HMS Polychrest
Encyclopedia
HMS Polychrest is a fictional naval vessel from Patrick O'Brian
's Aubrey–Maturin series
of historical novel
s about the Royal Navy
during the Napoleonic Wars
. The ship features in the second book in the series, Post Captain, and is a very unconventional sloop-of-war
with sharp ends at both bow and stern, no tumblehome
(inward curvature at the top of the hull), drop keels (similar to daggerboard
s on some modern sail boats), and the remnants of the launching system for an unsuccessful secret weapon (a giant rocket).
The physical form of Polychrest (except for the secret weapon) was taken from the real Dart class of sloops. The sliding keels, originally designed by Captain John Schank
, were employed upon a number of small Royal Navy vessels around this period, although problems with leaking centerboard cases perhaps discouraged wider experimentation. Unlike Polychrest with her extraordinary leeway and propensity for missing stays
, the real Dart and her sister ship Arrow performed satisfactorily during their Royal Navy service. Dart was broken up in 1809 and Arrow captured by two French frigates in 1805. The poor sailing qualities of Polychrest and perhaps the notion of a new secret weapon were likely taken from HMS Project, a much smaller vessel than Dart or Polychrest with a very shallow draft to carry a new design of howitzer
into coastal waters. Project was broken up in 1810 after only five years of service.
Aubrey is warned about the ship before agreeing to take command: "She was known as the 'Carpenter's Mistake', and no one in the service had ever imagined she would be launched.". After several months of service in the English Channel, the Polychrest is severely damaged after running aground during a raid on a French port, and sinks soon thereafter.
Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian, CBE , born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centred on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen...
's Aubrey–Maturin series
Aubrey–Maturin series
The Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of nautical historical novels—20 completed and one unfinished—by Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centering on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin, who is also a physician,...
of historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s about the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The ship features in the second book in the series, Post Captain, and is a very unconventional sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
with sharp ends at both bow and stern, no tumblehome
Tumblehome
In ship designing, the tumblehome is the narrowing of a ship's hull with greater distance above the water-line. Expressed more technically, it is present when the beam at the uppermost deck is less than the maximum beam of the vessel....
(inward curvature at the top of the hull), drop keels (similar to daggerboard
Daggerboard
A daggerboard is a retractable centreboard used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, countering the leeward push of the...
s on some modern sail boats), and the remnants of the launching system for an unsuccessful secret weapon (a giant rocket).
The physical form of Polychrest (except for the secret weapon) was taken from the real Dart class of sloops. The sliding keels, originally designed by Captain John Schank
John Schank
Admiral John Schank was an officer of the British Royal Navy known for his skill in ship construction and mechanical design.-Biography:...
, were employed upon a number of small Royal Navy vessels around this period, although problems with leaking centerboard cases perhaps discouraged wider experimentation. Unlike Polychrest with her extraordinary leeway and propensity for missing stays
Tack (sailing)
Tack is a term used in sailing that has different meanings in different contexts, variously a part of a sail, and an alignment with the wind. When using the latter sense, the maneuver of turning between starboard and port tack is either tacking or jibing....
, the real Dart and her sister ship Arrow performed satisfactorily during their Royal Navy service. Dart was broken up in 1809 and Arrow captured by two French frigates in 1805. The poor sailing qualities of Polychrest and perhaps the notion of a new secret weapon were likely taken from HMS Project, a much smaller vessel than Dart or Polychrest with a very shallow draft to carry a new design of howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
into coastal waters. Project was broken up in 1810 after only five years of service.
Aubrey is warned about the ship before agreeing to take command: "She was known as the 'Carpenter's Mistake', and no one in the service had ever imagined she would be launched.". After several months of service in the English Channel, the Polychrest is severely damaged after running aground during a raid on a French port, and sinks soon thereafter.
See also
- HMS Sophie
- HMS Surprise
- Notable fictional Royal Navy ship names
- List of fictional ships