The list of ship launches in 1842 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1842.
| Date | Ship | Class | Builder | Location | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January | Brahmin | East Indiaman | John Scott & Sons | Greenock | For private owner. [1] [2] | |
| 11 January | Nairns | Brig | J. W. Wilkinson | Newcastle upon Tyne | For Messrs. Henry & Philip Nairn. [3] | |
| 13 January | Thunderbolt | Driver-class sloop | Portsmouth Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [4] [5] | ||
| 17 January | Bentinck | Steamship | Liverpool | For P&O. [6] | ||
| 25 January | Prince of Wales | Steamship | Neath Abbey | For private owner. [7] | ||
| 28 January | Avon | Steamship | Messrs. Aeramann, Morgan, and Co. | Bristol | For West India Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. [8] | |
| 29 January | Glentanar | Clipper | A. Hall & Co. | Aberdeen | For Yule & Co. [9] | |
| 29 January | Newcastle | Schooner | Messrs. Duthie | Aberdeen | For Mr. Leslie. [9] | |
| 29 January | Seaton | Barque | Walter Hood & Co. | Aberdeen | For private owners. [9] | |
| 31 January | Queen of the Isles | Barque | A. Hall & Co. | Aberdeen | For private owners. [9] | |
| 31 January | Topaz | Schooner | John Scott & Sons | Greenock | For private owner. [10] | |
| January | Bowling | Barque | Bowling | For private owner. [11] | ||
| January | Prince of Wales | Merchantman | Johnson | Bideford | For private owner. [12] | |
| January | Yar | Merchantman | E. Dixon | Sunderland | For Squires & Co. [13] [14] | |
| 10 February | King Orry | Paddle steamer | J.Winram. | Douglas | For Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. | |
| 26 February | Ellenborough | Merchantman | Messrs. Smith's | Newcastle upon Tyne | For private owner. [15] | |
| 26 February | Semiramis | Frigate | Bombay | | For British East India Company. [16] [17] | |
| 26 February | Viscount Sandon | Full-rigged ship | Joseph Steel | Liverpool | For Messrs. Taylor, Potter & Co. [18] | |
| 28 February | Bee | Paddle steamer | Chatham Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [19] | ||
| 5 March | Zoe | Merchantman | Goldie | Singapore | | For private owner. [20] |
| 24 March | Spiteful | Driver-class sloop | Pembroke Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [21] | ||
| 28 March | Philomel | Alert-class brig | Devonport Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [22] | ||
| 28 March | Severn | Steamship | Aeramann, Morgan & Co. | Bedminster | For private owner. [23] | |
| 29 March | Albatross | Acorn-class brig-sloop | Portsmouth Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [24] | ||
| 29 March | Cormorant | Driver-class sloop | Sheerness Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [25] | ||
| March | Glide | Snow | T. Stothard | Sunderland | For John Meldrum & Sherinton Foster. [13] [26] | |
| March | William Packet | Snow | John Ray & John Riseborough | Sunderland | For Barber & Co. [13] [27] | |
| 9 April | Rose | Steamship | Messrs. George Lunnell & Company | Hotwells | For private owner. [28] | |
| 11 April | Laura Ann | Schooner | William Bayley & Co. | Ipswich | For Isiah Richmond. [29] | |
| 12 April | Guadeloupe | Paddle frigate | Johnathan Laird | Birkenhead | For Mexican Navy. [30] | |
| 12 April | Zephyr | Schooner | Samuel Hall | East Boston, Massachusetts | For Russell & Company. | |
| 16 April | Somers | Brig | New York Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 16 April | Truxtun | Brig | Gosport Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 25 April | Eliza Brindley | Schooner | William Jones | Aihfawr | For private owner. [31] | |
| 26 April | Bainbridge | Brig | Boston Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 26 April | Betsey | Schooner | Messrs. M. & D. Cherry | Hull | For Messrs. Robert Kiddey & Co. [32] | |
| 26 April | Gwen Evans | Barque | Robert Evans | Gadlys | For private owner. [31] | |
| 26 April | Hindostan | Steamship | Messrs. Wilson & Co. | Liverpool | For P&O. [33] [34] | |
| 26 April | John Thomas | Schooner | Richard A. Pritchard | Glan-y-don | For private owner. [31] | |
| 26 April | Oriental Queen | East Indiaman | Hickson | Cork | For private owner. [35] [36] | |
| 5 May | Savannah | Frigate | New York Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 11 May | John Gibson | Brig | John Gibson | Hull | For private owner. [37] | |
| 11 May | Lady Buller | Schooner | William Bonker | Salcombe | For Beer & Co. [38] | |
