HMS Vindictive was a 74-gun third-rate

Third-rate

In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...

 ship of the line

Ship of the line

A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...

 of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, launched on 30 November 1813 at Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

.

Vindictive was the lead ship of the 40-vessel Vengeur class, indeed she was ordered prior to the design for this class being finalised; however she was delayed in construction and was not finished until December 1813. With the winding up of the Napoleonic War in prospect, she was not required for active service and was immediately placed in ordinary

Reserve fleet

A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....

. She was not to be commissioned for service until September 1841.

Between 1828 and 1833 the Vindictive - still uncommissioned - was reduced to a 50-gun fourth-rate ship, and she was brought into service in that capacity. She was laid up in Ordinary again in June 1848 at Portsmouth. In 1861 she was fitted as a storeship by White of Cowes, and in 1862 she then proceeded to Fernando Po

Fernando Po

Fernando Po may mean:*Fernando Po in Equatorial Guinea, now called Bioko*Fernão do Pó, Portuguese explorer*Fernando Pó, Portugal, village*Fernando Po, Sierra Leone, village...

where she took up that role. She foundered there in July 1871, the wreck being sold to be broken up on 24 November 1871.