Recherche was a 20-gun Marsouin-class scow of the French Navy, later reclassified as a 12-gun frigate. She earned fame as one of the ships of Bruni d'Entrecasteaux' expedition, along with Espérance. Both Recherche Bay, Tasmania and the Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia were named after her.
 The Recherche and Espérance, by François Roux
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
  France | |
| Name | Recherche |
| Namesake | Research |
| Builder | Bayonne |
| Laid down | March 1787 |
| Launched | October 1787 |
| Christened | Truite |
| Commissioned | November 1787 |
| Out of service | September 1794 |
| Reclassified | Frigate in 1791 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Marsouin-class scow |
| Displacement | c. 400 tonnes |
| Length | 36.4 m (119 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 200 |
| Armament | 12 × 6-pounders |
| Armour | Timber |
Career
editThe ship was built as Truite and served under this name until July 1791, when she was renamed to Recherche and recommissioned as a 12-gun frigate.
She departed from Brest on 29 September 1791 for an exploration mission in search of Lapérouse, sailing to New Caledonia. Bruni d'Entrecasteaux died aboard on 21 July 1793.
Fate
editOn 28 October 1793, Recherche was captured by the Dutch at Surabaya, only to be returned to France in February 1794. She was sold to Holland in September and sold for scrap two months later.
See also
editReferences
edit- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1 1671–1870. p. 372. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.