# List of ship launches in 1781

The list of ship launches in 1781 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1781.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class | Notes |
| 5 January | United States | James Hackett | Portsmouth, New Hampshire | Alexander | Privateer | For Massachusetts State Navy. |
| 5 January | Kingdom of France | Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb | Toulon | Blonde | Coquette-class corvette | For French Navy. |
| 20 January | Kingdom of France | | Havre de Grâce | Brune | Coquette-class corvette | For French Navy. |
| 23 February | Kingdom of France | | Rochefort | Illustre | Magnamine-class ship of the line | For French Navy. |
| 26 February | Spain | | El Ferrol | Santo Domingo | Fourth rate | For Spanish Navy. |
| 5 March | Kingdom of France | | Toulon | La Belette | Coquette-class Corvette | For French Navy. |
| 7 March | Great Britain | Randall & Brent | River Thames | King George | Merchantman | For Hudson's Bay Company. |
| 10 March | Great Britain | Nicholas Phillips | Chatham Dockyard | Dolphin | Roebuck-class ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 10 March | Kingdom of France | Daniel & Jacques Denys | Dunkerque | Lézard | Cerf-class cutter | For French Navy. |
| 12 March | Great Britain | Peter Baker | Liverpool | Assistance | Portland-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 12 March | Kingdom of France | | Dunkerque | Le Malin | Cert-class cutter | For French Navy. |
| 13 March | Great Britain | John Perry | Blackwall | Earl of Chesterfield | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| 13 March | Great Britain | John Perry | Blackwall | Earl of Hertford | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| 13 March | Great Britain | Edward Greaves | Limehouse | Latona | Fifth rate | For Royal Navy. |
| 22 March | Kingdom of France | | Toulon | Poulette | Coquette-class corvette | For French Navy. |
| 26 March | Great Britain | John Wells | Deptford | Deptford | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| 26 March | Great Britain | Nicholas Phillips & George White | Portsmouth Dockyard | Eurydice | Porcupine-class post ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 10 April | Great Britain | Henry Adams | Bucklers Hard | Agamemnon | Ardent-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 10 April | Great Britain | Hilhouse | Bristol | Arethusa | Minerva-class frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 10 April | Great Britain | John Randall & Co. | Rotherhithe | Perseverance | Fifth rate | For Royal Navy. |
| 10 April | Great Britain | John Sutton | Liverpool | Success | Amazon-class frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 11 April | Great Britain | Adams & Barnard | Deptford | Africa | Inflexible-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 12 April | Dutch Republic | Jacob Spaan | Dordrecht | Hercules | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| 24 April | Great Britain | George White | Portsmouth Dockyard | Crocodile | Porcupine-class post ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 1 May | Dutch Republic | P. Glavimans | Harlingen | Pallas | Frigate | For Dutch Navy. |
| 1 May | Spain | | El Ferrol | Santa Sabina | Fifth rate | For Spanish Navy. |
| 8 May | Great Britain | John Jenner | Woolwich Dockyard | Sampson | Intrepid-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 9 May | Great Britain | | Plymouth Dockyard | Narcissus | Sphinx-class post ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 9 May | Great Britain | Henry Ladd | Dover | Tisiphone | Tisiphone-class fireship | For Royal Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Nadezhda | Modified Pavel-class frigate | For Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Podrazhislav | Modified Pavel-class frigate | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Slava | Modified Pavel-class frigate | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Sviatoslav | Aziia-class ship of the line | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Trekh Sviatitelei | Aziia-class ship of the line | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 22 May | Russia | M. D. Portnov | Archangelsk | Vysheslav | Aziia-class ship of the line | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 24 May | Great Britain | George Parsons | Bursledon | Quebec | Active-class frigate | For Navy. |
| 26 May | Great Britain | Thomas King | Dover | Alecto | Tisiphone-class fireship | For Royal Navy. |
| May | Great Britain | Thomas King | Dover | Pigmy | Unrated Alert-class Cutter (boat) | For Royal Navy. |
| 5 June | Kingdom of France | Jean-Denis Chevilard | Rochefort | Argonaute | Argonaute-class ship of the line | For French Navy. |
| 6 June | Kingdom of France | Jean-Denis Chevillard | Rochefort | Brave | Argonaute-class ship of the line | For French Navy. |
| 7 June | Great Britain | John Baker & Co. | Newcastle upon Tyne | Argo | Roebuck-class ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 8 June | Kingdom of France | | Havre de Grâce | Le Chameau | Dromadaire-class Flûte (ship) | For French Navy. |
| 8 June | Great Britain | John Randall | Rotherhithe | Sceptre | Inflexible-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 9 June | Great Britain | Adam Hayes | Deptford Dockyard | Myrmidon | Sixth rate | For Royal Navy. |
| 22 June | Kingdom of France | Daniel & Jacques Denys | Dunkerque | Espion | Levrette-class cutter | For French Navy. |
| 22 June | Spain | | El Ferrol | San Felipe Apóstol | Fourth rate | For Spanish Navy. |
| 23 June | Kingdom of France | | Dunkerque | La Fanfaron | Cerf-class Cutter (boat) | For French Navy. |
| 3 July | Great Britain | Thomas King | Dover | Cockatrice | Alert-class cutter | For Royal Navy. |
| 8 July | Dutch Republic | | Rotterdam | Kortenaer | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| 13 July | Great Britain | John Barnard | Deptford | Dutton | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| 24 July | Great Britain | Robert Fabian | East Cowes | Astraea | Active-class frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 14 August | Kingdom of France | | Toulon | Durance | Rhône-class scow | For French Navy. |
| 19 August | Kingdom of France | Benjamin Dubois | Saint-Malo | Cléopâtre | Vénus-class frigate | For French Navy. |
| 22 August | Great Britain | Barnard | Deptford | Warren Hastings | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| August | Kingdom of France | | Brest | Couronne | Saint-Esprit-class ship of the line | For French Navy. |
| 4 September | Great Britain | John Henslow | Plymouth Dockyard | Anson | Intrepid-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 19 September | Great Britain | Webb Fearon | Liverpool | Ceres | Active-class frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 15 October | Kingdom of France | | Brest | Pégase | Pégase-class ship of the line | For French Navy. |
