HMS Ferret was a Royal Navy 14-gun sloop launched in 1784. Initially used for convoy duties and anti-smuggling patrols, the ship was later assigned to exploration and survey missions in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. In 1790, under the command of Captain George Vancouver, HMS Ferret played a significant role in surveying the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. The ship also participated in the French Revolutionary Wars, capturing several enemy vessels. In 1794, HMS Ferret was wrecked off the coast of Corsica while engaged in a blockade of the island. Despite attempts to refloat the ship, it was ultimately abandoned and destroyed to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The loss of HMS Ferret was a blow to the Royal Navy, but its legacy lives on through the valuable survey work it conducted under Captain Vancouver's leadership.

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