Dutch corvette Waakzaamheid (1786)

Waakzaamheid (right) at the action of 24 October 1798
History
Dutch Republic
OperatorAdmiralty of the Noorderkwartier
BuilderJ. Hand, Enkhuizen
Launched1786
Captured23 May 1794
France
NameVigilance
Acquired23 May 1794 by capture
FateSold 1795
Batavian Republic
NameWaazaamheid
Acquired1795 by purchase
Captured24 October 1798
Great Britain
NameHMS Waaksaamheidt
Acquired24 October 1798 by capture
FateSold September 1802
General characteristics
Class & type
  • Dutch: 7th charter (corvette)
  • Royal Navy: Post ship
Tons burthen5038494, or 504 (bm)
Length
  • Dutch: 124311 (Amsterdam foot & inches)
  • English:
    • Overall: 114 ft 6 in (34.9 m)
    • Keel: 94 ft 8+58 in (28.9 m)
Beam
  • Dutch: 33 voet 311 duim
  • English: 31 ft 7+12 in (9.6 m)
Depth12+911 voet
Depth of hold10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Complement
  • French Navy: 168
  • At capture:100 Dutch seamen + 122 French troops
  • Royal Navy:188
Armament
  • Originally: 24 guns
  • French Navy
    • Upper deck (UD): 22 × 8-pounder guns
    • Spar deck: 2 × 6-pounder guns
  • At capture:
    • UD: 24 × 9-pounder guns
    • Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns
  • Royal Navy:
    • UD: 20 × 9-pounder guns
    • QD: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 18-pounder carronades
    • Fc: 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades

Waakzaamheid was a 24-gun corvette of the Dutch States Navy launched at Enkhuizen in 1786. The French Navy captured her in 1794 and renamed her Vigilance. As part of a French squadron, she raided British factories and merchantmen off the West African coast in 1794. By the next year, France overran the Dutch Republic and reorganised it into the client Batavian Republic, selling Vigilance to the newly formed Batavian Navy, who returned to using her original name. In the action of 24 October 1798, Waakzaamheid and the Batavian frigate Furie were captured near the Texel by the British frigate Sirius. The Royal Navy commissioned her as HMS Waaksaamheid before selling the ship in September 1802.