The H.M.S. Paramour was the first ship built specifically to serve as a research vessel. She was rigged as a three masted pink and was launched in April of 1694. A pink is a small ship featuring a narrow stern and a flat bottom. The Paramour was 16 meters in length, had a breadth of 5.5 meters, and weighed about 81 metric tons. Despite their small size, a pink had a large hold capacity suitable for hauling cargo. Their shallow draught allowed them to enter small rivers and streams or sail safely over reefs. They were flexible and easy to handle. Beginning in 1698, Edmond Halley, astronomer and mathematician, took command of the H.M.S Paramour during his expeditions into the South Atlantic to study the variations of the compass and to observe the conditions of terrestrial magnetism. The vessel was refitted as a ketch in 1702 and served with the Royal Navy until 1706.
