Active-class frigate

HMS Astraea captures the Gloire, a print by Thomas Whitcombe
Class overview
Builders	John Fisher, Liverpool J. Pollard, Sheerness Dockyard George Parsons, Bursledon, Hampshire Robert Fabian, East Cowes
Operators	United Kingdom
Preceded by	Amazon-class frigate
Succeeded by	Hermione-class frigate
Built	1780-1784
In commission	1780-1830
Planned	8
Completed	8
Lost	3
Scrapped	5
General characteristics
Type	32-gun fifth-rate frigate
Tons burthen	68929⁄94 (bm)
Length	126 ft 6+1⁄2 in (38.6 m) (overall) 104 ft 7+1⁄2 in (31.9 m) (keel)
Beam	35 ft 2+1⁄4 in (10.7 m)
Draught	8 ft (2.4 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 1+1⁄2 in (3.7 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	220
Armament	Upper deck: 26 × 12-pounder guns QD: 4 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades

The Active-class frigate was a 32-gun 5th-rate frigate class of 8 ships designed by Edward Hunt to replace the Amazon design, which they resembled with a distinct midsection. Due to poor performance, orders continued on the Amazon-class. The Active-class was designed with a 126ft gundeck with a 103ft 9 5/8in keel, 35ft 4in at the beam, and a draught of 12ft 2in, displacing 689 25/94 bm. The class was designed with an armament of 26/x12 pdrs on the gundeck, 4 x 6pdr on the quarterdeck with 4x24pdr carronade, 2 x 6pdr and 2 x24pdr carronades on the forecastle.

Ships in class

• HMS Cerberus (1779) - wrecked attempting to exit Castle Harbour, Bermuda, via Castle Roads
• HMS Active (1780) – wrecked on Anticosti Island in the St Lawrence estuary 13 July 1796, abandoned 30 July 1796.
• HMS Daedalus (1780) - broken up July 1811.
• HMS Fox (1780) – broken up 1816
• HMS Astraea (1781) – wrecked on Anegada Island in the Virgin Islands 23 March 1808.
• HMS Ceres (1781) – broken up 1830.
• HMS Quebec (1781) – broken up 1830.
• HMS Mermaid (1784) - broken up November 1815.

References

• British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2014) ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4[1]