The Peregrine Gally
Written By John Luberti
P.03
After the refit in 1716 the Peregrine was renamed Royal Caroline according to Sergal, Anatomy says it was simply Yacht Caroline. Either way the Peregrine would serve over three decades as a Royal Yacht with a long list of historic names both Captains and passengers found in her logs. Despite the differences in what the Peregrine was when she first set sail both writings agree the Peregrine's fast sailing reputation would eventually make her the perfect Ship for transporting members of the Royal family and visiting heads of states. The Peregrine Galley's 1716 refit was dramatic changing topside and below decks and one can only imagine the difference in how the 16 year old Peregrine Galley and the Yacht Caroline would have looked. Aside from her lines no one would have believed their eyes I would have imagined. Along with the major design changes the elaborate array of artistic carvings and gilded metal statues made the Caroline one of the most decorated ships of the times. No doubt every passenger must have felt as though they were in a floating palace. In 1733 after another refit the Caroline was finally renamed Royal Caroline. The Royal Caroline was the ultimate Royal Yacht. Fast, well armed, with staterooms and cabins to rival the best found on land in any palace.
In 1749 a new ship was built to take the aging Peregrine's place and she was stripped of all of the fine wood and gilded metal carvings and given back her original name. So well designed was the Peregrine Galley that the new Royal Caroline's lines were nearly a complete copy of the Peregrine Galley's. The new Caroline was 1' longer and her bow stem has a more gentle curve. Her deck layout was also different. What better proof of how well a ship's lines are that after nearly a half a century her replacement should look and be so much like the first ship. Especially at this particular time in Maritime History where sweeping changes came rapidly now that Ships were built on paper first.
At this time according to Anatomy of the Ships the Peregrine Galley would undergo a more radical refit and was cut into two parts and a 'parallel body' was added increasing her length by nearly 4 feet. Restored as a 10 gun Sloop of War, and renamed Peregrine Sloop where she served the Royal Navy until 1761. On the 28th of December, of that year the Peregrine Sloop sailed out of Lisbon and was never heard from again. According to Sergal's History of the Pergrine Galley no mention of the final refit is made nor was the the name change from Galley to Sloop mentioned. It did further stated the Peregrine sank with all hands in the Bay of Biscay in 1761. Sixty one years and several different refits and renames, not to bad for who ever the real designer of the Peregrine Galley was. No doubt the ship outlived nearly all who worked on her in 1700. I am as amazed today with the Peregrine's History as I was when I first got the kit. With some luck in the coming years I will get my hands on another Peregrine Galley kit and be able to work that kit into the Yacht Caroline of 1716. Maybe even take the plans I still have from the Sergal kit and make Yacht Caroline a Scratch Project. The Sergal Peregrine Galley was one of the most enjoyed projects both because of the beauty I saw in this ship and for the History that was most interesting and unique to me.
John Luberti