Listing of Historical Sailing Ship types and nomenclature. Pointing a cursor over a label will display the image. Ship Names, Ratings and Types Balinger: A small single-masted sailing vessel, used in the 15th and 16th century. Baltimore Clipper: A two-masted fore-and-aft gaff-rigged schooner-like ship also carrying square sails on the foremast and often used in the role of a blockade-runner or privateer . The masts were set at extreme angles, as it was believed at the time to provide for better speed. Baltimore clippers were also used to transport prospectors and settlers from the East Coast to the West Coast during the California gold-rush. Examples of a Baltimore clipper Barca-longa: A two- or three-masted Mediterranean vessel carrying lugsails . Barque Longue: A relatively small 17th century two-masted square-rigged sailing vessel best known for its use by early Fench explorers. Examples of a barque Longue Barge: A 17th century long and narrow ship's boat, rowed by 10 to 20 oars, often used to transport senior officers.

Bark: A vessel square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast , which is fore-and-aft rigged. Also spelled Barque. Most were three-masted, some were four- or five-masted vessels. Before the mid 18th century the term Barque was also often used for any three-masted vessel not fitting any other accepted nomenclature or category. Examples of a barkentine Bilander: A small two-masted merchant sailing ship, similar to a brigantine , used mainly on Dutch coastal routes and canals. Rarely larger than 100 tons burthen . She carried a fore-and-aft lateen main-sail bent to a yard hanging at about 45 degrees to the mast . Bireme: An ancient Greek or Roman war galley propelled by two tiers of oars on each side. Boat: A small open vessel for travel on water by rowing or sailing. In the age of sail, boats were essential equipment on any ship. Used as a tender , for shore landing parties, towing, warping , rescue missions, patrols, escape from mutiny , to mention only a few purposes.

Boats came in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on time-period, geography and function: barges , cutters , dinghies , gigs , launches , longboats , pinnaces , shallops , skiffs , wherries and yawls . Boejer: A small single-masted Dutch vessel with an extreme rounded stern and bow , normally carrying leeboards . It had a very shallow draft but a relatively tall mast, intended for use on canals, rivers and coastal regions. Bomb Vessel: Developed by the French to battle the Barbary corsairs , these vessels used high trajectory mortars instead of conventional guns. The hull was strengthened to take the weight of one or more mortars and the foremast was completely omitted. Late 18th century bomb vessels would have had a full three-masted rig, and some were used for perilous polar expeditions since their sturdily built hulls would hold up well in the ice. Examples of a bomb vessel Bootship: An 18th century three masted vessel with a rounded bow and stern , and a flat or rounded tafferel . Developed out of the earlier 17th century Fluyt .

They were either square-rigged on all masts with a spanker on the mizzen , or had a fore-and-aft gaff-rigged mizzen . Also bootschip in Dutch, literally translated as 'boatship". Sometimes also referred to as a kat or cat. Examples of a bootship Brig: A two-masted vessel, square-rigged on both masts. The main mast carries a fore-and-aft boom-sail as well. In the 17th century the term Brig was also used as short for Brigantine , which then could be any variety of two-masted square-rigged vessels depending on nation and region. Examples of a brigantine Buss: A relatively large two- or sometimes three-masted European sailing vessel dating from the late 15th through the 17th century, used mainly for the North-Sea herring fishery. Up to about 200 tons in size. Also buis (Dutch). Caique: (Caïgue) A long narrow rowboat, similar to a skiff , used in the Middle East and is also the name of a light sailing vessel used in the eastern Mediterranean.

Caracore: A small, light and swift sailboat with a single triangular sail and an outrigger , originating in the East Indies. Also called Proa. Caravel: A relatively small but highly manoeuvrable Portuguese vessel of the 15th and 16th centuries setting lateen sails on two, three, or four masts and sometimes setting a single square sail on the foremast . When lateen-rigged was classified as a 'caravela latina', when modified as a square-rigged vessel was classified as a 'caravela redonda'. A typical three masted 'caravela latina' shown above, note the sharply decreasing mast height from fore to aft. The image below depicts the profile of a large four-masted caravel. Carrack: A large three- or four-masted sailing vessel developed from the earlier cog , in use from the 14th to the 17th century, usually with elevated structures at the bow and stern . Carrack ~1561 Examples of a carrack Clipper: A variety of square-rigged speed-built merchant ships built between 1790 and 1870.

