwood and his frigates spy on the enemy in Cadiz. When the battle erupted on 21 October, she hung back because 1 broadside from the enemy would sink her and so, with the Enterprentae, she assisted in taking survivors of enemy ships that had sunk. She was the ship that took letters back to England to announce the victory at Trafalgar. In 1806, Pickle captured a French brigantine and was destined to last only one more year.

Wreck[]

On July 26, 1807, she was driven onto a shoal off Cadiz thanks to the stupidity of her helmsman. Her wreck is unsalvageable. All on board survived, thanks to getting into boats as the schooner sank. A replica has been built in 2005.

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