The name of the boat that took Charles Darwin around the world on his first expedition was the HMS Beagle. The Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The Beagle was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name | HMS Beagle |
Type | Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop |
Launched | 11 May 1820 |
Length | 90 ft (27 m) |
Width | 24 ft 6 in (7 m) |
Weight | 235 tons |
Construction cost | £7,803 |
Captain | Robert FitzRoy |
Notable passengers | Charles Darwin |
What You'll Learn
- The HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop
- The ship was constructed at Woolwich Dockyard, London, and launched in 1820
- The Beagle's second voyage (1831-1836) is when Darwin was on board
- The ship was 90 feet long, 7 metres wide, and weighed 235 tons
- The Beagle was sold off to be broken up in 1870
The HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop
The HMS Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his expeditions, was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop. The vessel was constructed at a cost of £7,803 and was launched on May 11, 1820, from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames. It was one of over 100 ships of this class designed by Sir Henry Peake in 1807.
The Beagle was originally a 10-gun brig sloop but was refitted and allocated as a surveying vessel when there was no immediate active use for her. On her first voyage of exploration, the Beagle surveyed Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego between 1826 and 1830, under the command of Captain Pringle Stokes.
On her second voyage from 1831 to 1836, the Beagle, now under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy, took Darwin on his first expedition around the world. During this voyage, Darwin travelled and researched geology, natural history, and ethnology onshore while the ship conducted survey work. He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, best known as "The Voyage of the Beagle," and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection.
The Beagle's third and final voyage from 1837 to 1843 surveyed large parts of the Australian coast under the command of Commander John Clements Wickham.
The Beagle was a relatively small ship, measuring just 27 metres long, seven metres wide, and weighing 235 tons. Despite her size, she underwent a number of improvements, such as reinforcing her hull and adding a mizzen-mast to make her more manoeuvrable in shallow coastal waters.
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The ship was constructed at Woolwich Dockyard, London, and launched in 1820
The HMS Beagle, the ship that took Charles Darwin on his expedition around the world, was constructed at Woolwich Dockyard in London and launched in 1820. Woolwich Dockyard, formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, was founded by King Henry VIII in 1512 to build his flagship, the Henri Grâce à Dieu (Great Harry), the largest ship of its day. Woolwich Dockyard was an English naval dockyard along the River Thames in Woolwich, which was originally in northwest Kent but is now in southeast London. The area was likely chosen for its proximity to deep water and its convenient location near Henry's palace at Greenwich.
Woolwich Dockyard built many ships from the early 16th century until the late 19th century, and by the virtue of the size and quantity of vessels built there, it is described as having been "among the most important shipyards of seventeenth-century Europe." In the 1830s, a specialist factory within the dockyard oversaw the introduction of steam power for ships of the Royal Navy. The yard continued to expand, and by its largest extent, it filled a 56-acre site north of Woolwich Church Street.
The HMS Beagle was launched from Woolwich Dockyard on May 11, 1820, at a cost of £7,803. It was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy and one of over 100 ships of this class. After its launch, the Beagle participated in the celebrations of the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom, passing under the old London Bridge. It was then adapted as a survey barque and took part in three survey expeditions.
The second voyage of the HMS Beagle, from 1831 to 1836, is notable for carrying the recently graduated naturalist Charles Darwin around the world. During this voyage, Darwin travelled and researched geology, natural history, and ethnology onshore while the survey work was carried out. He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, known as "The Voyage of the Beagle", and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection.
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The Beagle's second voyage (1831-1836) is when Darwin was on board
The name of the boat Darwin travelled on was the HMS Beagle. The Beagle's second voyage, from 1831 to 1836, is indeed when Darwin was on board.
Darwin was 22 years old when he received an invitation to join the HMS Beagle as the ship's naturalist for a trip around the world. The Beagle surveyed the coast of South America, giving Darwin the freedom to explore the continent and nearby islands, including the Galápagos. He filled dozens of notebooks with observations on animals, plants, and geology, and collected thousands of specimens, which he sent back to England for further study.
