Billing Boats H.M.S. Renown Wooden Hull 1:35 - (428354)

In the mid-1800s, the Royal Navy began to equip its larger men-of-war with steam barges or steam pinnaces. After experimenting with various types, 30, 40, 50, and 56 ft boats became the most widely used. By the end of the century, the first motor pinnaces were ready for duty. However, when the First World War broke out, steam boats returned to the scene. The 50 ft pinnace for HMS Renown dates from this period, with as many as four of these boats serving other men-of-war. The boats featured a small forepeak, a crew compartment, a boiler room, and a cabin. Above the crew's quarters was a conical steel base with a permanent universal ring, on which a 3-lb quick-firing cannon or Maxim machine gun could be mounted.

This type of boat was used for a variety of tasks, including transporting ranking officers between boats and patrolling the mouths of harbors for the protection of ships anchored therein, hence the name "picket boats.".