The Forester-class gunboat was a class of 4-gun composite gunboats built for the Royal Navy between 1874 and 1877. Although half had been sold by 1890, the rest survived into the 20th century as coal hulks, base vessels and other secondary uses. Foxhound survived as a hulk on the Blackwall Reach of the Thames until 1975, when she was broken up. They were built of composite construction, that is, with iron keel, stem and stern posts, and iron framing, but planked with wood.
Design and construction Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby, Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy, the Forester-class gunboats were similar in every respect to the preceding s.Preston (2007) p.171 They were fitted with a 2-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine, although Moorhen and Sheldrake received a single-expansion direct-acting steam engine. These engines were rated for 60 nominal horsepower and generated between and ). They were armed with two 64-pounder (56cwt) muzzle-loading rifles and two 20-pounder Armstrong breech loaders. All 4 guns were mounted on traversing carriages. All the ships of the class carried a three-masted barquentine rig.
Ships NameShip BuilderLaunchedFateWilliam Doxford & Sons, Sunderland 30 May 1874Broken up in 1889William Doxford, Sunderland 16 July 1874Sold in August 1889, sunk in October during a storm whilst under tow from HMNB Devonport to new ownersWilliam Doxford, Sunderland 29 August 1874Broken up at Devonport in 1889Robert Napier & Sons, Govan3 July 1875Drill ship, renamed Drake on 13 March 1888. Coastguard watch vessel, renamed WV29 in 1893. Renamed Drake in 1906. Sold to Meyer Isaacs on 3 April 1906Earle’s Shipbuilding, Hull4 August 1875Sold in August 1889Robert Napier & Sons, Govan13 September 1875Sold in November 1888Barrow Iron Shipbuilding29 January 1877Coastguard in 1886. Coal tug in 1897, renamed YC20. Sold as hulk Arabel in 1920, and remained in Blackwall Reach on the River Thames for 55 years. Broken up in 1975Barrow Iron Shipbuilding29 January 1877Coal hulk in 1892. Sold in 1904Earle’s Shipbuilding, Hull14 February 1877Sold to Cox for breaking up at Falmouth on 14 May 1907Earle’s Shipbuilding, Hull26 February 1877 Zulu War 1879. Coal hulk in 1894. Sold in 1904J & G Thomson, Govan30 April 1877Sold in 1905, became mercantile Hoi SinJ & G Thomson, Govan28 June 1877Boom defence in 1904. Base ship on 3 April 1914, renamed Egmont. Renamed Firefly 1 in March 1923. Sold in May 1931
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