HMS Recruit was a Cherokee-class brig-sloop constructed for the Royal Navy in the 1820s, completed in 1831. This vessel was designed by Henry Peake and was part of a class often called 'coffin brigs' due to the high number of ships in the class that wrecked or foundered. Despite this reputation, modern analysis suggests there were no inherent design flaws; rather, the ships’ high casualty rates were likely due to ill-advised navigation beyond their capabilities by inexperienced crews. The HMS Recruit displaced approximately 297 long tons and measured 90 feet 1 inch in length at the gundeck, with a beam of 24 feet 9 inches. Her depth of hold was 11 feet, and she had a deep draught of nearly 10 feet. Her tonnage was recorded as roughly 23.14 tons burthen. The vessel's standard complement was 52 men, though she could operate with as few as 33 crew members when used as a packet ship. Her armament comprised ten muzzle-loading, smoothbore guns: eight 18-pound carronades and two 6-pound guns located at the bow for chase purposes. Constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard, HMS Recruit was ordered in March 1823, laid down in February 1825, and launched on 17 August 1829. After fitting out completed by August 1831, she was commissioned on 1 July 1831. Her service was brief; on 29 May 1832, under Lieutenant Thomas Hodges, she departed from Falmouth (or Bermuda, depending on sources), heading towards Halifax, Nova Scotia (or Bermuda). Tragically, HMS Recruit disappeared without trace during this voyage, presumed to have foundered in the North Atlantic with the loss of all hands onboard. Her brief career and mysterious loss underscore the perilous nature of maritime service during this era and highlight the risks faced by naval vessels undertaking long Atlantic voyages.

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