HMS Grenville was a 12-gun schooner, later reconfigured as a brig, serving the Royal Navy primarily as a survey vessel under the command of James Cook from 1764 to 1773. Originally built in Massachusetts Bay in 1754 as a merchant ship named Sally, she measured approximately 54 feet 11 inches (16.7 meters) in length with a 43 feet 1 inch (13.1 meters) keel, a beam of 17 feet 2.5 inches (5.245 meters), and a hold depth of 7 feet 4 inches (2.2 meters). Her tonnage was about 67 76/94 tons burthen. In 1763, Sally was purchased by the Governor of Newfoundland, Thomas Graves, for use as a survey vessel along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Although the purchase preceded Admiralty approval, which was granted nearly a year later in July 1764, the vessel was renamed Grenville in honor of British Prime Minister George Grenville and commissioned under James Cook, marking his first independent command. Initially operating as a tender to HMS Antelope, Cook independently managed the schooner, conducting detailed surveys of Newfoundland’s coast, employing innovative shore-based theodolite techniques to improve accuracy. In 1765, Grenville was refitted at Cook’s request into a brig at Deptford, enhancing her maneuverability for detailed survey work. Notable incidents include grounding on hidden rocks at Fortune Bay in 1765 and a storm in 1767 that caused her to run aground on a shoal, both of which were managed without significant damage. Throughout her service, Grenville contributed significantly to the charting of previously unsurveyed Newfoundland waters, with Cook making notable advances such as precise longitude fixes from solar eclipses in 1766. After her surveying career, Grenville was used to transport troops and was involved in suppressing a slave rebellion in Tobago in 1770. Her service ended in March 1775 when she was broken up. Her operational history reflects her importance as a pioneering survey vessel and her role in early maritime exploration under James Cook’s command.

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