Frigate Unicorn

Wed, May 8th 2019 at 12:50 pm - 2:00 pm

Billy Rough gave us the history and the present use of HMS Unicorn which is docked at Dundee

Club members please log in for more information.

Billy Rough Operations Manager of HMS Unicorn told us the history of this remarkable ship situated at Victoria Dock giving a real maritime history under one roof.

The ship was built for the Royal Navy in the Royal Dockyard of Chatham and is now nearly 200 years old. She is considered the best preserved wooden ship in the world with four decks and accommodating originally 46 guns and a crew of 300. For the first fifteen years of her life she was used to store items including gun powder. She never went to sea and remained un-rigged and under cover of a wooden roof for her entire working life.

It was likely she must have cost about £26,000 when she was originally built using wood from 1,000 oak trees and she came to Dundee where she was used as a training ship. We were shown pictures of wrens working on the ship and the impressive Captain’s Cabin which had its own toilet and shower when built. The ship can be hired for special parties.

HMS Unicorn has several projects being worked upon at present and aims to involve school party visits and has been given 10 out of ten for accessibility. Billy Rough invited us all to visit HMS Unicorn and from the pictures shown and his enthusiasm a visit will be most interesting. Jimmy Spankie gave a warm vote of thanks to his fellow Dundonian.