Rattlesnake Instr. Manual - Nature Coast Hobby Shop

Brief History
It was supposedly in 1781 that Rattlesnake was
built as a privateer at Plymouth, Massachusetts
for a Salem syndicate; John Andrews, and others.
The Preble Papers in the Massachusetts
Historical Society indicate that the designer and
builder was John Peck of Boston. She was first
commissioned on June 12, 1781 with Master
Mark Clark at the helm. This, however, is early
in the year. Consequently, there is some question
about the actual building date. The ship
could have been under construction in 1780 or
earlier.
During 1781, at a time when privateering was
losing its luster, British frigates still lay off the
coasts of noteworthy American colonial towns,
keeping tabs on shipbuilding departures, and
raiding shipping centers. It was along these
routes that Rattlesnake met her fate when she was
captured by British 44-gun H.M.S. Assurance.
Rattlesnake was sent to England where she was
taken into the Royal Navy and renamed Cormorant.
Her hull lines were taken at the Plymouth
Dockyard in 1782. In 1783, when the
Admiralty found out they already had a ship
named Cormorant, the ship was again named
Rattlesnake. In 1784 or 1786, she was sold out of
Naval service. Beyond that her history is not
clear. One source says she was used by the
French as a privateer and named Le Tonnant,
but this is not confirmed by any authority.
Despite her moderate size, Rattlesnake was shiprigged
and impressive in appearance and feature
beyond her broadside strength. The ship was 89'
3" long on deck, with a molded beam of 22', a
mean draft of 8' 1-1/2", and 198-70/94th tons
burthen. Her molded displacement was 221.3
long tons. Along with 85 men, she carried twenty
6-pounders only, a psychological ploy no doubt,
but her lines reveal a fast and weatherly ship.
More History
For a fascinating history and technical discussion
of privateering ships, and more detail on
the Rattlesnake, refer to The History of American
Sailing Ships and The Search for Speed Under Sail
listed in the bibliography.
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