HMS San Nicolas (1797)

HMS Captain capturing San Nicolás and San Josef at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797
History
Spain
Name	San Nicolás
Captured	By the British at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797
United Kingdom
Name	HMS San Nicolas
Acquired	14 February 1797
Reclassified	Prison ship in 1800
Fate	Sold on 3 November 1814
General characteristics
Type	80-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1,942 tons
Length	180 ft (55 m)
Beam	49 ft 6 in (15.09 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	80 guns

San Nicolás was an 80-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Spanish Navy.

She was present at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797, when she was boarded by a number of British sailors from HMS Captain led by Horatio Nelson. They successfully took the ship, then crossed from her decks to board San Josef, which had come to the aid of San Nicolás, but had become encumbered with her. Nelson and his men then captured San Josef as well.

Admiral Sir John Jervis put Commander Peter Puget, in HMS Raven in charge of San Nicolas, still crewed by Spaniards. Puget suppressed a mutiny and delivered the crew to Lisbon.

San Nicolás was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS San Nicolas. She became a prison ship in 1800, and was sold for breaking up on 3 November 1814.

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

• Media related to HMS San Nicolas (ship, 1797) at Wikimedia Commons