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HMS Halifax (Nova Scotia Packet), 1768


Rikard Frederiksen

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HMS Halifax

(formerly the Nova Soctia Packet)

 

 

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HMS Halifax began life as the Nova Scotia Packet, built by a group of Halifax-based merchants to establish a regular maritime mail and passenger service between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston, Massachusetts. In July 1768 she was commissioned by Admiral Hood to carry dispatches to England. Hood also recommended that the vessel be purchased into service with the Royal Navy, the vessel duly being taken onto strength and refitted in Portsmouth. After its return to North America in January of 1769, Halifax captured the schooner Liberty and had an active service-life until being wrecked in 1775 on Foster Island, off of Maine. Later records include mention of a Halifax on the same lines as the original vessel, so the ship may have been salvaged and returned to service.

 

A two-masted schooner, the Halifax/Nova Scotia Packet is a small vessel, with a deck length of 58 ft 3 in and a beam of 18 ft 3 in. At this size she is smaller than the Cutter, and would make a suitable replacement for the Trader's Cutter, possibly also the Trader's Lynx*, as an entry level trading vessel. As HMS Halifax the vessel carried 6x3-pdr cannon, 3 mounted upon each side, however I cannot find mention of whether the Nova Scotia Packet carried cannon or not. As the smallest cannon available to us in-game is a 4-pdr cannon, it could carry those as its armament as opposed to the 3-pdr, unless in future we'll get the 3-pdr.

 

Regarding cargo capacity, the Halifax had a tonnage capability (burthen) of 83bm. As everything regarding cargo space is boosted, this could be increased to match the tonnage of the Trader's Cutter/Lynx.

 

*It would probably be best to keep one small, fast, vessel suitable for smuggling work.

 

Obligatory pictures of models:

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I think it is a little too small to replace the Trader's Snow, as it is some 20' shorter and around 7' slimmer on the beam. There are also plenty of examples of merchantmen around the Snow's size, or larger, that would make better alternatives. I felt that the little Halifax would be best placed to replace the Trader's Cutter, maybe the Lynx as well (although I'd like to see a little fore-and-aft merchantman to replace the Trader's Lynx).

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