HMS Experiment was a fifth-rate naval vessel constructed at Deptford Dockyard under the 1689 programme, launched on 17 December 1689. Initially commissioned in 1690, she was built under the guidance of Master Shipwright Robert Lee. The ship’s dimensions after her rebuilding in 1727 included a gundeck length of 106 feet, a keel length of approximately 87.9 feet, a beam of around 28.4 feet, and a depth of hold of 9 feet 2 inches. Her tonnage was calculated at approximately 374.66 tons (by the method used at the time). Experiment’s armament originally comprised guns categorized under old terms such as demi-culverines, sakers, and minions, and after her 1713 rebuild, she was armed with twenty 6-pounder guns mounted on wooden trucks. Her construction featured a wooden hull typical of late 17th-century ships, designed to serve in various theaters including Home Waters, North America, the Mediterranean, and the West Indies. Throughout her service, HMS Experiment participated in numerous deployments, often under different commanders. Her service record includes operations with fleet squadrons in the West Indies, North America, and the English Channel, as well as participation in capturing privateers like La Decouverte in 1710 and La Dame de Lazire in 1711. She also undertook quarantine duties at Motherbank and performed “owling” (a term for patrol or surveillance) in Home Waters. Notable periods of repair and rebuilding occurred, including a major overhaul at Portsmouth between April and August 1713, and a comprehensive rebuild at Plymouth Dockyard starting in 1727, which modernized her structure and armament. In 1717, she was reduced from a fifth-rate to a 20-gun sixth-rate vessel, and later rebuilt to the 1719 Establishment standards in 1724. Her final years included service off Newfoundland and in the West Indies before she was broken up at Portsmouth in July 1738. Her lengthy career and multiple rebuilds reflect her importance to the Royal Navy’s operational versatility during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

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