Built as a wooden frigate in Västervik, Sweden for the Swedish Navy.
1763 Ordered.
Launched as the ENIGHETEN.
Displacement 700 tons. Dim. 35.93 x 9.5 x 4.18m.
Armament 24 – 12pdrs.
Crew 135.
1768 Completed.
1776 Renamed in SPRENGTPORTEN.
1784 She carried the first settlers to the Swedish colony on St Bartholomew, West Indies.
Sailed from Gothenburg on 04 December 1784 with on board the first Swedish Governor Major Salomon Mauritz von Rajalin, troops for a garrison and administrative personnel for the new colony.
But after leaving Gothenburg she met strong winds and high seas and she began leaking, which made it necessary to make a call at Portsmouth, U.K. for repair. At that time Sweden did not known much over her new colony and the new appointed Governor travelled to London for information over St Bartholomew.
January 1785 sailed from Portsmouth.
The weather was still stormy after sailing, and three men of the garrison troops were killed during the voyage two on illness and one fell overboard.
15 February 1785 she made a call at Fort Royal, Martinique, thereafter she made call at Saint Pierre, Martinique for fresh water and calls at Guadeloupe and Sint Eustatius before she on 06 March 1785 arrived in St. Bartholomew.
04 July 1785 sailed from St. Bartholomew and arrived on 09 August 1785 in Stockholm.
1810 Sank at Bollösund.
Not a painting exists of the ship only a drawing in the war archive in Sweden.
Sweden 1992 4.50kr, sg1628, scott1946.
Source: Log Book . http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sprengtporten