HMS ''Wagtail'' was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

''Cuckoo''-class

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

launched in 1806 by James Lovewell at Great Yarmouth. Like many of her class and the related s, she succumbed to the perils of the sea relatively early in her career. She was commissioned in 1806 under Lieutenant William Cullis. She was wrecked on 13 February 1807 at

Vila Franca do Campo Vila Franca do Campo () is a Portuguese town on the island of São Miguel in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. It covers an area of 78.00 km² and has a population of 10,323 inhabitants (2021). The municipality is divided into 6 parishes and is ...

, São Miguel in the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

, three hours after her sister ship was wrecked, and near ''Woodcock's'' water-logged remains. Both vessels had been anchored in the shelter of an islet off the town when a gale came up. Because of the storm they were unable to clear the land. ''Wagtails'' cables held until 8 pm. Then her cables parted, and with waves breaking over her, Cullis ran her ashore. One man of the 18 men in her crew drowned.

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagtail (1806) 1806 ships Ships built in Norfolk Cuckoo-class schooners Maritime incidents in 1807 Shipwrecks of the Azores