HMS Hastings was a 32-gun fifth-rate ship constructed under contract by Thomas Ellis of Shoreham, with her keel laid in 1694 and launched on 5 February 1695. She measured approximately 108 feet 8 inches (33.12 meters) on her gundeck, with a keel length of 90 feet 9 inches (27.66 meters) used for tonnage calculations. Her breadth was 28 feet 2.5 inches (8.60 meters), and her depth of hold was 10 feet 7.5 inches (3.24 meters). The ship's builder’s measure tonnage was calculated at around 38 and 3/4 tons burthen. HMS Hastings's armament initially comprised four demi-culverins on the lower deck, arranged with two guns per side, and a battery of twenty to twenty-two 6-pounder guns on the upper deck, with ten or eleven guns per side. Additionally, she was equipped with four 4-pounder guns on the quarterdeck, with two to three guns per side, reflecting her role as a relatively lightly armed vessel suited for patrol and escort duties. Commissioned on 18 June 1695 under Captain John Draper, HMS Hastings’s service was primarily in Home Waters and nearby regions. She was assigned to West Indies service early in her career, returning to the European theater with a convoy. In 1696, she was stationed in Irish waters, and in 1697, she was tasked with escorting timber ships to Kinsale, Ireland. Her service was brief, ending when she was wrecked in a storm off Waterford on 10 December 1697, resulting in the loss of all hands. As the first vessel to bear the name Hastings in the English and Royal Navy, her short career underscores her role in maritime patrols and trade protection during the late 17th century, emphasizing her part in the naval efforts of the period.

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