Hotspur

Hotspur is a sloop-of-war with a fairly shallow draft and light armament. She is assigned to the Channel Fleet and belongs to the Inshore Squadron. Her primary responsibility is to creep in close to the French harbor at Brest and observe the general conditions on a daily basis. Hotspur is commanded by Hornblower for two years prior to the opening of the novel. Meadows takes her into the shoaling approaches to Brest and runs her aground on a falling tide. She is subsequently holed, flooded and lost.

Princess

Princess is a water-hoy, or fresh water resupply ship, running fresh water between England and the Channel Fleet. She is commanded by Baddlestone and carries water in barrels stored in the hold. She is very broad to assist in stability while empty and does not have a very good point of sail. Princess is one of the major settings...