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Vanguard Foremast — Gulf of Lyons

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Vanguard Foremast — Gulf of Lyons

Generated illustration. Not a historical photograph. A British 74. Not a named portrait of Vanguard.

Overview

HMS Vanguard — Nelson’s Nile Flagship already records the 1 August 1798 flagship day. This note covers the Gulf of Lyons gale only.1

The Gale

Southey says that Nelson sailed from Gibraltar on the 9th of May with the Vanguard, Orion, and Alexander. On the 19th, when they were in the Gulf of Lyons, a gale came on from the N.W. It moderated so much on the 20th as to enable them to get their top-gallant-masts and yards aloft. After dark it again began to blow strong. Shortly after midnight his main-top-mast went over the side, and the mizen-top-mast soon afterward. At half past three the foremast went in three pieces, and the bowsprit was found to be sprung in three places. When day broke they succeeded in wearing the ship with a remnant of the spritsail. The Vanguard was at that time 25 leagues south of the islands of Hieres, with her head lying to the N.E.; and if she had not wore, the ship must have drifted to Corsica.2

The Nile flagship day stays on HMS Vanguard — Nelson’s Nile Flagship. The 1796 evacuation stays on Corsica — Evacuated November 1796. This page does not recopy a spoken line, or invent a harbour beyond St. Pietro as the intended tow.

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Footnotes

  1. Nile flagship, 1 August 1798 only: HMS Vanguard — Nelson’s Nile Flagship. ↩

  2. “at half past three the foremast went in three pieces, and the bowsprit was found to be sprung in three places.” @southey1813nelson vol. 1, pp. 205–206 (1813). Do not recopy a spoken line. ↩

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