Class: Hamilton-class Pinnace

Principal Function: Small craft capable of extended independent action

Acceleration: Rapid

Agility: Medium

Armor: Medium-High

Armament: Medium-High

Crew: 5-20 depending on mission

Atmospheric Flight Capability: None

Description:  The pinnace is capable of carrying out missions independently of its mothership. It is neither capable of interstellar journeys nor of entering atmospheres. Its effective range is large enough for it to operate throughout a stellar system. It will be carried inside its parent starship for interstellar travel. Due to the size of a pinnace, a common design for smaller starships will house most shuttles in one hangar, while a second hangar is largely devoted to housing the pinnace.

The Hamilton-class shares parts with both shuttles and much larger craft, making it highly configurable. It can carry significant levels of armor and weaponry, making it a significant warboat in its own right. Unlike most other warboats (such as the TU-class Tactical Unit) pinnaces are more general-purpose and can house nearly as many crew as a small starship for extended periods.

The general-purpose nature of pinnaces means their uses are limited only by a captain’s imagination. Common roles are:  pursuit boat, boarding craft, customs duty, shuttle escort, exploration, picket defense, VIP transport.

A Wren-class micro-shuttle (carrying capacity, 3 persons) is often carried on a docking pad on the Hamilton’s hull.

The Hamilton-class is the smallest pinnace in common use, but the capability of this efficient design shouldn’t be underestimated.