On 16 February 1861 she was undocked as screw-propelled steam frigate, and it is assumed she went into reserve. As refitted she now had a James Watt &amp; co. engine with cylinders 64" in diameter 3 ft. stroke. 400 h.p. NHP. 1,568 ihp = 9.703 kts., making her a sailing ship with auxiliary steam power. She was rearmed with thirty ML 8-inch shell guns on her main deck and twenty 32-pounder guns 56cwt plus one 68-pounder gun 95cwt chaser on her upper deck. "Leander"s next commission started at Sheerness Dockyard on 23 May 1863, under Commodore Thomas Harvey, eldest son of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey. She sailed for Pacific Station, where she served as the flagship of the Southern Division, based at Valparaiso. On 1 January 1866, she received a new captain, Commodore Michael de Courcy, remaining flagship of the Pacific Station Southern Division. De Courcy had previously served as captain of HMS "Pylades" (1854) on the Pacific Station from 1859 to 1861, and De Courcy Island on Canada's west coast is named for him. Under his command she was present for the Bombardment of Valparaíso on the 31 March 1866. Due to the damage inflicted on British property, while the Pacific Station commander, Admiral Henry Mangles Denham in HMS "Sutlej" and "Leander", stood by and watched, it was described as "a Spanish victory over Britain". Her final captain, William Dowell, took command on 16 June 1866 and brought her home to Sheerness Dockyard for decommission on 17 November 1866. She was sold to the shipbreaking firm of Castle &amp; Beech of New Charlton, London April 1867 for breaking up. Like most other screw frigate conversions of the period she was obsolete when completed and only had one commission.