HMS Bold was a 14-gun built by Tyson & Blake at Bursledon

Bursledon

Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...

. She was launched in 1812 and wrecked off Prince Edward's Island on 27 September 1813.

Design and construction

The Bold class were a revival of Sir William Rule's design of 1804. They were armed with ten 18-pounder carronade

Carronade

The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...

s and two 6-pounder bow chasers

Chase gun

The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...

. Built at Bursledon

Bursledon

Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages include Swanwick, Hamble-le-Rice, Netley and Sarisbury...

 by Tyson & Blake, Bold was launched on 26 June 1812 and commissioned in July 1812 under Commander John Skekel, who sailed for North America in her on 17 April 1813.

Service

On 18 or 26 May 1813 (records differ), while in the company of the Halifax

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

 privateer

Privateer

A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...

 Sir John Sherbrooke, the two vessels recaptured the Duck, which the American privateer General Plummer had taken shortly before. The Duck had been traveling from Waterford to Newfoundland.

Fate

On the morning of 27 September 1813, Bold grounded on the north end of Prince Edward's Island between 3 and 4am. Some accounts emphasize that this occurred during a strong NE gale. However the court martial account does not mention this. Despite efforts to lighten her, Bold remained stuck and ultimately had to be abandoned. In the morning it was clear that she was a cable-length (i.e., a little more than an eight of a mile) from shore. The crew established a line to the shore through the surf and this enabled a boat to go back and forth between vessel and shore. The result was that her entire crew of 67 officers and men were saved.

A small party went overland to Charlottetown

Charlottetown

Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...

 to seek help while the remainder of the crew attempted to salvage what it could. Lieutenant Governor C. D. Smith sent the transport Agnes, which had recently arrived at Charlestown, with ordnance stores for the garrison, to assist Bold and recover stores.The Naval Chronicle gives the name of Bolds captain as Sackwell, but this is incorrect. Agnes took Bolds crew to Halifax

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

.

The subsequent court martial reprimanded Skekel and the master for having neglected to instruct the watch to take frequent depth soundings. It also fined the local pilot for not having warned Skekel about the currents in the area. John Skekel went on to another command and in time became an admiral.