Cherokee-class brig-sloop

Longitudinal section of HMS Beagle (Cherokee class) as of 1832, by then converted to a barque by addition of a mizzen-mast.
Class overview
Name	Cherokee-class brig-sloop
Operators	Royal Navy
Planned	115
Completed	36 in first batch 34 in second batch (with another 1 being cancelled) 34 in third batch (with another 4 cancelled and 6 orders replaced by orders for equivalent steam-assisted paddle vessels)
Cancelled	11
General characteristics
Type	Brig-sloop
Tons burthen	238 bm
Length	Overall: 90 ft 0 in (27.43 m) Keel: 73 ft 7+5⁄8 in (22.4 m)
Beam	24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Draught	12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Depth of hold	11 ft 0 in (3.4 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	Sloop-of-war:75 Survey voyages: On Beagle's second voyage, 65 plus 9 supernumeraries
Armament	Sloop-of-war:2 × 6-pounder bow chasers + 8 × 18-pounder carronades Survey voyages:6 guns

The Cherokee class was a class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy, mounting ten guns. Brig-sloops were sloops-of-war with two masts (a fore mast and a taller main mast) rather than the three masts of ship sloops. Orders for 115 vessels were placed, including five which were cancelled and six for which the orders were replaced by ones for equivalent steam-powered paddle vessels.^[1]

Many of these sailing vessels served as mail packet ships, and more than eight assisted with exploration and surveys. The best known of the class was HMS Beagle, then considerably modified for Beagle's second survey voyage under Robert FitzRoy, with the gentleman naturalist Charles Darwin on board as a self-funded supernumerary.^[2][3]