HMS Trincomalee Book Review

HMS Trincomalee: Frigate 1817

Seaforth Historic Ships Series

By Wyn Davies, Photography by Max Mudie

Softcover, 128 pages, bibliography, fully illustrated in color

Published by Seaforth 2015

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1-84832-221-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-84832-221-9

Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.4 x 9.6 inches

HMS Trincomalee is a Leda-class sailing frigate. Forty-seven ships of the Leda-class were built for the Royal Navy between 1805 and 1832, of which two survive today as museum ships, Trincomalee and her sister HMS Unicorn. Due to worsening shortages of oak suitable for shipbuilding in Great Britain, she was built of teak in Bombay, India. The preservative qualities of the oils in teak have contributed to her preservation and survival today.

Trincomalee was built too late to serve in the Napoleonic Wars, and was laid up in reserve. She was recommissioned from 1847 through 1857, serving on both coasts of North America for the majority of her commission. She…