Q&A ยท 1:28:39-1:30:12

Did Quiberon Bay's ships survive to Trafalgar?

A viewer asks whether any ships from the 1759 battle remained by Trafalgar, prompting a comparison of hull life and reconstruction.

Question

Were any ships from Quiberon Bay still in service by the Battle of Trafalgar?

Short answer

Not in an unreconstructed form: Royal George was lost in 1782 and Warspite lasted until 1801, while long-lived ships generally required major rebuilding.

Notes

Prominent British ships from Quiberon Bay did not quite survive to the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. Royal George was lost in 1782, while Warspite lasted until November 1801 and therefore came close. Ships serving across such long spans usually underwent significant reconstruction. A ship's name and nominal identity can outlast much of its original fabric in the age of sail.