HMS Acheron (1838)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Acheron.

Acheron in New Zealand
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Acheron
Ordered	15 September 1837
Builder	Sheerness dockyard
Cost	£25,509
Laid down	October 1837
Launched	23 August 1838
Commissioned	8 January 1839
Fate	Survey ship, 1847 Sold at Sydney, 23 April 1855
General characteristics
Class and type	Hermes-class sloop
Displacement	1,006 tons
Tons burthen	715 43/94 bm
Length	150 ft 0 in (45.7 m) (gundeck) 128 ft 0 in (39.0 m) (keel)
Beam	32 ft 9 in (10.0 m)
Draught	11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) (forward) 12 ft 0 in (3.7 m) (aft)
Depth of hold	18 ft 2 in (5.5 m)
Installed power	160 nominal horsepower
Propulsion	2-cylinder side lever steam engine Paddles
Sail plan	3-masted barque rigged
Complement	135
Armament	As built: 2 × 9-pounder (13 1⁄2 cwt) brass guns From 1842: 1 × 8-inch (52 cwt) pivot gun 2 × 32-pounder (17 cwt) carronades

HMS Acheron was a Hermes-class wooden paddle sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Sheerness in 1838. Between 1848 and 1851 she made a coastal survey of New Zealand, the first such survey since Captain Cook. She was sold at Sydney in 1855.

Career

Acheron, under the command of Captain John Lort Stokes, was despatched to New Zealand in January 1848, arriving in November the same year. In March 1851, due to a budget cut to the Hydrographer of the Navy, Acheron was ordered to be laid up in Sydney, Australia and her crew returned to England.

Fate

Acheron was sold at Sydney on 23 April 1855 for £2,067 16s.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.