English ship Answer (1590)

Answer was a small galleon in the service of the English Royal Navy. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as Cadiz and the Azores. She was later assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She maintained this assignment until she went to the Irish Station then back to the English Channel. She was finally sold in 1629.

Answer was the first named vessel in the English and Royal Navies.

Construction and specifications
She was built on the Thames possibly at Deptford under the guidance of Master Shipwright Richard Chapman. She was launched in 1590. Her dimensions were 60 ft for keel with a breadth of 26 ft and a depth of hold of 13 ft. Her tonnage was between 202.9 and 253.5 tons.

Her gun armament was in 1603 19 guns consisting of five demi-culverines, six sakers, six minions and two falcons plus two fowlers Her manning was around 100 officers and men in 1603.

Commissioned service
She was commissioned in 1599 thru 1600 under Captain Walter Gore for service with Sir Richard Leveson's Channel Guard in 1599. She was with the Channel Guard until July 1599. In 1601 she was under Captain Thomas Coverte for the Thames Guard. In 1602 she was under the command of Captain Matthew Bardgate for service in the English Channel. She was rebuilt at Chatham Dockyard in May 1604.

Disposition
Answer was sold at Rochester on 17 June 1629.