HMS Rye was a 32-gun fifth-rate ship constructed at Sheerness Dockyard between 1694 and 1696. Launched on 7 June 1696, she was the first vessel to bear the name Rye in the English and Royal Navy. Her dimensions included a gundeck length of 109 feet 6.5 inches (33.39 meters), a keel length of 90 feet (27.43 meters) for tonnage purposes, a breadth of 28 feet 4 inches (8.64 meters), and a depth of hold of 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 meters). Her builder’s measure tonnage was calculated at approximately 384 29/94 tons. Initially, HMS Rye was armed with four demi-culverins on the lower deck, with two per side, complemented by an upper deck battery of 20 to 22 6-pounder guns, and four 4-pounder guns on the quarterdeck. She was commissioned in December 1695 under Captain Richard Haddock, who commanded her until 1700. Throughout her service, HMS Rye participated in various engagements and patrols. Notably, she helped capture the 46-gun Le Fougueux in June 1696 alongside HMS Weymouth. She also participated in the capture of privateers including Le Nouveau Cherbourg, Le Dauphin, Le Duc de Chaulnes, La Marquise de Maintenon, and L'Amitie between 1697 and 1698. Her operational area extended to Sale, Morocco in 1700, and she conducted counter-piracy patrols in the North Sea under Captain James Carlton in 1702. Her service included assignments in the English Channel, Bay of Biscay, and the Mediterranean, under various commanders, including Captain Edward Vernon in 1706. In 1712, after a major repair at Woolwich, HMS Rye was recommissioned and continued convoy escort duties to Newfoundland and Virginia until she was paid off in 1721. She underwent a reduction to a 24-gun sixth-rate in 1718, following an extensive repair, and served on the Irish Station. Her final service involved being sunk as a breakwater at Harwich in July 1727, marking the end of her operational life. HMS Rye's varied career reflects her role in naval warfare, piracy suppression, and convoy protection 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.