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Racer, 1833
Type: Brig-sloop ; Armament 16
Launched : 18 Jul 1833 ; BM: 431 tons
Notes:

Portsmouth 20 Jul 1833 In harbour.

Portsmouth 26 Aug 1833 Taken out of the basin.

Portsmouth 31 Aug 1833 Will go out to Spithead next week, prior to sailing for the West Indies.

Portsmouth 5 Sep 1833 Has gone out to Spithead.

Portsmouth 7 Sep 1833 At Spithead.

Portsmouth 12 Sep 1833 Sailed for Plymouth.

Bermuda 24 Oct 1833 Arrived from Portsmouth (12 Sep).

Jamaica 12 Dec 1833 Sailed for Carthagena.

Barbadoes 5 Feb 1834 Has sailed to Port-au-Prince.

Port Royal 2 Jun 1834 Refitting whilst keeping a watch on the local situation.

11 Jun 1835 St John's, Newfoundland sailed for Fortune's Bay for fishery protection duties.

10 Nov 1835 at Halifax, having been employed on fishery protection duties off Newfoundland and visiting outlying stations in the Davis Straits and on the Labrador coast, but ice along the coast prevented her closing these settlements. During this period it is reported that she went ashore in Esquimaux Bay and had to unload her guns and stores etc. before she could be refloated and could continue her cruise.

Portsmouth 18 Dec 1835 arrived from Bermuda (28 Nov).

Portsmouth 26 Dec 1835 sailed Monday to Sheerness to be paid off, with supernumeraries for the Scout.

Sheerness 2 Jan 1836 a court martial was held on board the Howe, on the captain of the Racer, Commander James Hope, for running the vessel ashore on the coast of Labrador.

Sheerness 2 Jan 1836 is reported to have been taken into dock to have some defects made good, and rumoured that she is to be prepared for sea service.

Portsmouth 23 Jan 1836 arrived Monday from Sheerness, en route for the West Indies.

Jamaica 19 May 1836 arrived from Chagres.

Halifax 21 Aug 1836 is reported to be at Newfoundland, and is expected to sail for the West Indies when the frost sets in.

1 Mar 1837 at Port Royal, Jamaica ; ships on the station are reported to be generally healthy

28 - 30 Sep 1837 extract from the Log when the Racer experienced a hurricane.

23 Dec 1838 arrived off Teneriffe, following a passage of 14 days from Spithead.

11 July 1840, left Jamaica with a convoy of merchantmen, for Cape Antonio, in the island of Cuba.

7 Nov 1840 Purser E. B. Robins appointed (acting) to the Racer,

14 Sep 1840 Portsmouth, Commander George Byng, commanding officer drowned in a boating accident whilst attempting to go ashore in the gig at Vera Cruz.

5 Dec 1840 Lieutenant Thomas Harvey (Flag Lieutenant to Sir Thomas Harvey), promoted to be Acting Commander of the Racer, vice Byng, deceased.

Lieutenant Thomas Harvey, promoted to the rank of Commander and to the Racer.

7 Jan 1841 arrived at Halifax. from Tampico with 100,000 dollars for the use of the Commissariat, and sailed in a few days afterwards for Bermuda.

3 Apr 1841, Lieutenant Michael De Courcy, appointed to Charybdis (late Racer), vice Tinling, to Magnificent

17 Apr 1841, sailed in company with the Cleopatra, 16, on a cruise.

15 May 1841, at St. John's, New Brunswick,

24 May 1841, arrived Newfoundland ; the master, Mr. C. T. A. Noddall having saved a seaman who had fallen overboard, by jumping after him with a rope.

18 Oct 1841, was at Halifax.

1846 East Coast of Africa.

Jan 1848 Devonport, in Ordinary (reserve).

15 July 1848 Experimental Squadron sailed from Portsmouth - see St Vincent for article from the Morning Chronicle dated 17 Jul 1848.

20 Dec 1848 Tender to Caledonia.

30 Aug 1851 Mediterranean.

Extract from the Log of H. M. Sloop RACER, James Hope, Esq., Commander; between 1 P.M. of the 28th September, 1837, and 12 A.M. of the 30th September, 1837.

H.

K.

F.

Courses.

Winds.

Wind Force

Weather

L.W.

Remarks.

September 28, 1837.

1

2

  

S W

        

P.M. 1.30. Spoke an English schooner from Jamaica.

2

4

5

WSW

ENE

7

O C Q

  2. Spoke an English brig; furled the courses, and trimmed on larboard tack; rove top tackle-falls.

3

3

  

S E by S

          

4

2

              

5

1

5

           5. Sent top-gallant-yards on deck ; housed top- gallant-masts, and in flying jib-boom.

6

1

5

            

7

1

5

           7.30. Furled the topsails, and set the main try-sail; battened the hatchways down.

8

1

  

S by E

  

7

QRW

    

9

1

  

Up S E

          

10

1

              

11

1

  

Off SSW

  

8

UQR

    

12

1

             Midnight. Set fore-stay-sail, and wore.

