These ships were both built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited at Jarrow, and were part of the group of boats known as the 'thirty knotters'.

The boats were not able to make this speed in bad weather, where they were usually wet and uncomfortable with cramped crew quarters.

The ships were fitted with Reed water tube boilers that generated around 6,300 horsepower (4,700 kW).

Both were originally fired using coal, but in 1904 Spiteful was converted to burn fuel oil.

They were armed with the standard 12-pounder gun and two torpedo tubes and carried a complement of 63 officers and men.