Duke of York was a fir-built ship of 500 tons (bm), built in 1780 at Archangel.

In 1787 her owner was "Hitchie", her master "Jn Wolff", and her trade London—South Seas, indicating that she was a whaler.

[3] Etches had received a license from the South Sea Company to sail around Cape Horn into the Pacific.

[2] He dispatched her to reinforce the settlement at New Years Harbour (now Puerto Ano Nuevo) on Staten Island (now Isla de los Estados), off Tierra del Fuego.

[a] Seal hunters established a factory there in 1786,[5] which was also well-located for vessels rounding Cape Horn to refresh and replenish their water.