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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Vigilance" data-source="post: 4131837" data-attributes="member: 4275">Voyage of Discovery Preview: Spotlight on HMS ConstantA capture Mandelieu frigate, HMS Constant is a uniquely powerful vessel tasked with transforming herself from a ship of war into a vessel of exploration.Officially, Constant is a 5th-rate frigate, a designation that is considered wholly inadequate for this vessel. Most 5th-rates of the Island Kingdoms carry 32x12 pound guns. Constant carries 30x24 pound long cannons, which boast extreme accuracy at long range, along with 20x32 pound carronades, exceptionally powerful guns at close range. With 50 guns, Constant is considered a match for a 4th-rate Ship of the Line for all practical purposes.Displacing 2,200 tons and a little over 200 feet long, Constant carries a crew of 450 officers and men along with a contingent of 55 marines under command of Major Andrew Broughton. For her current assignment, the Constant has had every spare inch of cargo stuffed with additional supplies to extend her 6-month range as much as possible. She also has had several unusual officers assigned to assist in any scientific enquiries that might arise as she leaves the known world, including a naturalist and the Royal Cartographer to Her Majesty, who will provide the official maps of the journey.</blockquote>