Fifth and third rates occupied economical steps on the shipbuilding scale. A fifth rate's single continuous battery was a practical global cruiser, while a third rate added a second full deck and roughly doubled the gun count from 32 to 44 guns to 64 to 80. A rough modern analogy places the fifth-rate band around 6,000 to 7,500 tons and the third-rate band around 10,000 to 12,500 tons, depending on configuration. Another worthwhile capability jump appears around 16,000 to 18,000 tons. These figures compare capability bands rather than converting sailing-ship ratings into displacement. Some intermediate designs offered too little added fighting power for their extra cost.
Chapter · 18:21-22:50
The fifth rate as a naval price point
The fifth rate offered the most useful capability from one full gun deck, a cost-and-capability balance compared with later cruiser-sized warships.