Often thought of as some of the most beautiful and elegant sailing vessels ever built. The three-masted Cutty Sark on display at Greenwich, England may well be the best known of the clippers. Examples of a clipper Coble: A small clinker-built open fishing vessel from the North-Eastern coast of England and Scotland. Characterized by a relatively high bow, exaggerated sheer and shallow draft, often setting a single lugsail . Cocca: Mediterranean equivalent for the Northern European cog . Introduced to the Mediterranean in the 14th century, a cocca was a one- or two-masted square-rigged and clinker-built vessel. Also Coca, Cocha or Cocche. Cog: A single-masted clinker-built vessel used until the 15th century. The Cog originated in Northern Europe and spread throughout the Baltic and to the Mediterranean. The first mention of a cog is from 948 AD in Muiden near Amsterdam. Even though the usual clinker construction limited the ultimate size of a cog, the English chronicler Thomas Walsingham speaks of great cogs in 1331 with three decks and over 500 crew and soldiers.

A cog is characterised by high sides, a relatively flat bottom, rounded bilge and a single square sail . Also Kog(Dutch) or Kogge (German). Examples of a corvette Crayer: A small single-masted and slow merchant vessel. Built solely for maximum hold capacity, not for its sailing qualities. Currach: A small rounded boat made of hides stretched over a wicker frame ; still used in some parts of Great Britain. Also called Coracle. Cutter: 1. A fast-sailing fore-and-aft rigged single-masted vessel usually setting double headsails , used for patrol and dispatch services. Cutters were the ships of choice for English smugglers during the 18th century. The largest were up to 150 tons burden and could carry up to 12 guns . 2. A clinker built ship's boat used for travel between ship and shore. Dinghy: A small rowing or sailing boat , often a tender to a larger vessel. Dhow: A lateen-rigged sailing vessel that originated in the Middle East. Early dhows were of shell-first construction . Most dhows are known by names referring to their hull shape.

The ghanjah was a large two- or three-masted vessel with a curved stem and a long sloping and often ornately carved transom , originating from India. The baghlah was the traditional two-masted deep-sea dhow; it had a transom with usually five windows and a poop deck similar to European galleons or caravels . Other large seagoing two-masted dhows were the double-ended boom, which had a long stem pointing to the heavens, often with a bowsprit flying a jib , and the sambuk. The smaller battil featured a long stem topped by a large, club-shaped stemhead and a sternpost decorated with cowrie shells and leather. The badan was a much smaller and single-masted, shallow draught boat, used for fishing and oyster diving. Dogger: A two-masted fishing-vessel resembling a ketch . Also hooker . Dory: A small, narrow, flat-bottomed and shallow draft boat of between 15 to 20 ft in length, usually with high sides and a sharp prow , propelled by oars . Also spelled Dorey (British).

Down Easter: A square-rigged merchant vessel combining large carrying capacity with a relatively sharp hull . They got their name from having been built in Maine, downwind and east of all the major East Coast ports, and were being used largely for the California grain trade (1865-1890). Dromon: A medium-size, fast-sailing Mediterranean galley often armed with Greek fire for burning enemy ships. East Indiaman: A large and heavily armed European merchantman used for trade between Europe and the East-Indies. Felucca: A narrow, swift, lateen-rigged sailing vessel used on the Nile and in the Mediterranean. Fifth Rate: Sailing warship with 32-44 guns (1779). Examples of a fifth rate Fireship: A ship or boat that is deliberately set on fire and steered to collide with a larger enemy ship in order to set it on fire and destroy it. Fireships were often used in the 17th century to finish off disabled enemy vessels. First Rate: Sailing ' ship of the line ' warship with 100 or more guns on three gun decks (1779).

Examples of a fourth rate Frigate: A three-masted sailing warship with two full decks, with only one gun deck . A frigate was armed with between 30 to 44 guns located on the gun deck and possibly some on the quarter-deck and forecastle . Frigates were used in the 18th and 19th centuries for escort and reconnaissance, but also for a myriad of other duties. Find the modern definition of frigate here . Examples of a frigate Galeas: A two- or three-masted Scandinavian merchant vessel from the 18th and 19th century, developed from the earlier Dutch galjoot . Unlike the galjoot however, the galeas had a square stern. Galjoot: Also galiot, galioot or galyoot. A fast sailing shallow-draught Dutch vessel wich was often used as a coastal merchant vessel during the 17th and 18th century. She had a rounded stern and bow. Usually thought of as a one and a half masted small vessel, some were as large as 700 tons and had a full three masted rig.

They were also used on occasion as bomb vessels because of their stability and durability. See also hoy . A typical small galjoot. Examples of a galjoot Galleas: A large, three-masted galley / galleon hybrid of the 16th and 17th centuries that used both sails and oars. Derived from earlier galleys, they were powerful warships of the day, very successful at the Battle of Lepanto, 1571. The image directly below depicts an artists impression of a Spanish armada galleas in typical medieval fashion. The image at the bottom shows a lateen-rigged galleas. Examples of a galleon Galley: An oared fighting ship used mainly in the Mediterranean dating from many centuries BC until well into the 18th century. They were also used in the Baltic and by other northern European nations, just not to the same extent and duration as in the Mediterranean.

