Russian cutter Opyt ( 1806 ) The Russian cutter " Opyt " ( 1796 ) ( also " Apith " ; - Experience ) was launched in 1806 . The British 44 - gun frigate " Salsette " captured " Opyt " in 1808 in the Baltic during the Anglo - Russian War ( 1807 - 1812 ) after her captain and crew put up a heroic resistance . The Admiralty took her into service as HMS Baltic . She served briefly with the British fleet under Vice - Admiral Sir James Saumarez in the Baltic before being sold in 1810 . Russian service . " Opyt " was a purpose - built cutter that cruised in the Baltic in 1807 . On 1808 she arrived at Sveaborg from Kronshtadt to join the division under Captain of 2nd rank L . P . Geiden ( who went on to become the Russian Admiral at the Battle of Navarino in 1827 ) , to help in the city ' s defense . On " Opyt " put to sea in company with the sloop - of - war " Charlotta " to cruise between Sveaborg and Hango . During this cruise the two vessels became separated . " Opyt " returned to Sveaborg and was sent to find " Charlotta " , but before she could meet up , she encountered " Salsette " . Capture . On 1808 Captain Walter Bathurst and " Salsette " chased a Russian sloop - of - war to Reval and captured a galliot partly laden with spirits at anchor in the roads . As Bathurst was bringing out his prize he saw a Russian cutter off the north end of Norgen island , which defends Reval from the sea . " Salsette " gave chase but in the evening , when the wind dropped , the cutter killed one of " Salsettes " marines in an exchange of fire and then used her sweeps to pull away . Then a sudden squall enabled " Salsette " to catch up with the cutter . The cutter surrendered after the frigate had fired two full broadsides into her . The cutter was the " Opyt " ( aka " Apith " ) , under the command of Lieutenant Gavril C . Nevelskoy ( also Novelski ) , manned by 61 men . In the fight the cutter lost four men killed and eight wounded , including Nevelskoy , before she struck . After doing more to satisfy Russian honour than reason required , Lieutenant Nevelskoy surrendered his heavily damaged cutter to the British commander , Captain Bathurst , only to have his sword returned by the astounded and admiring British captain , who had him landed ashore along with his surviving crew members . The British discovered that " Opyt " had left Sveaborg that day to join the Russian sloop , the " Charlotta " , that " Salsette " had unsuccessfully chased . Bathurst landed the survivors near Libawa . Bathurst reported that the " Opyt " was approximately two years old , " exceedingly well fitted , and sound in everything . " Saumarez ordered the purchase of the cutter for his majesty ' s service and manned her with " men lately exchanged from Copenhagen . " British service . The British took " Opyt " into service as HMS " Baltic " and commissioned her under Edward Sparshot ( or Sparshott ) . He later ( 28 April 1809 ) received promotion to lieutenant for his zeal in capturing 21 enemy merchant sail in the Baltic . One of these was the " Emanuel " , captured on 22 November 1808 . Four days later , " Baltic " was in sight when " Rose " captured " Defence " , " Anna Joanna Magdalena " , and a second " Emanuel " . " Baltic " also was one of several vessels that participated in the capture of the " Falck " and the " Kline Wilhelm " on 31 August . Then on 7 March 1809 , " Baltic " was in company with the sloop " Ranger " when they captured the Danish Ships " Magdalena " , " Boletta " , " Britannia " , " Den Gode Hensight " , " Walhala " and " Christina " . At the time , Saumarez and the British fleet were blockading Rager Vik ( Ragerswik or Rogerswick or Russian : Baltiyskiy ) where the Russian fleet was sheltering after the British 74 - gun Third Rates " Implacable " and " Centaur " had destroyed the Russian 74 - gun ship of the line " Vsevolod " . " Baltic " s initial task was to land the prisoners that " Implacable " had taken from " Vsevolod " . Saumarez wanted to attack the fleet and ordered that " Baltic " and " Erebus " be prepared as fireships . However , when the British discovered that the Russians had stretched a chain across the entrance to the harbor , precluding an attack by fireships , Saumarez abandoned the plan and the two vessels returned to normal duties . Fate . " Baltic " was paid off in April 1809 and underwent repairs at Plymouth . The Admiralty sold " Baltic " in 1810 .