Decoy-class cutter

The Decoy class was a class of three cutters of the Royal Navy. William Rule designed the class. Two were lost in wartime; they grounded, enabling the French to capture them. One was lost to bad weather.

• HMS Decoy (1810) participated in the capture of several small French privateers, captured or recaptured a number of merchant vessels, and captured a number of smuggling vessels. The French captured her in 1814.
• HMS Dwarf (1810) was wrecked on 3 March 1824.[2]
• HMS Racer (1810) stranded on the French coast on 28 October, which enabled the French to capture her.[3]

Class overview
Name:	Decoy class
Operators:	Royal Navy
Planned:	3
Completed:	3
Lost:	3
General characteristics [1]
Type:	Cutter
Tons burthen:	200​^89⁄94 (bm)
Length:	74 ft 4 in (22.66 m) (overall) 55 ft 10 ^5⁄8 in (17.0 m) (keel)
Beam:	26 ft 0 in (7.9 m)
Depth of hold:	11 ft 0 in (3.4 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Cutter
Complement:	60
Armament:	10 × 18-pounder carronades

Citations and references

Citations

1. Winfield (2008), p.363.
2. Hepper (1994), p.158.
3. Hepper (1994), p.134.

References

• Hepper, David J. (1994) British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. (Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot). ISBN 0-948864-30-3
• Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.