French brick-aviso Goéland (1787)

History
France
NameGoéland
NamesakeGoéland, the Breton word for seagull
BuilderBayonne
Launched4 May 1787
FateCaptured 1793
Great Britain
NameHMS Goelan
Acquired1793 by capture
FateSold 1794
Great Britain
NameBrothers
OwnerVarious
Acquired1794 by purchase
FateListed until at least 1815, but not after 1816
General characteristics
Class & typeGoéland-class brick-aviso
Tons burthen248 (bm)
PropulsionSails
Sail planbrig
Complementc.65 (French service)
Armament
  • French Navy: 10 small guns
  • Royal Navy: 14 × 9-pounder guns
  • Merchantman: between 4 × 4-pounder and 10 × 6-pounder guns

Goéland was the name ship of a two-vessel class of "brick-avisos" (advice brigs), built to a design by Raymond-Antoine Haran and launched in 1787. She served the French Navy for several years carrying dispatches until in 1793 HMS Penelope and HMS Proserpine captured her off Jérémie. The Royal Navy took her into service briefly as Goelan and sold her in 1794. As the merchant brig Brothers she appears to have sailed as a whaling ship in the British southern whale fishery until 1808 or so, and then traded between London and the Brazils. She is no longer listed after 1815.