| 14 May | Berwick Castle | Barque | Gowan | Berwick upon Tweed | For private owner. [39] | |
| 24 May | Cumberland | Raritan-class frigate | Boston Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 24 May | Ingermanland | Iezekiil‘-class ship of the line | Solombalskaya Shipyard | Arkhangelsk | For Imperial Russian Navy. | |
| 25 May | Mercure | Brig | Hippolyte Louis Edouard Prétot | Brest | For French Navy. [40] | |
| May | Ann | Brigantine | J. H. Robson | Sunderland | For J. H. Robson. [13] [41] | |
| 8 June | Taleisin | Steamship | For private owner. [42] | |||
| 23 June | Génie | Génie-class brig | Brest | For French Navy. [43] | ||
| June | Protemelia | Merchantman | T. Young | South Shields | For private owner. [44] | |
| 7 July | Labrador | Steamship | Toulon | For private owner. [45] | ||
| 9 July | Prince of Wales | East Indiaman | Messrs. Green, Wigram & Green | Blackwall | For private owner. [46] | |
| 11 July | Jane and Esther | Brig | Speakman | Marsh End | For Messrs. William and John Humber. [47] | |
| 21 July | Queen | East Indiaman | Messrs. Green, Wigram & Green | Blackwall | For private owner. [48] | |
| 23 July | Great Northern | Steamship | Coppin | Londonderry | For private owner. [49] | |
| 23 July | Estafette | Iris-class schooner | Brest | For French Navy. [50] | ||
| 25 July | Goliath | Vanguard-class ship of the line | Chatham Dockyard | For Royal Navy. | ||
| 25 July | Virago | Driver-class sloop | Chatham Dockyard | For Royal Navy. | ||
| 26 July | Saratoga | Sloop-of-war | Portsmouth Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| 26 July | Varna | Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line | I. D. Vorobyov | Nicholaieff | For Imperial Russian Navy. | |
| July | Bulwark | Brigantine | Londonderry | | For private owner. [51] | |
| July | China | Merchantman | H. & G. Barrick | Whitby | For private owner. [52] | |
| July | Ruby | Paddle steamer / target ship | Acramans, Morgan & Co. | Bristol | For Admiralty. [53] | |
| 10 August | Ulloa | Steam frigate | Cherbourg | For French Navy. [54] | ||
| 23 August | Frolic | Frolic-class brig | Portsmouth Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [55] | ||
| 29 August | Lady Anne Wynne | Brig | Sligo | For William Kernaghan. [56] | ||
| August | Cambridge | Merchantman | J. Storey | Sunderland | For J. Storey. [13] | |
| August | Ceylon | Barque | Saint John | | For private owner. [57] | |
| 4 September | Diamond | Barque | Prince Edward Islands | | For private owner. [58] | |
| 5 September | Cuvier | Steamship | Lorient | For French Navy. [59] | ||
| 6 September | Albion | Albion-class ship of the line | Plymouth Dockyard | For Royal Navy. | ||
| 6 September | Firebrand | Cyclops-class frigate | Portsmouth Dockyard | For Royal Navy. [60] | ||
| 6 September | Superb | Vanguard-class ship of the line | Pembroke Dockyard | For Royal Navy. | ||
| 8 September | Hibernia | Steamship | Messrs. R. Steele & Co. | Greenock | For British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. [61] [62] | |
| 22 September | Cherokee | Paddle steamer | | For Royal Navy. [19] | ||
| 23 September | John Cunningham | Brig | Charles Connell & Sons. | Belfast | For private owner. [63] | |
| 23 September | Prince Albert | Steamship | Coutts | Walker | For private owner. [64] | |
| September | Ashburton | Merchantman | Grinnell & Minturn | New York | For private owner. [65] | |
| 5 October | Lady Sale | East Indiaman | Messrs. Humprey's | Wilcolmlee | For private owner. [66] | |
| 6 October | Castle Eden | Full-rigged ship | Watson | Pallion | For Messrs. Greenwell & Packer. [67] | |
| 6 October | Dahlia | Sloop | William Coulson | Hull | For private owner. [68] | |
| 19 October | Problem | Sailboat | Messrs. J. Brown & Co. | Kirkcaldy | For Mr. Dempster. [69] | |
| 21 October | Cumberland | Third rate | Chatham Dockyard | For Royal Navy. | ||
| 24 October | Martello | Paddle steamer | Messrs. Thomas Wingate & Co. | Broomielaw | For Hull and Leith Steam Packet Company. [70] [71] | |
| 29 October | Hannah Codner | Schooner | Hocking | Stonehouse | For private owner. [72] | |
| 31 October | Gazelle | Iris-class schooner | Brest | For French Navy. [73] | ||
| October | Jane | Snow | Rodham & Todd | Sunderland | For Potts & Co. [13] | |
| October | Maria | Brig | Prince Edward Island | | For private owner. [58] | |
| 3 November | Grace Darling | Schooner | Messrs. Wright, Plummer & Co. | Hull | For private owner. [74] | |
| 4 November | Alice | Barque | Robert Innes | Leith | For R. F. Davidson. [75] | |
