HMY Mary was an English royal yacht of the Royal Navy, launched at Chatham Dockyard in 1677 and built by master shipwright Phineas Pett. Originally, she measured approximately 155 builder's measure (bm), armed with eight guns, and served as a vessel of both royal and naval significance. Her dimensions evolved after her extensive rebuild in 1727, when she was reconstructed under Richard Stacey at Deptford Dockyard. Post-rebuild, her measurements increased to 163 72/94 bm, with a length of 76 feet 6 inches along the gundeck, a keel length of 61 feet 6 inches, a beam of 22 feet 4 inches, and a hold depth of 9 feet 8 inches. Her armament comprised eight 3-pounder guns and ten ½-pounder swivels, with a complement of around 40 men. Mary's long naval career spanned over 139 years, marked by frequent commissioning and command changes. Her first captain, Christopher Gunman, was court-martialed following the loss of HMS Gloucester in 1682. Subsequently, she was commanded by Lawrence Wright until 1685, William Fazeby in 1688, and Greenvile Collins from 1689, during which she was employed on surveying duties, notably in the Baltic Fleet in 1700. From 1694 to 1718, John Guy commanded her, and later she served under Charles Molloy from 1719 until her rebuild. Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, Mary saw intermittent service, including Royal Escort duties in 1761, and multiple periods of decommissioning and recommissioning. Notably, she was recommissioned in 1781 under Captain Philip Tufton Perceval, in 1797 under Captain James Hill, and in 1801 under Captain Sir Thomas Thompson, with Sir Edward Hamilton commanding her until 1815. Her service concluded when she was broken up in April 1816. Mary’s extensive operational history highlights her importance as a royal and naval vessel over nearly a century and a half of maritime service.

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