The Drenthe was a newly built ship of the line of 64 pieces. She left for the Mediterranean on December 13, 1783 in the squadron of Vice Admiral Pieter van Reynst. The squadron arrived at the Malaga roadstead on January 11, 1784, where they stayed for 10 days.

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, RP-T-00-3730

Storm
The squadron sailed further into the Gulf of Narbonne with destination Toulon when a heavy storm unexpectedly broke out during the night of 2 to 3 February.

RP-P-1937-1731

All ships except the frigate Medea were seriously damaged. The flagship Vrijheid was stranded, fortunately temporarily, on the coast of Minorca. The Admiral de Ruyter lost his top gear. The ship Prins Willem threatened to be shattered several times on the rocks of the island of Minorca. The Province of North Holland lost its masts. The battered ship wandered rudderless for days.

The Drenthe made it through the night but suddenly sank on the morning of February 3. All 450 people on board died. (Jonge V, 71).

De Jonge gives the inferior construction quality and the green wood and the haste with which construction took place as the main cause of the sinking of the ships of the line Unie, Drenthe and Holland (Jonge V, 5).

Built: Amsterdam, 1782
Armament: 64 - 68

• De Jonge, J.C.
  Geschiedenis van Het Nederlandsche Zeewezen, V.