It was supposedly in 1781 that RATTLESNAKE was built as a privateer at Plymouth, Massachusetts for a Salem syndicate; John Andrews, and others. The Preble Papers in the Massachusetts Historical Society indicate that the designer and builder was John Peck of Boston (according to Chapelle, this is not strictly true for sure- Ed.) She was first commissioned on June 12, 1781 with Master Mark Clark at the helm. This, however, is early in the year. Consequently, there is some question about the actual building date. The ship could have been under construction in1780 or earlier.

During 1781, at a time when privateering was losing its luster, British frigates still lay off the coasts of noteworthy American colonial towns, keeping tabs on shipbuilding departures, and raiding shipping centers. It was along these routes that RATTLESNAKE met her fate when she was captured by British 44-gun H.M.S. ASSURANCE.
RATTLESNAKE was sent to England where she was taken into the Royal Navy and renamed CORMORANT. Her hull lines were taken at the Plymouth Dockyard in 1782. In 1783, when the Admiralty found out they already had a ship named CORMORANT, the ship was again named RATTLESNAKE. In 1784 or 1786, she was sold out of Naval service. Beyond that her history is not clear. One source says she was used by the French as a privateer and named LE TONNANT, but this is not confirmed by any authority.

Despite her moderate size, RATTLESNAKE was ship-rigged and impressive in appearance and feature beyond her broadside strength. The ship was 89’ 3” long on deck, with a molded beam of 22’, a mean draft of 8’ 1-1/2”, and about 198 tons burthen. Her molded displacement was 221.3 long tons. Along with 85 men, she carried twenty 6-pounders only, a psychological ploy no doubt, but her lines reveal a fast and weatherly ship For more info on this ship, refer to The History of American Sailing Ships and The Search For Speed Under Sail, both by Howard Chapelle Be sure it is the 1781 RATTLESNAKE! Plank-on-frame kits of RATTLESNAKE are available by Model Shipways, Mamoli, and others.