HMS Meteor was a Hecla-class bomb vessel constructed for the Royal Navy in the early 1820s. Laid down at Pembroke Dockyard in Wales in May 1820 and launched on 25 June 1823, she was completed for sea service at Plymouth Dockyard on 17 June 1824. The vessel measured 106 feet (32.3 meters) in length at the gundeck, with a keel length of 87 feet 1 inch (26.5 meters). Her beam was 28 feet 11 inches (8.8 meters), and she had a draught of approximately 10 feet 9 inches (3.3 meters). The depth of hold was 13 feet 10 inches (4.2 meters), and her tonnage was 378 tons burthen. As a bomb vessel, HMS Meteor was originally armed with two 6-pounder cannons, eight or ten 24-pounder carronades, and two mortars—one 10 inches (254 mm) and the other 13 inches (330 mm) in size. She was crewed by 67 officers and ratings, suitable for her role in bombardment operations. In July 1832, HMS Meteor was renamed Beacon and reclassified as a survey ship, reflecting a shift in her operational role. She served in this capacity until her sale in 1846. Throughout her service, she was the third vessel to bear the name HMS Meteor in the Royal Navy. Her conversion to a survey ship marked her contribution to maritime charting and exploration during her career. With her robust construction and versatile armament, HMS Meteor played a notable part in the Royal Navy's operations during the early 19th century, exemplifying the dual roles of bomb vessels as both combatants and survey ships.

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