Active was long between perpendiculars and had a beam of . Forward the ship had a draught of , but aft she drew . Active displaced and had a burthen of 2,322 tons. Her iron hull was covered by a layer of oak that was sheathed with copper from the waterline down to prevent biofouling. Watertight transverse bulkheads subdivided the hull. Her crew consisted of 340 officers and enlisted men.