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DETERMINEE
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(24) |
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Taken by REVOLUTIONAIRE in 1799.
Wrecked in 1803. |
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- 1801 Capt. J. C. SEARLE, Lisbon.
- 1802 Capt. SKENE, Spithead.
- 1803 Capt. Alexander BECHER.
he sailed from St. Helen's on the evening of 4 January for Dublin to enter seamen. - Capt. BECHER received orders at Spithead on 23 March 1803 to carry a detachment of the 81st. regiment to Jersey and they were all embarked by the afternoon of the following day.
No pilot was available at Spithead so he sailed in company with AURORA hoping to obtain one either at Cowes or Yarmouth.
DETERMINEE anchored at Cowes over night but Capt. BECHER received no answer to his signals for a pilot and the following morning he followed AURORA to the Needles where he sent an officer ashore.
His efforts were unsuccessful and they sailed through the Needles hoping to obtain a pilot at Guernsey or off the Jersey coast.
Since he was unable to obtain any answers to his continual signals he decided to follow in AURORA's wake.
Just before half past four on Saturday the 26th. Capt. BECHER attempted to bring his ship into the wind at the same place as AURORA five minutes earlier but scarcely had the main-brace been belayed than she stuck broadside on to a sunken rock near Noirmont Point on the western side of St. Aubyn Bay where she was immediately bilged and started taking in water.
To save her falling into deep water the captain immediately ordered both anchors to be let go. - The large cutter was soon launched and people crowded in to it ignoring pleas by the captain to allow the women and children on first.
At this point the ship fell on her beam ends and many were thrown into the water.
The captain reached the mizzen-top after being immersed for ten minutes.
From the rigging and masts he and most of the others were rescued by the boats of AURORA and CAMILLA over the next three and a half hours in a six knot tide.
The captain first reported that a midshipman and a seaman belonging to DETERMINEE were lost, together with ten soldiers, two women and three children from the 81st. regiment and a woman and child from the sick bay, but a later count showed that forty had been drowned. - At a court martial held on board GLADIATOR in Portsmouth on 5 April, Capt. BECHER, his officers and crew were honourably acquitted of all blame for the loss.
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