Most familiar frigates were fifth rates, a category better understood here as a price and manpower point than a quality score. A ship sent around the world had to balance capability, a manageable crew, and the risk of loss in a storm. HMS Experiment supplies a sixth-rate example with roughly 150 crew, especially in peacetime, while wartime boarding parties and prize-taking could encourage larger complements. Successful captains and the prospect of prize money could attract volunteers without coercion. Impressment became more important during national emergencies, when the fleet had to expand beyond its normal manpower base. Skilled topmen could command high merchant wages and move between British and American ships as opportunities changed. Disputes over their nationality and Britain's authority to impress them contributed to the tensions behind the War of 1812.
Notable Point · 3:57-6:36
Fifth rates, skilled crews, and the limits of impressment
Fifth- and sixth-rate frigates illustrate the economics of crew size, while scarce topmen and prize money complicate simple accounts of impressment.