fifth-rate

In the Royal Navy, a fifth-rate was a sailing frigate mounting 32 to 44 guns with the main battery on a single deck.Fifth-rate ships acted as fast scouts or independent cruisers and included a variety of gun arrangements from 32 or 36 x 12 pounders to 36, 38, 40 or even 44 x 18 pound guns. Tonnage ranged from 700 to 1450 tons, with crews of 215 to 294 men.To be posted aboard a Fifth-rate ship was considered an attractive assignment. Fifth raters were often assigned to interdict enemy shipping - meaning the prospect of prize money for the crew.
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