HMS Griper ( 1813 ) HMS " Griper " was a of the British Royal Navy , built in 1813 by Mark Williams and John Davidson at Hythe . She participated in the 1819 expedition to the Arctic led by William Parry , made a voyage to Greenland and Norway in 1823 , and took part in Parry ' s third expedition in 1824 as a support ship . Her crew in 1819 , 1823 , or 1824 , qualified for the " Arctic Medal " , which the Admiralty issued in 1857 . She was eventually broken up in 1868 . Early career . " Griper " was commissioned in July 1813 under Commander Charles Mitchell . In February 1814 Commander Arthur M ' Meekan replaced Mitchell . In 1817 , " Griper " was at Chatham . She then underwent fitting as an exploration ship at Portsmouth between December 1818 and May 1819 . Expedition to Northwest Passage ( 1819 ) . Lieutenant Matthew Liddon recommissioned " Griper " in January 1819 . She then sailed with William Edward Parry from London on 11 May 1819 . Parry commanded two 3 - masted sailing ships : the 375 ton HMS " Hecla " and the 182 ton " Griper " . Their destination was the Northwest Passage . " Griper " was by far the inferior of the two ships , being described as " one of these paltry Gunbrigs . . . utterly unfit for this service ! " ( A . Parry ; " Parry of the Arctic " ) . Their departure had previously been delayed as the condition of the " Griper " was described as being " so crank as to cause apprehensions to be entertained for the safety of the officers and crew " . She was so slow that she had to be towed by the " Hecla " part of the way across the Atlantic . However , they successfully traveled further West along the Northwest Passage than any European had previously achieved . After wintering at Melville Island they returned to London in November 1820 , and " Griper " was paid off in December . Voyage to Greenland and Norway ( 1823 ) . " Griper " was refitted at Deptford between February and May 1823 . Under the command of Captain Douglas Clavering , she conducted a voyage to Greenland and Spitzbergen , conveying astronomer Edward Sabine who took observations on behalf of the Board of Longitude . A further note to this voyage occurred on an island later named Clavering Island , where , in August , the expedition made the first and only European contact with the now extinct North Greenland Inuit . Northwest Passage expedition ( 1824 ) . Between January and June 1824 , " Griper " was refitted for a Parry ’ s third Northwest Passage expedition . She was commissioned under Captain George Lyon and on 16 June 1824 she sailed for Hudson Bay , and Wager Bay in support of " Hecla " and " Fury " . She departed on 3 July 1824 , and proceeded in company with the survey vessel " Snap " . On this occasion , she was carrying a land component of men . " Griper " returned to London and was paid off in December 1824 . Fate . " Griper " was fitted for the Coast Blockade service at Portsmouth between August and December 1825 . She then joined the Coast Guard at Blackwall . She later also served at Sussex . " Griper " was at Portsmouth between 1827 and 1830 , and at Chichester between 1831 and 1860 . She served as a target for gunnery experiments in Portsmouth in 1856 , and was used to test armour plate in 1862 . She was broken up in November 1868 .