French brick-aviso Goéland (1787)

Goéland was the name ship of an eight-vessel class of "brick-avisos" (advice brigs). She was built to a design by Raymond-Antoine Haran and launched in 1787. She served the French Navy for several years carrying dispatches until in 1793 HMS Penelope (1783) and HMS Proserpine (1777) captured her off Jérémie. The Royal Navy took her into service briefly; she was sold in 1794.

French service
Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Tourneur carried dispatches from Brest to Newfoundland and St Pierre (probably Saint Pierre and Miquelon) on a voyage that lasted from 12 June 1790 until 3 November. The renowned French naval officer, Jean-Marthe-Adrien l'Hermite served on her as a junior officer on one of these voyages when she escorted the fishing fleet from Granville to Newfoundland.

On 12 September 1791 Goéland was at Brest, under the command of sous-lieutenant de vaisseau Le Dall de Kerangalet.

In April 1793 Goéland was sailing from Cap-Français to Jérémie while under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Leissègues de Pennenyum. Early on the 16th Leissègues was seeking to enter the bay while searching for a convoy he was to escort when he observed an enemy frigate at the entrance. The British frigate immediately set out to drive Goéland on shore. At 7a.m. she received her first shots and by 9.a.m. the British frigate was no more than pistol-shot away. Goéland fired back, but resistance was futile. Leissègues was forced to strike to the frigate Penelope. Proserpine shared with Penelope in the prize money, suggesting that she was in company with Penelope, or in sight.

British service
The British took Goéland into service as Goelan. Commander Thomas Wolley was appointed Goelan's captain at Jamaica. In September 1793, at the request of French Royalists, Commodore John Ford took a squadron and attacked Saint-Domingue and Jérémie in the Caribbean. On 23 September 1793 the British captured four merchant vessels at L'Islet, and on the 29th seven at Flamande Bay. At Môle-Saint-Nicolas, on 23 September, HMS Europa (1783), Goelan, and HMS Flying Fish (1793) captured the Convention Nationale, among other vessels.

In December command passed to Lieutenant George Hopewell Stephens (temp), who sailed Goelan to Portsmouth, arriving on 27 August 1794.

Fate
Goelan was offered for sale at Sheerness in 1794. She was sold at Portsmouth on 16 October 1794 for £590. Her buyers renamed her The Brothers and used her in commerce.