 Scale model ofAchille, sister ship of French ship Argonaute (1798), on display at theMusée national de la Marine in Paris. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Argonaute |
| Namesake | Argonauts |
| Ordered | 10 July 1794 |
| Builder | Lorient shipyard |
| Laid down | 10 July 1794 |
| Launched | 22 December 1798 |
| Commissioned | September 1799 |
| Decommissioned | 1805 |
| Fate | Exchanged with Spain, 1806 |
 Spain | |
| Name | Argonauta |
| Acquired | 1806 |
| Fate | Broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Téméraire-classship of the line |
| Displacement | 3,069tonneaux |
| Tons burthen | 1,537port tonneaux |
| Length | 55.87 m (183 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 14.46 m (47 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 7.15 m (23.5 ft) |
| Depth of hold | 7.15 m (23 ft 5 in) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Crew | 705 |
| Armament |
|
Argonaute was a74-gunTéméraire-classship of the line built for theFrench Navy during the 1790s. Completed in 1799, she played a minor role in theNapoleonic Wars.
Designed byJacques-Noël Sané, theTéméraire-class ships had a length of 55.87 metres (183 ft 4 in), abeam of 14.46 metres (47 ft 5 in) and a depth ofhold of 7.15 metres (23 ft 5 in). The shipsdisplaced 3,069tonneaux and had a meandraught of 7.15 metres (23 ft 5 in). They had a tonnage of 1,537port tonneaux. Their crew numbered 705 officers andratings during wartime. They were fitted with threemasts andship rigged.[1]
Themuzzle-loading,smoothbore armament of theTéméraire class consisted of twenty-eight36-pounder long guns on the lowergun deck and thirty18-pounder long guns on the upper gun deck. On thequarterdeck andforecastle were a total of sixteen8-pounder long guns. Beginning with the ships completed after 1787, the armament of theTéméraires began to change with the addition of four 36-pounderobusiers on thepoop deck (dunette). Some ships had instead twenty 8-pounders.[2]
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Argonaute was ordered on 10 July 1794 andlaid down at theArsenal de Lorient in September. A shortage of timber delayed herlaunching until 22 December 1798 and the ship was completed in September 1799.[3] UnderVice-amiralVillaret de Joyeuse,Argonaute took part in theSaint-Domingue expedition in 1802. She took part in theBattle of Trafalgar in October 1805, and managed to return toCádiz. Unable to leave the harbour because of the British blockade and damage, she was exchanged for theVencedor on 18 December 1806. She was renamedArgonauta, but was converted into aprison ship.[4]