HMS Curacoa - a ship of the same class as HMS Arethusa.
HMS Arethusa - Constance class frigate of 50 guns
The first training ship was the small
frigate HMS Chichester. In 1874 she was replaced by the screw frigate HMS
Arethusa of the Constance class.
HMS Curacoa - a ship of the same class as
HMS Arethusa.
HMS Arethusa - Constance class frigate
of 50 guns
| Displacement | 2125 tons | |
| Length of gun deck | 180' | |
| Length of keel | 146' 10¼" | |
| Beam | 5' 8" | |
| Depth of hold | 16' 3" | |
| Armament | ||
| Upper gun deck | 28 X 32 pounders | |
| Quarterdeck | 14 X 32 pounders | |
| Forecastle | 8 X 32 pounders | |
| Complement | 450 - 500 | |
| Built by | Pembroke Dockyard | |
| Ordered | 1844 | |
| Keel laid | January 1846 | |
| Launched | 20th June 1849 |
In 1860 she was lengthened as a screw
frigate.
She was hulked in 1874 when she replaced the frigate HMS
Chichester as the Shaftesbury Homes' training ship. At that time the
Shaftesbury Homes was known 'The National Refuges for Destitute Children' - a
society having it's origin in 1843. She continued in this role until 1932 when
the four-masted Barque Peking took her place.
The frigate was broken up in
1934.
HMS
Arethusa in her days as a training ship.
The
Four-Masted Barque Peking
The Peking under sail.
The
ship was built for the Flying 'P' line which was owned by F. Laeisz.
The ship was sold to the 'Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa Training Ship Company'
in 1932.
The Peking was renamed Arethusa.
| Built by | Blohm & Voss in Germany | |
| Displacement | 3152 tons gross | |
| Length | 373' 9" overall | |
| Beam | 46'6" | |
| Draught | 26' 5" | |
| Launched | 25th February 1911 | |
| Completed | 16th May 1911 |
The ship's route whilst in service was
Hamburg to Chile in South America carrying cargoes of Nitrate.
Arethusa ex Peking at Upnor
in Kent.
This is the ship I joined on the 28th January
1960 at the age of 13½ years, and left to join HMS Ganges in
9th January 1962.
Arethusa is now part of the ships on
show in New York USA and is again called the Peking.
TS
Arethusa on her moorings at Upnor on the river Medway.