| 5 November | Joseph Alexander | Sloop | Messrs. Wake, Sissons & Sons | Goole | For William Briggs. [76] | |
| 24 November | Felice | Man-of-war | Ramsgate | For Royal Sicilian Navy. [77] | ||
| 25 November | Father Mathew | Schooner | Galway | For private owner. [78] | ||
| November | Enoch Turley | Pilot boat | Baltimore, Maryland | For Gus Clampitt, George Conwell, William Edwards, James R. Kelley, John H. Kelley, John S. Kelly, Harry Long, John Maull, James A. Orton, Harry M. Parker, George W. Pride, Morgan B. Saunders, Charles D. Schellenger, Luster D. Schellenger, Peter R. Schellenger, George Wallace, Lew Wallace, Samuel West, and John West. | ||
| 3 December | Guide | Brig | Laird | North Birkenhead | For British East India Company. [79] | |
| 3 December | The Prince | Lightship | Laird | North Birkenhead | For Liverpool Dock Trust. [79] | |
| 6 December | Napoléon | Steamship | Chantiers Augustin Normand | Havre de Grâce | For Frédéric Sauvage. | |
| 29 December | Arciduca Federico | Steamship | Acramans, Morgan & Co. | Bristol | For Österreichischer Lloyd. [80] | |
| December | Pandora | Barque | Messrs. W. & J. Lawton | Saint John | | For private owner. [81] |
| Spring | Atalante | Steamship | Messrs. Gordons & Co | Deptford | For private owner. [82] | |
| Spring | James Campbell | Barque | River Clyde | For private owner. [83] | ||
| Unknown date | Adele | Merchantman | Sunderland | For Petchell & Co. [13] [84] | ||
| Unknown date | Alert | Schooner | Nicholas Butson | Polruan | For private owner. [85] | |
| Unknown date | Alexandrina | Merchantman | Sunderland | For Blair & Co. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Ann | Schooner | Austin & Mills | Sunderland | For Ogle & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Ann and Mary | Schooner | J. Teasdale | Sunderland | For B. Green. [13] [86] | |
| Unknown date | Anna Robertson | Barque | Sunderland | For Mr. Robertson. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Arrietta | Merchantman | Laing & Simey | Sunderland | For Laing & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Briton | Merchantman | | For private owner. | ||
| Unknown date | Brunswick | Paddle steamer | Ditchburn & Mare | Blackwall, London | For London and Blackwall Railway. [87] | |
| Unknown date | Callao | Brig | T. & J. Brocklebank | Whitehaven | For Thomas & John Brocklebank. [88] | |
| Unknown date | Cassandra | Merchantman | Lightfoot | Sunderland | For T. Potter. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Colaba | Lightship | Bombay | | For British East India Company. [16] | |
| Unknown date | Commodore | Merchantman | W. Wilkinson | Sunderland | For Hay & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Croxdale | Merchantman | Hull & Sikes | Sunderland | For H. Dixon. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Diadem | Merchantman | Sunderland | For T. Brown. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Dublin | Barque | Sunderland | For Deaker & Edmonds. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Elizabeth | Barque | Sunderland | For Lawson & Co. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Elizabeth Thompson | Barque | Sunderland | For Mr. Thompson. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Excavator | Schooner | J. Haswell | Sunderland | For W. Cowan. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Favori | Cutter | Cherbourg | For French Navy [89] | ||
| Unknown date | Fortitude | Barque | Tindall | Scarborough | For Mr. Tindall. | |
| Unknown date | Forward | Cutter | William Easby | Washington, Virginia | For United States Revenue Marine. | |
| Unknown date | Girl I Love | Schooner | W. & H. Browne | Passage West | For private owner. [90] | |
| Unknown date | Goddess | Schooner | William Bayley | Ipswich | For private owner. [91] | |
| Unknown date | Grace | Schooner | T. S. Dixon | Sunderland | For T. Dixon. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Haal | Full-rigged ship | Rotterdam | For Royal Netherlands Navy. [92] | ||
| Unknown date | Heldin | Sixth rate | Vlissingen | For Royal Netherlands Navy. [93] | ||
| Unknown date | Hewson | Snow | Sunderland | For Mr. Hewson. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Hugh Lupus | Schooner | Bridgewater Trustees, or Bridgewater Navigation Company | Runcorn | For private owner. [94] | |
| Unknown date | Isabella | Merchantman | Peter Austin | Sunderland | For Palmer & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Jacob Bell | Paddle steamer | Brown & Bell | New York | For private owner. | |
