HMS Boreas was a modified sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was first commissioned in August 1775 under Captain Charles Thompson. She was built at Blaydes Yard in Hull to a design by Sir Thomas Slade at a cost of £10,000. She was fitted out at Chatham Docks.[1]
On an unknown date, probably between 4-20 November, 1776, she captured "Williamsburg Packet". On 13 December she captured schooner "Ipswich". On 15 December, 1776 she captured schooners "Polly" and "John". On 20 December she captured schooner "Theo and Ann". On 25 December she captured sloop "Polly". Sometime between late December, 1776 and early March, 1777 she captured sloops "Will" and "Hope". On 16 March she captured schooners "Cannon", "Farmer", "Juliet", and "Happy-Return". On 20 March she captured schooner "Mary" and probably sloop "Betsy". She captured an unknown sloop and brig probably between 14-19 May, 1777, and an unknown schooner on 22 May. She captured brig "Dublin" between 22 May and 27 June.[2]
In 1778 she underwent a refit in Plymouth having a copper bottom fitted at a cost of £5500.
In July 1779 she saw action in the Battle of Grenada under command of Captain Thompson.
On 31 August 1779 Boreas, still under Captain Thompson, captured the French corvette Compas, of eighteen 6-pounder guns, which was carrying a cargo of sugar.[3] Compas, which was armed en flute, put up resistance for about 20 minutes, with the result that she suffered nine men killed and wounded before she struck. Boreas was part of a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral of the Red Hyde Parker on the Jamaica station.
Horatio Nelson was Senior Naval Officer of the Leeward Islands from 1784 to 1787 in Boreas.
Boreas was used as a slop ship from 1797 until her sale in 1802.