HMS Sprightly was a Nightingale-class cutter constructed for the Royal Navy during the late 1810s. She was the fourth vessel to bear the name "Sprightly" in Royal Navy service. The ship was ordered in 1817 and built at Pembroke Dockyard in Wales, with her keel laid down in October of that year. She was launched on June 3, 1818. The vessel measured 67 feet (20.4 meters) at the gundeck and had a keel length of 52 feet 7 inches (16.0 meters). Her beam was 22 feet 5 inches (6.8 meters), with a draught of approximately 10 feet 5 inches (3.2 meters), and a depth of hold of 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 meters). The ship’s tonnage was 140 tons burthen, reflecting her relatively small and agile size suitable for coastal and patrol duties. Armament on the Sprightly consisted of two 6-pounder cannons and four 6-pounder carronades, typical for Nightingale-class cutters, designed for swift and versatile operations. She carried a crew of 34 officers and ratings, equipped for various tasks including patrol, escort, and dispatch duties. Initially serving in the Royal Navy, Sprightly was transferred to the Revenue Service in 1819, completing her conversion at Plymouth Dockyard in January 1820. Her service was short-lived; she was driven ashore and wrecked off Portland, Dorset, on December 27, 1820. Fortunately, her crew was rescued by the Revenue cutters HMRC Greyhound and HMRC Scourge. The wreck marked the end of her brief but active service, and she remains a notable example of early 19th-century small naval craft designed for rapid coastal deployment.

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