USS Grampus (1821)

Grampus depicted flying her National Ensigns upside down, a sign of distress
History
United States
Name	USS Grampus
Builder	Washington Navy Yard
Laid down	1820
Launched	August 1821
Stricken	1 August 1843[1]
Fate	Foundered, 15 March 1843
General characteristics
Type	Schooner
Displacement	171.5 long tons (174.3 t)
Length	97 ft (30 m)
Beam	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Draft	9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
Propulsion	Sail
Complement	142 officers and enlisted
Armament	2 × 9 pdr (4.1 kg) guns, 8 × 24 pdr (11 kg) carronades

USS Grampus was a schooner in the United States Navy. She was the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for the Grampus griseus, also known as Risso's dolphin.

Grampus was built at the Washington Navy Yard under the supervision of naval constructor William Doughty, based on a design by Henry Eckford. Her 73 ft (22 m) keel was laid down in 1820. She was launched in early August 1821. The need to suppress piracy and to maintain ships to catch slavers led to the building of five such schooners, the largest of which was Grampus. This was the first building program undertaken by the Navy since the War of 1812.