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Second-rate

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34: 99: 495: 144:, but unlike the first rates, which were considered too valuable to risk in distant stations, the second rates often served also in major overseas stations as flagships. They had a reputation for poor handling and slow sailing. They were popular as flagships of admirals commanding the Windward and/or Leeward Islands station, which was usually a 227:
two-deckers used by the French and Spanish navies. The additional height did, however, give the second rate an advantage in close combat with the further advantage of it being able to withstand punishment like a larger ship, but being much cheaper to build and maintain. It was sometimes mistaken by
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The three-decker second-rate was mainly a British type, and was not built by other European navies to any great degree. As speed is mainly determined by length along the waterline, the three-deck second-rate was a slow sailer compared to both its two-deck equivalent and the first-rate ships. Being
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to approach the enemy at a lesser angle than the remainder of the column, in the hope that having more sail area exposed to the wind would enable these two ships to keep up. A near disastrous example of the three-decker's maladroitness occurred on 25 December 1796 when, on sighting the enemy, the
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which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns and were originally two-deckers or had only partially armed third gun decks. A "second rate" was the second largest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six
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After the Napoleonic wars, new second rates in the Royal Navy mounted their guns (typically 90 or 91) on two decks once more, leaving the first rates as the only ships with three complete gun decks.
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Apart from its unhandiness, in terms of sheer firepower it was matched or even out-gunned by many of the large 80-gun and
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This article is about the rating of Royal Navy ships. For the rating of late Georgian and early Victorian buildings, see
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and carrying a crew of 750, the second-rates by the second half of the 18th century carried 32-pounder guns on the
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the same height as a first-rate but shorter meant they handled poorly and had a tendency to sail to leeward;
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the enemy for a first-rate, which could possibly make enemy commanders reluctant to press an attack.
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They were essentially smaller and hence cheaper versions of the three-decker
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Warships of the Napoleonic Era: Design, Development and Deployment
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The Command of the Ocean, a Naval History of Britain 1649–1815
539: 192:was described by one of her lieutenants as sailing 216:Channel Fleet attempted a hurried departure from 577: 55:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks 349:British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1817–1863 335:British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1793–1817 321:British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1714–1792 307:British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1603–1714 428: 179: 140:. Like the first rates, they fought in the 102:An illustration of the British second-rate 435: 421: 86:Learn how and when to remove this message 375: 373: 271: 196:. Their poor sailing abilities prompted 97: 133:"ratings" based on size and firepower. 578: 23:Historic category for Royal Navy ships 416: 400: 370: 27: 13: 14: 597: 276:. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. 493: 337:(2nd edition), Barnsley (2008). 