The Sharpshooter-class was designed under the leadership of William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, to be faster and more seaworthy than the preceding prototype torpedo gunboat, Rattlesnake and the three Grasshopper-class torpedo gunboat ships, while carrying a heavier armament.

[3][a] Two triple-expansion steam engines, fed by four locomotive boilers, drove two propeller shafts.

[13][14] In 1906 she was in commission as a tender to HMS Pembroke, the base ship at Chatham for training ratings in the operation of water tube boilers.

[18] Late that year Gossamer was converted to a minesweeper,[19][15] which involved removing the torpedo tubes.

[21] On 6 November 1910, Gossamer was operating in Weymouth Bay when one of her boats capsized while heading to Portland, with two of her crew drowned.

[22] In May 1911 she temporarily replaced the sloop Ringdove on fishery protection duties operating out of Invergordon.

[15] On the outbreak of the First World War Gossamer joined the newly established Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in Orkney.

[24] In August 1914, the minesweepers attached to the Grand Fleet, including Gossamer were employed on carrying out daily sweeps of the Pentland Firth.