Longboat

A longboat was an open boat used on-board ships during the age of the sailing ships. Its original name was "shallop", but that was changed to "longboat" in the 18th century.Howard Irving Chapelle, American Small Sailing Craft, Their Design, Development, and Construction (New York: Norton, 1951), p. 10 A ship or vessel would carry several ships' boats for various uses. The most important would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by up to eight or ten oarsmen. The longboat had rowing benches designed for up to two men to an oar. A longboat was designed for use in rough water and could be rigged for sails. 

One of its main uses was as a pulling boat. Another was to weigh anchor.Brian Lavery, The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War, 1600-1815 (Annapolis, ND: Naval Institute Press, 1987), p. 218 When a ship was at anchor, longboats carried people and supplies between ship and shore.

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Category:Boats