HMS Argus was a steamship constructed in Scotland in 1904 by Bow, McLachlan and Company, and launched on December 6 of that year. She was initially built as a cutter and fishery protection vessel for His Majesty's Coast Guard. The vessel measured 130 feet (39.6 meters) in length, with a beam of 23.2 feet (7.1 meters) and a depth of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters). Her gross register tonnage was 224 GRT. Powered by a single screw driven by a three-cylinder triple expansion engine rated at 65 NHP, she could reach speeds of approximately 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h). After her completion in 1905, Argus was stationed at Sheerness, replacing sailing cruisers Adder and Victoria, and was armed with two 6-pounder guns. Early in her service, she notably captured seven Dutch coopers within the three-mile limit off the Humber, seizing 2¼ tonnes of illegal tobacco and cigars being sold to local fishermen. By July 1909, she was operating off Hastings under Captain Hicks RN, monitoring British fishermen's interests and observing French vessels within territorial waters. In 1917, the vessel was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Argon. Following World War I, she was decommissioned and purchased in 1920 by William H Ward of Woodford, Essex. Ward sold her to the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company for £8,000, after refitting at a cost of £5,000, and renamed RMS Peninnis. She served as a passenger ferry between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly until 1926, when the purpose-built Scillonian replaced her. In 1927, the Alderney Steam Packet Company acquired her and renamed her Riduna. She was eventually sold for scrap in Plymouth in 1931, and brokering her up in 1932 marked the end of her service. Throughout her career, HMS Argus/RMS Peninnis/Riduna played a notable role in maritime protection, law enforcement, and regional ferry services, illustrating the versatility and longevity of early 20th-century steamship design.

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