HMS Opal (1875)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Opal.

Opal in Sydney
History
Name	HMS Opal
Builder	William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland
Laid down	13 October 1873
Launched	9 March 1875
Fate	sold in August 1892 for breaking up at Sheerness.
General characteristics
Length	220 feet (between perpendiculars)
Beam	40 feet
Draught	16ft 6in forwards, 18ft aft
Complement	232
Armament	14 (later 12) x 64-pounder MLR guns

HMS Opal was an Emerald class corvette of the Royal Navy, laid down as HMS Magicienne and built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland and launched on 9 March 1875.

She was completed with an armament of 14 64-pounder MLR guns (2 on bow and stern chasers, mounted on centre-line swivelling slides, and 12 on broadside slide mountings) and initially commenced service on the Pacific Station, and while on passage in 1876 hit a rock in the Strait of Magellan. She was damaged and repairs were undertaken at Esquimalt. She returned to England in 1880 for refit, in which her broadside armament was reduced by 2 guns and she was re-rigged as a barque. She sailed for service on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station in 1883, before commencing service on the Australia Station in 1885. She returned to England in 1890 and was placed into reserve. She was sold for breaking up at Sheerness in August 1892.

References

• Bastock, John (1988), Ships on the Australia Station, Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. ISBN 0867773480
• Lyon, David & Winfield, Rif (2004), The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889, Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.