Hulks in Hong Kong (19th century)

A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulks served different purposes:

• An accommodation hulk is a hulk used as housing, generally when there is a lack of quarters available ashore (barracks).
• A receiving ship is a ship used in harbour to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a ship's crew
• A prison hulk was a hulk used as a floating prison
• Hulks used for storage (depot ship)
• Hulks used as hospital ships

(source Wikipedia) 

In the history of Hong Kong, many hulks have been stationed in Victoria Harbour, the best known being HMS Tamar. David posted already in 2010 a list of hulks used in Hong Kong in the 19th and early-20th centuries. This post tries to give information and, if available, photos of these ships in Hong Kong. Some ships have pages of their own, attached are links to these. The list gives the name of the ship, its class, the years of service in Hong Kong and finally their use. Additionally, this compilation deals only with larger hulks first stationed in the 19th century. Most hulks from the second half of the 19th century were (small) gunboats which are difficult to find on photos.

•  74-gun Ganges-class third-rate ship of the line
• launched on 19 June 1810 from Bombay
• arrived in Hong Kong late 1842 as hospital ship, later store and military stationary ship, sold August 1861

• 28-gun Atholl-class sixth rate
• launched at Cochin, British India on 29 March 1821
• 1848 service in Hong Kong as Seamen’s hospital, sold in October 1865

[small ship, difficult to find on photos from this time]

• 74-gun third-rate ship of the line
• launched on 5 September 1815 at Chatham
• 1853 arrived in Hong Kong, served as depot and receiving ship, sold in August 1865 to be broken

• 74-gun third rate ship of the line
• launched on 17 February 1817 at Bombay Dockyard.
• 1857 converted to a hospital ship, sold 1873

•  104 Gun 1st Rate Ship of the line.
• Launched 14th September 1825 in Portsmouth 
• Arrived Hong Kong 6th January 1858, Sold 1875,
• replaced by HMS Victor Emmanuel

• 91-gun second-rate ship of the line
• 1855: Launched as Repulse at Pembroke Dockyard, then later in the year renamed to Victor Emmanuel after he visited the ship.
• 1874: Arrived in Hong Kong on 11th December to replace Princess Charlotte as the receiving ship.
• 1897-09-30: Paid off and replaced by HMS Tamar.

• two-deck 80-gun second rate ship of the line
• launched on 11 November 1842 at Bombay Dockyard
• 1867/80 hospital ship in Hong Kong, sold and broke up in 1906

• wooden gunboat 232 tons
• Launched 10 April 1856
• 1867 converted to a hospital, wrecked in the 1874 typhoon

• troop ship
• built by the Samuda Brothers at Cubitt Town, London, launched in 1865
• 1897 converted to a hulk,
• 1897-10-01 in service until 11 December 1941, when she was scuttled just before the Japanese captured Hong Kong

Addendum: hulk not related to the Royal Navy

• 1891 built as hospital ship by HK and Whampoa Dock Company
• served as small pox hospital ship
• damaged in the 1906 typhoon, refloated, finally sold in 1909. (Source)