HMS Viper (1807)
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | Princess Charlotte |
| Builder | Cowes |
| Launched | 1805 |
| Fate | Sold 1807 |
| United Kingdom | |
| Acquired | 1807 by purchase |
| Fate | Foundered February 1809 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 81 (bm) |
| Length | 57 ft 10 in (17.6 m) (Keel) |
| Beam | 18 ft 7 in (5.7 m) |
| Depth of hold | 8 ft 5 in (2.6 m) |
| Sail plan | Schooner |
| Complement | 25 |
| Armament | 4 × 12-pounder carronades |
HMS Viper was launched at Cowes in 1805 as the mercantile schooner Princess Charlotte. The Royal Navy purchased her in 1807. Lieutenant William Towning commissioned her. On 9 (or 18) February 1809 she sailed from Cadiz for Gibraltar. She never arrived and was presumed to have foundered with all hands.
She was carrying as a passenger Robert Arbuthnot, the former Chief Secretary in Ceylon.