HMS Gannet

HMS Gannet is a restored 19th-century Royal Navy sloop of war. Built in Sheerness Dockyard, it was launched in 1878 and served across the Pacific and Mediterranean. The ship has a composite hull of wood over iron frames and once carried two 7-inch guns plus four 64-pounders. Under sail it reached 15 knots, while steam gave nearly 12 knots. After active service it became a training ship on the Thames and later on the Hamble. In 1987 it was restored to its 1888 appearance and is now part of the National Historic Fleet. Its value lies in its combat record and later humanitarian role. During the War of the Pacific it shadowed events off Central America under Admiral Rous de Horsey. In 1888 at Suakin it fired 200 main shells and nearly 1,200 Nordenfelt rounds against anti-Anglo-Egyptian forces led by Osman Digna. Later it carried out survey work in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. As a training ship it prepared boys for the Royal and Merchant Navies from 1913 until 1968. Visitors board the ship at Chatham Historic Dockyard. The restored interior shows officers’ and men’s quarters, the engine room and the original armament. The deck layout and rigging reflect her 1888 configuration when she saw action. The dockyard setting includes other historic vessels and workshops. A pen holder made from Gannet’s timber was presented by the British prime minister to the American president in 2009.