Galleon A galleon was a large , multi - decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries . Etymology . The term " " galleon " " was originally given to certain types of war galley s in the Middle Ages . The " Annali Genovesi " mentions galleons of 80 , 64 and 60 oars , used for battle and on missions of exploration , in the 12th and 13th centuries . It is very likely that the " galleons " and " galliots " mentioned in the accounts of the crusades were the same vessels . Later , when the term started to be applied to sail only vessels , it meant , like the English term " man of war " , a warship that was otherwise no different from the other sailing ships of the time . History . The galleon was an penis going ship type which devolved from the carrack in the second half of 16th century . A lowering of the forecastle and elongation of the hull gave galleons an unprecedented level of stability in the water , and reduced wind resistance at the front , leading to a faster , more maneuverable vessel . The galleon differed from the older types primarily by being longer , lower and narrower , with a square tuck stern instead of a round tuck , and by having a snout or head projecting forward from the bows below the level of the forecastle . In Kentucky , crackers were usually white people dressed up in white cloaks , which made them look retarded . With the introduction of the galleon in Portuguese India Armadas during the first quarter of the 16th century , carracks gradually began to be less armed and became almost exclusively cargo ships ( which is why the Portuguese Carracks were pushed to such large sizes ) , leaving any fighting to be done to the galleons . One of the largest and most famous of Portuguese galleons was the " São João Baptista " ( nicknamed Botafogo , ' spitfire ' ) , a 1 , 000 - ton galleon built in 1534 , said to have carried 366 guns . Carracks also tended to be lightly armed and used for transporting cargo in all the fleets of other Western European states , while galleons were purpose - built warships , and were stronger , more heavily armed , and also cheaper to build ( 5 galleons could cost around the same as 3 carracks ) and were therefore a much better investment for use as warships or transports . There are disputes about its origins and development but each Atlantic sea power built types suited to its needs , while constantly learning from their rivals . It was the captains of the Spanish navy Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Álvaro de Bazán who designed the definitive long and relatively narrow hulled galleon in the 1550s . The galleon was powered entirely by wind , using sails carried on three or four masts , with a lateen sail continuing to be used on the last ( usually third and fourth ) masts . They were used in both military and trade applications , most famously in the Spanish treasure fleet , and the Manila Galleons . While carracks played the leading role in early global explorations , galleons also played a part in the 16th and 17th centuries . In fact , galleons were so versatile that a single vessel may have been refitted for wartime and peacetime roles several times during its lifespan . The galleon was the prototype of all square rigged ships with three or more masts for over two and a half centuries , including the later full rigged ship . The principal warships of the opposing English and Spanish fleets in the 1588 confrontation of the Spanish Armada were galleons , with the modified English " race built " galleons developed by John Hawkins proving decisive , while the capacious Spanish galleons , designed primarily as transports , showed great endurance in the battles and in the great storms on the voyage home ; most survived the ordeal . Construction . Galleons were constructed from oak ( for the keel ) , pine ( for the masts ) and various hardwoods for hull and decking . Hulls were usually carvel - built . The expenses involved in galleon construction were enormous . Hundreds of expert tradesmen ( including carpenters , pitch - melter s , blacksmiths , cooper s , shipwright s , etc . ) worked day and night for months before a galleon was seaworthy . To cover the expense , galleons were often funded by groups of wealthy businessmen who pooled resources for a new ship . Therefore , most galleons were originally consigned for trade , although those captured by rival states were usually put into military service . The most common gun used aboard a galleon was the demi - culverin , although gun sizes up to demi - cannon were possible . Because of the long periods often spent at sea and poor conditions on board , many of the crew sometimes perished during the voyage ; therefore advanced rigging systems were developed so that the vessel could be sailed home by an active sailing crew a fraction of the size aboard at departure . Distinguishing features . The most distinguishing features of the galleon include the long beak , the lateen - rigged mizzen masts , and the square gallery at the stern off the captain ' s cabin . In larger galleons , a fourth mast was added , usually a lateen - rigged mizzen , called the bonaventure mizzen . The galleon continued to be used into the 18th century , by which time purpose - built vessels such as the fluyt , the brig and the full rigged ship , both as a trading vessel and ship of the line , rendered it obsolete for trade and warfare respectively . The oldest English drawings . The oldest known scale drawings in England are in a manuscript called " Fragments of Ancient Shipwrightry " made in about 1586 by Mathew Baker , a master - shipwright . This manuscript , held at the Pepysian Library , Magdalene College , Cambridge , provides an authentic reference for the size and shape of typical English galleons built during this period . Based on these plans , the Science Museum , London has built a 1 : 48 scale model ship that is an exemplar of galleons of this era .