Hecla class bomb vessel

Ships of William Edward Parry's Arctic expedition, HMS Griper and HMS Hecla
Class overview
Name:	Hecla
Builders:	Mrs Mary Ross, Rochester Barkworth & Hawkes, North Barton (Hull) Pembroke Dockyard Chatham Dockyard Deptford Dockyard Plymouth Dockyard
Operators:	Royal Navy
In service:	1814 - 1857
Planned:	12
Completed:	8
Cancelled:	4
Lost:	2
Retired:	6
General characteristics
Type:	Bomb vessel
Tons burthen:	372  1⁄94 tons bm
Length:	105 ft (32.0 m) (overall) 86 ft 1.25 in (26.2 m) (keel)
Beam:	28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)
Depth of hold:	13 ft 10 in (4.22 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged
Complement:	67
Armament:	Main deck: 10 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounders 2 × mortars (1 × 13in + 1 × 10in)

The Hecla class was a class of bomb vessels of the Royal Navy of the early 19th century. They were designed for use as bomb or mortar ships and were very heavily built. Eight ships were launched; all were converted for use as exploration or survey ships. Four ships of the class are known for the role they played in Arctic and Antarctic exploration.

Fury and Hecla sailed with William Edward Parry on his explorations in search of the Northwest Passage, with Fury being lost to ice on the second. Meteor was renamed Beacon and used as a survey ship, while Aetna and Thunder were both used as survey ships. Sulphur was also used as a survey ship, at one time being commanded by Edward Belcher who later commanded an expedition in search of John Franklin (though not in Sulphur). Erebus was one of two ships commanded by James Clark Ross during his exploration of Antarctica and by Franklin on his ill-fated search for the Northwest Passage. The other was the Vesuvius-class bomb vessel Terror. Both ships were lost during this last voyage.