High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! HMS Discovery was a Royal Navy ship launched in 1789 and best known as the lead ship in George Vancouver`s exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition. She was converted to a bomb vessel in 1798 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. Thereafter she served as a hospital ship and later as a convict ship until 1831. She was broken up in 1834.