The Beagle's voyage lasted five years, and Darwin later described it as "by far the most important event in my life," setting the course for his entire career. When he boarded the ship, he was a young university graduate, planning to become a clergyman. By the time he returned, he was an established naturalist, well-known in London for his astonishing collections.
The Beagle was launched at Woolwich Dockyard, London, in 1820. It was originally a 10-gun brig sloop, but as there was no immediate need for it, it was refitted and assigned as a survey vessel under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy. The Beagle's second voyage, during which Darwin was on board, took the ship to South America and then around the world.
The Beagle was a small vessel, only 90 feet long, and its tiny space was crowded and uncomfortable. The height between decks at midship was just 63 inches, and the living quarters were cramped and lacked adequate ventilation and natural light. Despite these challenges, the voyage was a groundbreaking scientific expedition, and the ship's crew demonstrated impressive loyalty to the Beagle.
The Beagle underwent extensive modifications before its second voyage, including raising the upper deck to provide more headroom and improve the ship's handling in heavy weather. Captain FitzRoy also insisted on carrying brass guns to avoid interference with the ship's compasses, despite the Admiralty's refusal to comply with this request.
The Beagle returned to Falmouth, Cornwall, England, on October 2, 1836, concluding Darwin's five-year journey. Darwin's experiences on the voyage provided him with a lifetime of memories and ideas, which eventually led to his theory of evolution by natural selection, published in 1859 as "On the Origin of Species."
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The ship was 90 feet long, 7 metres wide, and weighed 235 tons
The HMS Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his expeditions, was 90 feet long. This length made the Beagle a tiny vessel, especially for a surveying voyage. Indeed, the Beagle was only one of over 100 ships of the Cherokee class, which were constructed to the same design.
The Beagle was 7 metres wide and weighed 235 tons. This information, along with its length, gives us an idea of the Beagle's size and weight class. The ship was a 10-gun brig sloop, later adapted as a survey barque. It was not a remarkable ship, but its size made it versatile. The Beagle was used for anti-slavery patrols, as a mail ship, and as a surveying ship.
The Beagle's dimensions allowed it to be easily handled and manoeuvred in shallow coastal waters. Its width and weight, along with its length, made it a stable platform for scientific research and exploration. The ship's width, in particular, contributed to its stability and balance on the water.
The Beagle's weight of 235 tons is also noteworthy. This weight included the ship's hull, rigging, and equipment. The weight was affected by various modifications made throughout its lifetime, such as the addition of a mizzen mast and reinforcement of the hull.
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The Beagle was sold off to be broken up in 1870
The HMS Beagle, the ship that took Charles Darwin on his first expedition around the world, was sold off to be broken up in 1870. This came 50 years after the ship was first launched in 1820.
After its famous voyage with Darwin, the Beagle was transferred to the coastguard in 1845 and moored on the River Roach in Essex. It was renamed WV7 – Watch Vessel 7 – in 1859. In 1870, it was sold to Messrs Murray and Trainer to be broken up.
The Beagle was originally a 10-gun brig sloop, but as there was no immediate active use for her, she was refitted and allocated as a surveying vessel. The Beagle underwent a number of improvements throughout its life on the seas, including the addition of a mizzen-mast (a third mast) to make it more manoeuvrable in shallow coastal waters.
The Beagle's voyages under Captain Robert FitzRoy saw the use of scientific technology such as theodolites, chronometers and barometers to provide accurate survey information for new charts and meteorological data and weather forecasting. The Darwin voyage was the first time the Beaufort wind scale was used for wind observations.
The Beagle was one of more than 100 Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloops of the Royal Navy. It was constructed at a cost of £7,803 and was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of Darwin's boat was HMS Beagle.
The Beagle was a Royal Navy ship, originally a 10-gun brig sloop. It was later refitted and used as a survey vessel.
The Beagle's captain was Robert FitzRoy.