HMS Fly was a Swan-class ship sloop of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 September 1776.

[4] In June 1794, five days after the capture of Port-au-Prince, she came under the command of Richard Hussey Moubray, previously first lieutenant of Magicienne, who had assisted in the landing of troops.

On 4 February 1799 Fly pursued and captured the French privateer cutter Gleneur off Portland.

[8] On her previous cruise Gleneur had successfully cut out of Torbay Anna of Hull, Hopwell of Lisbon, and Lucy of Whitehaven.

She made the crossing in three weeks, having narrowly escaped hitting an immense island of ice on the edge of the Newfoundland Banks.

Fly had been sailing in a thick fog at dusk when lookouts suddenly spotted the iceberg about 120 yards ("a cable's length") in front of her.

Fly was moving at about nine knots but a swift turn of the helm enabled her to clear the south end of the iceberg by half a cable's length.

[13] On the way they encountered a French squadron of five sail of the line and two frigates, leading Fly to order the convoy to scatter.

[14] On 19 March a letter arrived in Plymouth from Fly reporting that ten of the vessels had made it safely to Africa.

[16] Five days later, Mr William McLeod, Fly's purser faced a court martial on board Gladiator in Portsmouth Harbour.

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