HMS Guardian (1784)
Distressing situation of the Guardian sloop, Capt. Riou, after striking on a floating Island of ice
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| History | |
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 Great Britain
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| Name: | HMS Guardian |
| Ordered: | 11 August 1780 |
| Builder: | Robert Batson, Limehouse |
| Laid down: | December 1780 |
| Launched: | 23 March 1784 |
| Completed: | By 20 May 1784 |
| Fate: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 44-gun Roebuck-class two-decker fifth rate |
| Tons burthen: | 896 33/94 bm |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 38 ft 2.5 in (11.6 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: | 300 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Guardian was a 44-gun Roebuck-class fifth-rate two-decker of the Royal Navy, later converted to carry stores. She was completed too late to take part in the American War of Independence, and instead spent several years laid up in ordinary, before finally entering service as a store and convict transport to Australia, under Lieutenant Edward Riou. Riou sailed the Guardian, loaded with provisions, animals, convicts and their overseers, to the Cape of Good Hope where he took on more supplies. Nearly two weeks after his departure on the second leg of the journey, an iceberg was sighted and Riou sent boats to collect ice to replenish his water supplies. Before he could complete the re-provisioning, a sudden change in the weather obscured the iceberg, and the Guardian collided with it while trying to pull away. She was badly damaged and in immediate danger of sinking. The crew made frantic repair attempts but to no apparent avail. Riou eventually allowed most of the crew to take to the Guardian's boats, but refused to leave his ship. Eventually through continuous work he and the remaining crew were able to navigate the ship, by now reduced to little more than a raft, back to the Cape, a nine-week voyage described as 'almost unparalleled'. Riou ran the Guardian aground to prevent her sinking, but shortly afterwards a hurricane struck the coast, wrecking her. The remains were sold the next year, in 1790.
She was ordered from Robert Batson, Limehouse on 11 August 1780 and was laid down in December that year.Guardian was launched on 23 March 1784, too late to see service in the American War of Independence and was instead fitted out at Deptford Dockyard for ordinary. The builder was paid £12,322.12.11d for her construction, with the Admiralty paying another £4,420 to fit her out. After five years spent laid up she was fitted out at Woolwich in 1789 to serve as a store and convict transport, commissioning under Post-Captain Edward Riou in April.
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Wikipedia