| Unknown date | Judith Allan | Full-rigged ship | Austin & Mills | Sunderland | For John Allan. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Kirtons | Brig | Hylton | For C. S. Kirton. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Libya | Schooner | Bridge Foundry Company | Warrington | For private owner. [95] | |
| Unknown date | Lynx | Full-rigged ship | Vlissingen | For Royal Netherlands Navy. [96] | ||
| Unknown date | Maid of Iowa | Sternwheeler | Dan Jones and Levi Moffitt | Mississippi River | For Dan Jones and Levi Moffitt. | |
| Unknown date | Mary | Schooner | Sunderland | For Mr. Buchanan. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Marys and Anns | Snow | Bowman and Drummond | Blyth | For Gibson & Co. [97] | |
| Unknown date | Medusa | Paddle steamer | For British East India Company. [98] | |||
| Unknown date | Montezuma | Paddle frigate | Green, Wigram's & Green | Blackwall | For Mexican Navy. | |
| Unknown date | Nemesis | Paddle steamer | Liverpool | For Indian Navy. [99] | ||
| Unknown date | New Zealand | Barque | T. Gales | Sunderland | For P. Laing. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Norval | Merchantman | Sunderland | For Mr. Greenwell. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Ørnen | Brig | Andreas Schifter | Orlogsværftet | For Royal Danish Navy. | |
| Unknown date | Orus | Paddle steamer | Bishop & Simonson | New York | For James P. Allaire. | |
| Unknown date | Pansy | Merchantman | Sunderland | For J. Allcock. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Paragon | Snow | Sunderland | For Mr. Hodgson. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Philip | Schooner | Brundrit & Whiteway | Runcorn | For Brundrit & Whiteway. [100] | |
| Unknown date | Prince of Wales | Merchantman | Thompson & Pearson | Sunderland | For White & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Prince of Wales | Schooner | Cemaes | For private owner. [101] | ||
| Unknown date | Prince Oscar | Snow | J. Mackey | Sunderland | For Mr. Lawsons. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Princess | Brigantine | Sunderland | For W. Briggs. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Railway | Paddle steamer | Ditchburn & Mare | Blackwall | For London and Blackwall Railway. [87] | |
| Unknown date | Rajasthan | full-rigged ship | Cochin | | For private owner. [102] | |
| Unknown date | Rambler | Brig | Hylton | For private owner. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Renown | Barque | R. & H. Green | Blackwall Yard | For private owner. | |
| Unknown date | Revenge | Brig | Seaham | For private owner. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Robinson | Brig | R. Robinson | Sunderland | For Mr. Robinson. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Sabina | Barque | R. Hutchinson | Sunderland | For private owner. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Saint Helena | Snow | T. Rountree | Sunderland | For Mr. Rountree. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Sir James Rivett Carnac | Steamship | Bombay | | For private owner. [103] | |
| Unknown date | Stag | Merchantman | Sunderland | For R. Green. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Star of Oregon | Schooner | Felix Hathaway | Willamette River | | For Felix Hathaway. |
| Unknown date | Sylph | Snow | Sunderland | For private owner. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Templar | Full-rigged ship | Francis Oliver | Sunderland | For Ingleby & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Tir-i Sevket | Second rate | Constantinople | For Ottoman Navy. [104] | ||
| Unknown date | Underley | Barque | Laing & Simey | Sunderland | For Laing & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Union | Steamship | Norfolk Navy Yard | For United States Navy. | ||
| Unknown date | Utility | Brig | Cuthbert Potts & brothers | Sunderland | For private owner. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Vanderbilt | Schooner | For United States Coast Survey. | |||
| Unknown date | Venus | schooner | Sunderland | For Mr. Page. [13] | ||
| Unknown date | Verbena | Snow | J. Barkes | Sunderland | For Mr. Anderson. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Victory | Barque | Benjamin Brown | Sunderland | For Brown & Co. [13] | |
| Unknown date | Vouga | Schooner | For Portuguese Navy. [105] | |||
| Unknown date | Watson | Schooner | Benjamin Hodgson | Sunderland | For private owner. [13] |