History
Arethusa
United Kingdom
Name	Arethusa
Namesake	Arethusa
Ordered	22 November 1812
Builder	Pembroke Dockyard
Laid down	February 1815
Launched	27 July 1817
Completed	29 September 1817
Commissioned	Never
Renamed	As Bacchus, 12 March 1844
Reclassified	As a quarantine ship, 1836 As coal hulk, 1851
Fate	Sold for scrap, 14 August 1883
General characteristics
Class and type	Leda-class frigate
Tons burthen	1084 60/94 bm
Length	150 ft 11 in (46.0 m) (gundeck) 126 ft 11 in (38.7 m) (keel)
Beam	40 ft 1 in (12.2 m)
Draught	14 ft 7 in (4.4 m)
Depth	12 ft 9 in (3.9 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	315
Armament	46 guns: Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pdr cannon Quarterdeck: 14 × 32-pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 9-pdr cannon and 2 × 32-pdr carronades

HMS Arethusa was a 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. The ship was never commissioned and was converted into a lazarette (quarantine ship) in 1836. She was renamed HMS Bacchus in 1844 and was further converted into a coal hulk in 1851–52. The ship was sold for scrap in 1883.

Description

Arethusa had a length at the gundeck of 150 feet 11 inches (46.0 m) and 126 feet 11 inches (38.7 m) at the keel. She had a beam of 40 feet 1 inch (12.2 m), a draught of 14 feet 7 inches (4.4 m) and a depth of hold of 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m). The ship's tonnage was 1084 60⁄94 tons burthen.^[1] The Leda-class frigates were armed with twenty-eight 18-pounder cannon on her gundeck, fourteen 32-pounder carronades on her quarterdeck and a pair of 9-pounder cannon and two more 32-pounder carronades in forecastle. The ship had a crew of 315 officers and ratings.^[2]

Construction and career

Arethusa, the fourth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy,^[3] was ordered on 22 November 1812, laid down in February 1815 at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales, and launched on 29 July 1817.^[2] She sailed for Plymouth Dockyard on 21 August 1817 and was completed for ordinary on 27 September at the cost of £25,923.^[4] The ship was never on active duty and was converted for service as a lazarette for Liverpool in April–June 1836. Arethusa was renamed HMS Bacchus on 12 March 1844^[1] to release her name for the large frigate being built^[5] and converted into a coal hulk in 1851–52. The ship was sold to Castle & Sons for £1,450 on 14 August 1883 to be broken up.^[4]

Notes

References

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
Phillips, Lawrie; Lieutenant Commander (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-5214-9.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1793-1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (epub). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
Winfield, Rif (2014). British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1817-1863 (epub). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-47383-743-0.
Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.

Leda-class frigates
Leda class	Leda Pomone Shannon Leonidas Briton Tenedos Lacedemonian Lively Surprise Cydnus Eurotas Niger Meander Pactolus Tiber Araxes Tanais Diamond Amphitrite Trincomalee Thetis Arethusa Blanche Fisgard
Modified Leda class	Venus Melampus Minerva Latona Diana Hebe Nereus Hamadryad Amazon Aeolus Thisbe Cerberus Circe Clyde Thames Unicorn Daedalus Proserpine Mermaid Mercury Penelope Thalia
List of frigate classes of the Royal Navy