French Privateer snow 'L'Observateur' (1758)

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Sea-flower (4) 1714-1718
British 4 Gun
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Merchant Sailor
Service 1714-1718
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Cassandra (26) 1719-1720
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Richard LazenbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Pirate
Service 1719-1723
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Recent Comments

Britannia (100) 1762-1825
British 100 Gun
1st Rate Ship of the Line
1812 Renamed "Princess Royal"
1812 Renamed "Saint George"
1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
(1762)
Devastation (6) 1841-1866
British 6 Gun
Unrated Steam Sloop
(1841)
Zephyr (8) 1790-1798
British 8 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1790)
Pembroke (60) 1733-1749
British 60 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
(1733)
Mercury (20) 1745-1753
British 20 Gun
6th Rate Ship
(1745)
Seahorse (24) 1748-1784
British 24 Gun
6th Rate Frigate
(1748)
Charles PowlettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1749
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Namur (74) 1746-1749
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1746)
Shark (8) 1732-1755
British 8 Gun
Unrated Sloop
(1732)
See more...

L'Observateur
Nominal Guns	14	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Royaume de France
Operator	Private Owners
Acquired	1758	BWAS-1714
Home Port	Le Havre - Normandy	ref:692
Shipyard	Le Havre - Normandy	BWAS-1714
Category	Privateer	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Snow	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Snow	BWAS-1714
Bought by the Navy	5.1759	BWAS-1714
Becomes	French snow 'L'Epreuve' (1759) (14) 1759-1760 French 14 Gun Unrated Snow

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck92' 9 ½"Imperial Feet28.0543
Length of Keel74' 2 ⅛"Imperial Feet22.5584
Breadth25' 9"Imperial Feet7.6657
Depth in Hold13' 5 ¼"Imperial Feet3.9688
Burthen261 ⁴⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric Equivalentref:692
Burthen300Ton

Armament

1758Broadside Weight = 28 French Livre (30.2176 lbs 13.706 kg)NNF-1715
Gun Deck14 French 4-Pounder

Owners

DatesOwnerSource
1760ref:692

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1760125 ref:692

Notes on Ship

Error date ref:692

Privateer 1760 in Salein : 20 guns , 125 mens and 300 tons , taken by British frigate in December 1760

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ref:692Jean Jacques Salein, Web Site

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Date posted	By	Page
Monday 8th of June 2026 17:20	F.F.	British First Rate ship of the line 'Britannia' (1762) (100) 1762-1825 British 100 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the Line 1812 Renamed "Princess Royal" 1812 Renamed "Saint George" 1819 Renamed "Barfleur"
Thursday 4th of June 2026 20:01	James Daschuk	British steam sloop 'Devastation' (1841) (6) 1841-1866 British 6 Gun Unrated Steam Sloop
Thursday 4th of June 2026 14:56	AvM	British Merchant east indiaman 'Zephyr' (1790) (8) 1790-1798 British 8 Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:37	Jon Miller	British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Pembroke' (1733) (60) 1733-1749 British 60 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line
Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 19:33	Jon Miller	British Sixth Rate ship 'Mercury' (1745) (20) 1745-1753 British 20 Gun 6th Rate Ship

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