HMS Hearty was a versatile vessel of the British Royal Navy, originally constructed as the tug Indra by W. B. Thompson at Dundee in 1885. Launched on April 18, 1885, the ship measured 212 feet in length overall, with a beam of 30 feet and a draught of 13 feet 5 inches. Her displacement was approximately 1,300 long tons, and she had a gross register tonnage of 719 GRT and 156 NRT. Powered by two 2-cylinder compound steam engines developing 2,400 indicated horsepower, she achieved a maximum speed of 14 knots. Initially intended for service at Calcutta, her construction was interrupted when the Royal Navy purchased her in 1885 before completion. After acceptance trials in 1886, she was renamed HMS Hearty on December 7, 1885, and commissioned in September 1886. Her early service involved fishery protection duties in the North Sea, as well as harbor service at Chatham and Sheerness. The vessel was armed with two 4-inch breech-loading guns and two 12-pounder guns, reflecting her auxiliary military role. Throughout her career, HMS Hearty participated in various operations, including towing targets for the Home Fleet in 1908 and undertaking tidal and survey work. Reclassified as a survey ship in 1910, she conducted deep tidal surveys of the English Channel from Dover and later surveyed the North Sea, often assisted by survey trawler Esther. She maintained her survey duties through World War I, operating from the Nore. In 1920, HMS Hearty was listed for sale and was sold to M.S. Hilton for salvage operations, subsequently renamed Dalhousie in 1921. She was transferred to the Ocean Salvage Co Ltd in 1922 and employed in the Baltic region. Eventually, she was sold for scrap in 1930 to Swedish shipbreakers and dismantled in 1935. Her service history highlights her adaptability across multiple maritime roles, from protection and survey work to salvage operations, marking her as a significant auxiliary vessel of her era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.