HMS Racoon was a sloop of the Royal Navy that served during the late 18th century. Built in 1782, the ship had a complement of 125 men and was armed with 14 guns. The vessel played a role in the American Revolutionary War, capturing several French privateers and merchant ships. In 1796, the Racoon was involved in a skirmish with a French privateer that resulted in significant damage to the ship. The crew managed to repair the vessel and return to port safely. The Racoon went through various refits and repairs over the years, serving in different capacities such as a survey ship and a troop transport. The ship was eventually sold out of service in 1817. HMS Racoon's history exemplifies the versatile and enduring nature of naval vessels of that era, which were able to adapt to different roles and continue serving the Royal Navy for many years.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.