English ship Advantage (1590) explained

Advantage was a small galleon in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her career in the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She maintained this assignment until she went to the English Channel. She was accidentally burnt in Scotland in 1613.^[1]

Advantage was the first named vessel in the English and Royal Navies.^[2]

Construction and specifications

She was built on the Thames possibly at Deptford under the guidance of Master Shipwrights Peter and Joseph Pett. She was launched in 1590. Her dimensions were 60feet for keel with a breadth of 26feet and a depth of hold of 12feet. Her tonnage was between 172.8 and 216 tons.^[3]

Her gun armament was in 1603 18 guns consisting of six demi-culverines,^{[4] [5]} eight sakers,^{[6] [7]} two minions^{[8] [9]} and two falcons.^{[10] [11]} Her manning was around 100 officers and men in 1603.^[12]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned in 1599 under Captain Thomas Coverte for service with Sir Richard Leveson's Channel Guard in 1599. She was with the Channel Guard until January/February 1600. Later that year she was under Captain George Fenner then Captain Sackville Trevor in 1601 followed by Captain William Jones in 1602 for service in the English Channel.^[13]

Disposition

Advantage was accidentally burnt in Scotland in December 1613.^[14]

References

• British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © Rif Winfield 2009, EPUB, Chapter 4, The Fourth Rates - 'Small Ships', Vessels in service or on order at 24 March 1603, Crane Group. Advantage
• Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt-Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © the estate of J.J. Colledge, Ben Warlow and Steve Bush 2020, EPUB, Section A (Advantage)
• The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600 - 1815, by Brian Lavery, published by US Naval Institute Press © Brian Lavery 1989,, Part V Guns, Type of Guns

Notes and References

1. Winfield
2. Colledge
3. Winfield
4. Lavery, page 101
5. A demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four inch bore firing a 9.5 pound shot with an eight pound powder charge.
6. Lavery, page 102
7. A sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 5.5 pound shot with an 5.5 pound powder charge.
8. Lavery, page 103
9. A minion was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge.
10. Lavery, page 103
11. A falcon was a gun of 660 pounds with a 2.5 inch bore firing a 2 pound shot with a 3.5 pound powder charge.
12. Winfield
13. Winfield
14. Winfield