Argonaute-class ship of the line

The Argonaute class was a class of two 74-gun ships of the French Navy, built to a common design by naval constructor François-Guillaume Clairin-Deslauriers. The design was lengthened by 4feet 9½ inches (4½ pieds) from the designer's previous Scipion class, which had been found to lack stability. The designer died on 10 October 1780, and the construction of these ships was completed by Jean-Denis Chevillard, who was appointed his successor as ingénieur-constructeur en chef at that dockyard in July 1781.

Ships

 * Argonaute
 * Builder: Rochefort Dockyard
 * Ordered: June 1779
 * Begun: August 1779
 * Launched: 5 June 1781
 * Completed: December 1781
 * Fate: Cut down (raséed) to a 'heavy' frigate 1793-94 and renamed Flibustier; disarmed in December 1795 and later taken to pieces.


 * Brave
 * Builder: Lorient Dockyard
 * Ordered: June 1779
 * Begun: October 1779
 * Launched: 6 June 1781
 * Completed: November 1781
 * Fate: Cut down (raséed) to a 'heavy' frigate 1793-94 (but not renamed); reduced to a hulk at Brest in January 1798, and later taken to pieces.