HMS Deal Castle was a 24-gun sixth-rate ship of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard on 9 September 1706. Originally intended for merchant service, she was purchased during her construction and quickly entered naval service. The vessel measured approximately 98 feet 2 inches on her gun deck, with a keel length of 74 feet 6 inches, a breadth of 26 feet 2.5 inches, and a depth of hold of 11 feet. Her builder's measure tonnage was roughly 272 1/94 tons. As built, she was equipped with twenty 6-pounder guns on the upper deck and four 4-pounder guns on the quarterdeck, and was rigged as a full ship. Initially commissioned in 1707 under Commander Charles Howard for deployment in the West Indies, HMS Deal Castle saw a series of commanding officers and diverse service locations, including the North Sea, English Channel, Newfoundland, and Jamaica. After Howard's drowning in 1707, command shifted to Commander Henry Blimstone, and later to Commander John Codner, who served in various stations until his death in 1714. The ship served in multiple theaters, participating in routine patrols and convoy escort duties. In accordance with the 1719 Establishment, HMS Deal Castle was reconstructed at Sheerness in 1727, emerging with increased dimensions: a gundeck length of 106 feet 1 inch, a beam of 28 feet 4 inches, and a tonnage of approximately 375 5/94 tons. Her rebuilt armament remained twenty 6-pounder guns, and she retained her full rigging. Post-rebuild, she was commissioned under Captain Timothy Brett and served in Home Waters, with deployments including Nova Scotia, the Tagus, and the Lisbon convoy. Throughout her service, HMS Deal Castle participated in convoy duties, patrolling, and anti-privateer operations, notably capturing privateers Le Bien Aime, La Fidele, and La Providence during the 1740s. Her operational career concluded with her survey and sale in August 1746 at Deptford, where she was sold for £191. Her service illustrates the versatility and longevity of early 18th-century sixth-rate ships within the Royal Navy.

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