- the - line ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁( 1 8 3 0 – 4 7 ) ▁Captain ▁Sir ▁William ▁Sym onds ▁served ▁as ▁Survey or ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁from ▁ 1 8 3 2 ▁to ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁Captain ▁Sym onds ▁was ▁a ▁naval ▁officer ▁and ▁y acht ▁designer , ▁" who ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁by ▁his ▁success ▁in ▁compet itive ▁sail ing ▁tri als ▁between ▁small ▁war ships . ▁ ▁His ▁selection ▁imp lied ▁a ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁dock yard - tra ined ▁architect s ▁of ▁the ▁preceding ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years ". ▁ ▁Sym onds ▁attempted ▁a ▁revolution ▁in ▁war ship ▁design . ▁ ▁His ▁ships ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁faster ▁under ▁sail , ▁and ▁have ▁more ▁room ▁for ▁the ▁g unn ers ▁to ▁work ▁the ▁guns ▁( im pro ving ▁erg onom ics ). ▁ ▁To ▁achieve ▁this , ▁his ▁ships ▁were ▁larger , ▁and ▁used ▁a ▁different ▁h ull ▁form ▁to ▁provide ▁stability ▁without ▁need ing ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁ball ast . ▁ ▁Unfortunately ▁the ▁Survey or ' s ▁department ▁was ▁under st aff ed ▁for ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁work ▁they ▁were ▁undert aking , ▁and ▁mistakes ▁were ▁made . ▁ ▁Sym onds ' ▁designs ▁had ▁more ▁stability ▁than ▁was ▁des irable , ▁with ▁the ▁result ▁that ▁they ▁rolled ▁excess ively ▁and ▁therefore ▁were ▁poor ▁gun ▁platforms . ▁ ▁Another ▁problem ▁with ▁Sym onds ' ▁ships ▁was ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁very ▁sensitive ▁to ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁weights ▁on ▁board