September 29, 1837.

A.M.

                

1

1

      

8

UQR

6

  

2

1

  

Up N

          

3

1

              

4

1

    

E by N

9

GUR

6

  

5

1

              

6

1

             6. A sea washed away life-buoy, stove stern-boat, and carried away star board-fall-gripes and lashings,
Cut away ditto.

7

1

5

Off N W

          

8

1

5

            

9

1

5

  

ENE

10

    

9. Down main-trysail ; a heavy sea running ; sent top-gallant-masts on deck

10

1

5

            

11

1

5

            

12

1

5

    

10

Q U R 6

  Noon.
Course S 44 W ; Distance 36’
Lat. N. D.R. 19° 43’
Longitude W. D.R. 83° 23’
Bearings and Distance Cape Antonio, N 33° W 156’
1 4 2 NW ½ W ENE 10 Q U R   P.M. Shaped a course N W ½ W.

2

4

5

            

3

4

5

           3. Sea washed away part of lee hammock-nettings and two upper half-port
4 4 4     11      
5 4 4            
6 4 4     11      
7 4 5     12    

7.15. a heavy gust of wind the ship went over on her beam-ends, and lay with her tops in the water for two minutes; when the masts going she righted, with 5½ feet water in the hold.

Found bowsprit gone at the collars ; foremast six. feet above the deck, mainmast at the hounds ; everything on the lower deck hove to leeward ; hatches unshipped and part of the shot and chain cables thrown out of the lockers ; bread-room hatch washed away ; lee waist-anchor adrift ; cut away ditto ; battening down hatches afresh, clearing wreck, and pumping ship ;

8

    

Drift to the NW 1 mile per hour

        

at 8.30 the wreck being clear, sent a watch below to clear up lower deck.

9

10

            

9. Pumps sucked ; ship went over on her beam-ends, but righted immediately with 2½ feet of water in the hold ; found sternports stove in ; the weather waist-anchor and swinging-boom hove inboard and lower-deck as above ; hove overboard two lee carronades, shot and all other small deck lumber ; pumping ship, securing hatches, and clearing lower deck.

11

          

OQU

  

11.10 Departed this live Charles Gambridge (boy), from injuries received on the lower deck.

12

              

Midnight

30 Sep 1837

A.M.

                

1

        

12

OQU

    

2

      

ESE

        

3

              

3. Got head of main-trysail hoisted 12 feet up the stump of main-mast

4

                

5

    

Drift to the NW 1 mile per hour

          

6

                

7

               7. Mustered ship’s crew and found missing Henry Langmede (A.B.), and James Martin (capt. forecastle).
Found the chronometers full of water, and the mainspring of No. 374 (Arnold) broken.
8         11      
9                

10

                

11

               11. Committed the body of Charles Gambridge (boy), to the deep.

12

        

10

OCR

   Noon.
Course S 69 W ; Distance 81’
Lat. N. D.R. 20° 12’
Longitude W. D.R. 84° 42’
Bearings and Distance Cape Antonio, N 8° W 103’

P.M.

                

1

2

  

Drift to the NW 1 mile per hour

ESE

10

OCR

  

P.M. Employed stowing the boats.

2

2

          

3

2

        

3. Got top-gallant-masts lashed as jury-masts and crossed to[-gallant yards as lower yards. Set in inner jib as a main-staysail

4

2

        

5

2

        

6

2

        

7

2

        

8

2

        

8. Employed as most requisite, clearing the decks &c.

9

2

5

      

10

  

5

      

11

2

2

      

12

2

        

1 Oct 1837

A.M.

  

NW

  

9

      

A.M. Set fore-top-gallant-sail and main-trysail.

1

2

          

2

            

3

            

4

            

5

            

6

    

N

ESE

8

QRO

  

Daylight.
Set spendee-jib on bowsprit and main top-gallant-sail ; held a survey on provisions, &c. and hove overboard those spoiled ; employed re-stowing starboard sheet anchor and mounting guns ; departed life, a child – committed the body to the deep.
Noon

7

      

8

    

C

  

9

      

10

    

NNE

  

11

    

SE by S

7

BC

  
12
Course N 21° W ; Distance 140’
Lat. N. D.R. 22° 22’
Longitude W. D.R. 86° 36'
Bearings and Distance Cape Antonio, S 51° W 90’ 		     

P.M.

                

1

2

  

NNE

        

P.M. Employed clearing bread-room ; drying slops, flags &c., set fore and main royal.

2

2

  

Easterly

6

    

3

2

      

4

1

5

    

5

1

5

   

6

1

      

7

1

      

8

1

5

NNW

NE

5

BC

  

9

1

5

  

10

1

5

  

11

1

5

NW by N

  

12

2

    

Midnight. Wore.