[1] Vertical trunks were provided at the stern to lift the screws clear of the hull, thereby allowing a better hull-form for purely wind-driven sailing.

[1] Vixen, Viper and Waterwitch conducted comparative trials at Stokes Bay in the Solent during the late 1860s.

[3] Furthermore, Vixen was nearly lost in the Irish Channel during a winter gale in 1876,[3] making them unsuitable for the open sea under steam or sail.

In July 1869 both ships were employed to bring the floating dock Bermuda from The Narrows to the dockyard.

[5] 1873 saw the loss of all rigging, masts and upperdeck equipment, and this must have helped her to survive the 1878 hurricane which caused serious damage to the floating dock and other dockyard facilities.