| History | |
|---|---|
 England | |
| Name | HMSWinchester |
| Builder | Wyatt, Bursledon |
| Launched | 11 April 1693 |
| Fate | Foundered, 24 September 1695 |
| General characteristics[1] | |
| Class and type | 60-gunfourth rateship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 941 |
| Length | 146 ft 2.5 in (44.6 m) (gundeck) |
| Beam | 38 ft 2 in (11.6 m) |
| Depth of hold | 15 ft 11 in (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Armament | 60 guns of various weights of shot |
HMSWinchester was a 60-gunfourth rateship of the line of theEnglishRoyal Navy, launched atBursledon on 11 April 1693.[1]
On 24 September 1695,Winchester foundered onCarysfort Reef in theFlorida Keys and was lost.[1]Scurvy had killed or incapacitated almost all of the 350 crewmen; only seven were still capable of working thebilge pumps when a hurricane drove theWinchester onto the reef. Just eight of the crew were rescued.Winchester had been in company withDunkirk andExperiment, when poor weather caused them to separate from the English squadron sailing from the West Indies to England. In the night lookouts sighted breakers ahead, but her crew was so debilitated by disease that she was unable to avoid hitting a reef. Captain Soales died on shore some days later, before being rescued. The subsequent court martial judged that the current had sent them further north than calculated.[2]
The remains of the wreck were discovered in 1938 or 1939 lying approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of theCarysfort Reef Light. Cannons, cannonballs, wrought iron fittings, and a couple of sundials have been recovered from the wreck.[3][4]
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