[3] An armoured citadel protected her machinery and the ram bow was reinforced by massive ironwork structures.

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.

[3] Furthermore, Vixen was nearly lost in the Irish Channel during a winter gale in 1876,[3] making her 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] and in 1870, Vixen rescued a disabled barque.

[3] 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.

Vixen now lies in 10 m (33 ft) of water about 0.2 nmi (0.37 km) offshore from Daniel's Head, at the west end of Bermuda.

[3] In 1986, Professor Richard Gould began his investigation of the wreck with volunteers from EarthWatch and support from the Bermuda Maritime Museum.