Built as a wooden side-wheeler paddle steamer at the Deptford Dry-dock, Deptford for the Royal Navy.
26 December 1821 ordered.
February 1823 keel laid down.
17 (27) February 1824 launched as HMS METEOR, one of the Lighting class.
Tonnage 349 ton displacement (296 ton b.m), dim. 126.0 x 22.8 x 13.8ft. draught 9.5ft.
Powered by two 2-cyl. side lever steam-engines, manufactured by Boulton, Watt and Co., total 100 nhp. Speed 11 knots
Armament 2 – 6 pdrs, brass. Later 3 – 6pdrs.
Crew 20.
Building cost £15.927
She and her sister LIGHTING were built for the Admiralty need for steam tugs at Plymouth and Portsmouth.
01 April 1828 she sailed from Lisbon for Portsmouth where she arrived via Vigo with dispatches.
15 June 1828 sailed from the River Tagus for Portsmouth where she arrived 19 June.
23 July 1828 sailed for Deptford.
24 July 1829 used as a tug for sailing vessels at Plymouth.
05 Augustus 1829 in Hamoaze (anchorage off Plymouth).
The METEOR was the first paddle-steamer venture in the packet service, and a trial voyage was carried out under command of Lt. Symons RN during February and March 1830 from Falmouth to Corfu and back, calling at Gibraltar, Malta, Zante and Patrass
25 March 1830 arrived at Plymouth via Falmouth.
The round voyage was completed in 47 days.
On her fourth voyage she got boiler trouble, when off the coast of North Africa, the same voyage northward bound she was thwarted by strong headwind and ran out of coal, forging her to re-bunker in Vigo, where she got insufficient bunkers to get her home, by using every spare spar, bulkhead, topmast, water cask and all things they could find on board what would burn. She could not reach Falmouth and 8 miles off the port she had to anchor and more coal was ferried out to her before she could enter the port on 30 June 1831, with on board 13 passengers and eight days behind schedule.
She was kept in this packet service until it was privatised in 1837.
1837 Re-engined with Tartarus engines.
From 1841 in use as a tug.
1846 Was she in the Levant and in the summer of 1848 was she in Piraeus, Greece.
Augustus 1849 broken up at Sheerness.
Source: The Sail & Steam Navy List by David Lyon and Rif Winfield. http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/M?03021.html
The Falmouth Packets 1689-1851 by Tony Pawlyn.