HMS Delight was an English sailing ship built and launched in 1583, serving during Sir Humphrey Gilbert's expedition to Newfoundland. The vessel was involved in a notable maritime event when she ran aground off Sable Island during this expedition. Delight was part of a two-ship fleet, alongside the Squirrel, and departed England in 1583 to explore and establish English claims in North America. The ship's specifications are not detailed in the provided source, but her construction would have been typical of late 16th-century English sailing vessels, designed for exploration and military purposes. Delight's role was primarily as a support vessel for the expedition, carrying men, supplies, and equipment necessary for the voyage and initial settlement efforts. On 29 August 1583, Delight encountered a critical incident near Sable Island. After reaching the vicinity, her captain, Richard Clarke, had a dispute with Sir Humphrey Gilbert regarding navigation near the island. Despite the disagreement, Clarke followed Gilbert's orders to pass close to Sable Island. Unfortunately, Delight ran aground on a sandbar at approximately 7 a.m., sinking to a depth of about 10 meters (33 feet). The ship's sinking resulted in the loss of 85 men, including Stephanus Parmenius, and most of the expedition’s supplies. In a swift response, Captain Clarke led 16 men into a small lifeboat, which was notably inadequately equipped with only one oar. The crew rowed away from the sinking vessel and spent seven days at sea before reaching Newfoundland. They were subsequently rescued by a whaling barque after spending five days ashore in Newfoundland. The wreck of Delight is historically significant as the first recorded shipwreck off Sable Island and contributed to the broader challenges faced during Gilbert’s expedition, which ultimately ended with Gilbert himself drowning in a subsequent shipwreck of the Squirrel. The wreck lies approximately 10 meters deep near Sable Island and marks an important event in early English maritime exploration of North America.

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