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HMS Unicorn Built in 1824.

HMS Unicorn was built in peacetime at Chatham Dockyard, Kent and launched in 1824. A superstructure was built over her main deck and she was laid up "in ordinary", serving as a hulk and a depot ship for most of the next 140 years. Her lack of active duty left her timbers well preserved, and in the 1960s steps were initiated to convert her to a museum ship.


Close-up view of the unicorn sculpture at the bowsprit.
Though steps were taken to restore Unicorn to a similar condition as her sister ship HMS Trincomalee, this plan has been changed. It was discovered that the ship was the only example of a wooden frigate of her type existing in ordinary, and as a result the intention is now to preserve her in her current condition.
Unicorn was never rigged, and only went to sea for the voyage from Chatham to Dundee, during which she was under tow. It is thought the roof that covers her upper deck has never been replaced.

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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
It’s an amazing feat of organization to fathom and fashion a balanced plan for maintaining a navy. Vessels have an enormous upkeep coat and weapons get obsolete. Spare parts no longer have workshop drawings and small parts have lost their provenance. Once so called “excess’s vintage parts are disposed of as “Navy Surplus” as basement prices, the actual equipment can no longer be brought back to life!

Few Navies were ever as powerful as the Royal Navy and Merchant Marine with their Royal Research Vessels to boot. Getting tea from India and Ceylon is actually a product of this naval prowess!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
HMS Unicorn was built in peacetime at Chatham Dockyard, Kent and launched in 1824. A superstructure was built over her main deck and she was laid up "in ordinary", serving as a hulk and a depot ship for most of the next 140 years. Her lack of active duty left her timbers well preserved, and in the 1960s steps were initiated to convert her to a museum ship.


Close-up view of the unicorn sculpture at the bowsprit........

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Superb as it is but I would also love to see it with half of the foreground water removed as this would deliver a wonderful pano version that might better fit a fold out on a book or a special place in a shoreline homes in Maine or Massachusetts, by the many sail boats viewable from the windows.



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This has the appearance of a fine woodcut. The shape I give just right!
 
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