HMS Sirius was built on the River Thames as a 3-masted Baltic trader in 1781. It is said to have originally been a coal-carrying vessel called Berwick. The Berwick was later modified and renamed HMS Sirius. It is said to have been a vessel of ~511 tons/519 tonnes. Its length is said to have been 120 feet (36.5 m).
(Photo taken by Mark Churchman)
Since the publication of my article titled More on the Anchors from HMS Sirius, Nick Reed from the Big Anchor Project visited Portsmouth and took some photos related to the Sirius.
(Photos taken by Nick Reed)
The first fleet left Portsmouth, 235 years ago, on Sunday 13th May 1787 and sailed down the English Channel to sail towards New South Wales, Australia. HMS Sirius was the naval supply ship for the fleet. All of the 11 ships in the fleet had arrived, in what is now called Sydney Harbour, by 20th January 1788.
HMS Sirius, ironically, was wrecked in Sydney Bay, Norfolk Island after drifting on to rocks off Point Ross, Kingston in March 1790.
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