156:Typically measuring around 2000 32: 586:Rating system of the Royal Navy 447:rating system of the Royal Navy 250: 118:rating system of the Royal Navy 391: 382: 1: 363: 7: 120:used to categorise sailing 10: 602: 15: 525: 502: 491: 453: 272:Gardiner, Robert (2004). 180:Three-decker v two-decker 151: 41:This article includes a 258:The Battle of Trafalgar 234: 146:Rear-admiral of the red 70:more precise citations. 113: 101: 260:, Barnsley (2004). 397:Gardiner pp. 14–15 351:, Barnsley (2014) 323:, Barnsley (2007) 309:, Barnsley (2009) 114: 43:list of references 573: 572: 455:Ships of the line 357:978-1-84832-169-4 343:978-1-84415-717-4 329:978-1-84415-700-6 315:978-1-84832-040-6 294:, London (2004). 290:Rodger, N. A. M. 283:978-1-84832-108-3 194:"like a haystack" 96: 95: 88: 18:Building Act 1774 593: 497: 437: 430: 423: 414: 413: 407: 404: 398: 395: 389: 386: 380: 377: 287: 130:ship of the line 91: 84: 80: 77: 71: 66:this article by 57:inline citations 36: 35: 28: 601: 600: 596: 595: 594: 592: 591: 590: 576: 575: 574: 569: 521: 498: 489: 449: 441: 411: 410: 405: 401: 396: 392: 387: 383: 378: 371: 366: 347:Winfield, Rif. 333:Winfield, Rif. 319:Winfield, Rif. 305:Winfield, Rif. 284: 253: 237: 182: 154: 92: 81: 75: 72: 61: 47:related reading 37: 33: 24: 21: 12: 11: 5: 599: 589: 588: 571: 570: 568: 567: 562: 557: 552: 547: 542: 537: 531: 529: 523: 522: 520: 519: 514: 508: 506: 500: 499: 492: 490: 488: 487: 482: 477: 472: 471: 470: 459: 457: 451: 450: 440: 439: 432: 425: 417: 409: 408: 406:Gardiner p. 15 399: 390: 388:Gardiner p. 18 381: 379:Gardiner p. 14 368: 367: 365: 362: 361: 360: 345: 331: 317: 303: 288: 282: 269: 252: 249: 236: 233: 181: 178: 153: 150: 142:line of battle 94: 93: 51:external links 40: 38: 31: 22: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 598: 587: 584: 583: 581: 566: 563: 561: 558: 556: 553: 551: 548: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 532: 530: 528: 524: 518: 515: 513: 510: 509: 507: 505: 501: 496: 486: 483: 481: 478: 476: 473: 469: 466: 465: 464: 461: 460: 458: 456: 452: 448: 445: 438: 433: 431: 426: 424: 419: 418: 415: 403: 394: 385: 376: 374: 369: 358: 354: 350: 346: 344: 340: 336: 332: 330: 326: 322: 318: 316: 312: 308: 304: 301: 300:0-7139-9411-8 297: 293: 289: 285: 279: 275: 270: 267: 266:1-84415-107-7 263: 259: 255: 254: 248: 246: 242: 232: 229: 226: 221: 219: 214: 213: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 190: 177: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 149: 147: 143: 139: 134: 131: 127: 123: 119: 112: 108: 107: 100: 90: 87: 79: 76:February 2013 69: 65: 59: 58: 52: 48: 44: 39: 30: 29: 26: 19: 527:Sloop-of-war 474: 444:Early Modern 402: 393: 384: 348: 334: 320: 306: 291: 273: 257: 256:Bennett, G. 251:Bibliography 238: 230: 222: 211: 205: 193: 188: 183: 174:quarterdecks 158:tons burthen 155: 135: 125: 115: 105: 82: 73: 62:Please help 54: 25: 535:Bomb vessel 485:Fourth-rate 475:Second-rate 241:second-rate 212:Dreadnought 204:, to order 170:forecastles 168:) on their 138:first rates 126:second-rate 68:introducing 517:Sixth-rate 512:Fifth-rate 480:Third-rate 468:Man-of-war 463:First-rate 245:first-rate 239:The term " 166:carronades 560:Post ship 545:Fire ship 364:Citations 210:HMS  202:Trafalgar 187:HMS  111:John Ward 580:Category 565:Schooner 504:Frigates 218:Spithead 162:gun deck 122:warships 555:Gunboat 116:In the 64:improve 550:Cutter 355:  341:  327:  313:  298:  280:  264:  225:74-gun 206:Prince 198:Nelson 189:Prince 152:Rating 128:was a 200:, at 49:, or 540:Brig 353:ISBN 339:ISBN 325:ISBN 311:ISBN 296:ISBN 278:ISBN 262:ISBN 247:". 235:Term 208:and 172:and 124:, a 106:Asia 104:HMS 109:by 582:: 372:^ 176:. 148:. 53:, 45:, 436:e 429:t 422:v 359:. 302:. 286:. 268:. 89:) 83:( 78:) 74:( 60:. 20:.

Index

Building Act 1774
list of references
related reading
external links
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message

HMS Asia
John Ward
rating system of the Royal Navy
warships
ship of the line
first rates
line of battle
Rear-admiral of the red
tons burthen
gun deck
carronades
forecastles
quarterdecks
HMS Prince
Nelson
Trafalgar
HMS Dreadnought
Spithead
74-gun
second-rate
first-rate

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