| 18 October | Great Britain | Peter Baker | Liverpool | Ariel | Zebra-class sloop | For Royal Navy. |
| 18 October | Great Britain | Hilhouse | Bristol | Diomede | Roebuck-class ship | For Royal Navy. |
| 18 October | Great Britain | George White | Portsmouth Dockyard | Warrior | Alfred-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 19 October | Great Britain | Adam Hayes | Deptford Dockyard | Goliath | Arrogant-class ship of the line | For Royal Navy. |
| 29 October | Kingdom of France | Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb | Toulon | Iris | Magicienne-class frigate | For French Navy. |
| October | Great Britain | John Fisher | Liverpool | Racehorse | Sloop of war | For Royal Navy. |
| October | Great Britain | Robert Fabian | East Cowes | Swallow | Cutter | For Royal Navy. |
| 4 November | Russia | I. V. James | Saint Petersburg | Gektor | Sixth rate | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 4 November | Russia | I. V. James | Saint Petersburg | Provornyi | Evangelist Mark-class frigate | For Imperial Russian Navy. |
| 17 November | Great Britain | William Barnard | Deptford | Andromache | Amazon-class frigate | For Royal Navy. |
| 16 December | Dutch Republic | J. Swerus | Harlingen | Harlingen | Fifth rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| December | Kingdom of France | | Havre de Grâce | Autruche | Dromadaire-class Flûte (ship) | For French Navy. |
| December | Kingdom of France | | Havre de Grâce | La Lourde | Dromadaire-class Flûte (ship) | For French Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | Sunderland | Achilles | Merchantman | For Michael Humble and Stephen Todd. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | Fishburn & Brodrick | Whitby | Ann and Amelia | Merchantman | For John Julius Angerstein. |
| Unknown date | United States | Paul | Boston, Massachusetts | Belisarius | Privateer | For Massachusetts State Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | River Thames | Boddington | West Indiaman | For Mr. Boddington. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | P. van Zwijndregt | Rotterdam | Braak | Cutter | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | | Brooks | Slave ship | For J. Brook. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Rotterdam | Centaurus | Fourth rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Chambers | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | John Wells | Deptford | Duke of Atholl | East Indiaman | For British Eas India Company. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | John Perry | Blackwall | Europa | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Expeditie | Frigate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Faam | Uitlegger | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | John Barnard | Rotherhithe | Fairford | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | Nicholas Bools | Bridport | Flying Fish | Ketch | For J. O'Neal. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Amsterdam | Gelderland | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | Barnard | | General Coote | East Indiaman | For British East India Company. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Vlissingen | Goes | Fourth rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | United States | Thomas Barstow | Hanover, Massachusetts | Grand Turk | Privateer | For Massachusetts State Navy. |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Grand Turk | Privateer | For Virginia State Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | Bristol | Hector | West Indiaman | For John Maxse. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Amsterdam | Hercules | Privateer | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | Nicholas Bools | Bridport | Hercules | Sloop | For Mr. Bidgood. |
| Unknown date | Ottoman Empire | | Constantinople | Inayet-i Hakk | Fourth rate | For Ottoman Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | P. van Zwijndrecht | Rotterdam | Kemphaan | Aviso | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of Great Britain | Wells | Deptford | Kent | East Indiaman | For William Moffatt. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | Saint-Malo | La Marquise de St. Pern | Privateer | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | Dunkerque | La Royale | Privateer | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Mars | Privateer | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Meeuw | Uitlegger | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Mercuur | Cutter | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | United States | | New England | Mentor | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | Nantes | Musette | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | Folkestone | Nimble | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | Philemon Jacobs | Folkestone | Nimble | Cutter | For Royal Navy. |
| Unknown date | India | | Calcutta | Nonsuch | Merchantman | For John Canning & Henry Watson. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | Bristol | Orange Valley | West Indiaman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Rotterdam | Pollux | Fourth rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Rotterdam | Snelheid | Cutter | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Medemblik | Snelheid | Cutter | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Amsterdam | Unie | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Amsterdam | Utrecht | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | | Virginia | Privateer | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Waakzaamheid | Uitlegger | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | Zwindrecht | Rotterdam | Wassenaar | Third rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Great Britain | | Whitby | William and Ann | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Windhond | Sixth rate | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Zeebaars | Unrated | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | | Zeemeeuw | Unrated | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Rotterdam | Zephier | Cutter | For Dutch Navy. |
| Unknown date | Dutch Republic | | Amsterdam | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | | Name unknown | West Indiaman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | | Name unknown | | For unknown owner. |
| Unknown date | Kingdom of France | | | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United States | | | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | Unknown | | | Name unknown | Merchantman | For private owner. |