A galley a scaloccio is rowed by groups of three, five or seven men on a bench pulling a single oar, and a galley ala sensile has a single rower per oar, possibly two or three men to a bench (a terzaruolo). The top speed of a galley under full-oar has been estimated to be 7 or 8 knots . Maltese galley at anchor - plate (G. Tagliagambe/Antonio Suntach) from around 1780 - 1800. Examples of a galley Galliot: A light and fast Mediterranean galley . Ghost Ship: Either a ship that appears as a ghostly apparition such as the Flying Dutchman, or a ship which is found floating at sea with no sign of the crew, such as the Mary Celeste . Examples of a ghost-ship Gig: 1. A two-masted coastal vessel carrying lugsails . 2. A wide beamed 18th century ship's boat , often reserved for use by a ship's captain.

Hermaphrodite Brig: A two-masted vessel, square-rigged on the foremast and fore-and-aft rigged mainsail with square topsail on the mainmast. Examples of a hermaphrodite brig Hooker: 1. A single-, two-, or sometimes even three-masted coastal fishing vessel similar to a smack but setting square sails on the mainmast. Also hoeker or dogger (Dutch). 2. Slang for an outdated, obsolete, unwieldy, or just plain ugly vessel. Hoy: A single-, two- or even three-masted European coastal merchant and fishing vessel from the 17th and 18th century. See also galjoot . A small single-masted sloop-rigged hoy shown below. Hulk: 1. A medieval ship with the ends of the planks fitted parallel to the stern and sternposts . 2. A ship that has fallen into disuse or is used in a static role, for instance as a sheer hulk or a prison hulk as shown below. Ironclad: A warship with a wooden hull sheathed in iron for protection against gunfire. Another culprit causing the demise of wooden sailing ships.

Jagt: A single-masted Scandinavian inland and coastal merchant vessel of the 17th, 18th and 19th century. Jolly Boat: All purpose boat onboard a ship. Junk: A Chinese sailing vessel with bamboo sail battens and a long overhanging counter ; originally developed during the 5th century. Ketch: A two-masted sailing vessel with the mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder head. They were usually fore-and-aft rigged but could have square sails . Sizewise, they were usually from 100 to 250 tons burthen . Often used in the role as a bombard vessel . Examples of a ketch Knarr: A clinker built Viking merchant ship, exceptionally sturdy in rough seas. Broader in the beam and more draught than a longship . They were also more reliant on the use of sails for propulsion, rather than oars. Also Knorr. Lightship: An anchored ship acting as a floating lighthouse where building a lighthouse was not possible or impractical. Lightships would display a light at the top of a mast and in case of fog would sound a fog signal.

Example of a lightship Lodya: Name for Russian river, lake and sea vessels until the 16th century and later. Longship: Langskip. Generally thought of as the Viking war ship. It was a 45–148ft (14–45m) galley with up to 40 oars on each side, a square sail on a removable mast, and a 40–80 man capacity. Double-ended and built shell-first with overlapping planks ( clinker built ). Longboat: The largest boat carried aboard a larger sea going vessel. Propelled by sail or oars. Lugger: A small ship rigged with one or more lugsails on two or three masts, and usually one, two or three jibs were set on the bowsprit . Luggers usually outperformed square-rigged vessels in coastal tideways but required a larger crew then a square-rigged vessel of similar size. Frequently used by smugglers and privateers around the English Channel in the 18th century. Courtesy of Greg Pesta Man O'War: A term applied to a ship specifically built for the purpose of war.

Instances of the term 'man-of-war' to indicate a warship are found as early as 1484. Man O War. Merchantman: Any vessel used for trade. The combined term of 'merchant' and 'man' occurs as early as 1473. Monkey: A small 16th century coastal merchantman carrying a square sail on a single mast. Nao: A classic medium-sized Spanish vessel of the age of exploration, having a fully developed three-masted rig and often a small topsail on the mainmast . Examples of a nao Nef: 1.Also called a roundship , a single- or two-masted clinker-built ship used in Europe during the middle-ages until the 15th century, for example as transportation for the crusades. Descendant of the Viking longship a Nef still had a side-rudder and was used in Northern regions a century or two longer with a sternpost - rudder . 2.A French word for ship. 3.Drinking vessel in the shape of a ship. Packet Ship: The generic name given to a vessel that sailed in regular service between two or more ports.

Pattamar: A one to three-masted lateen-rigged dhow -like vessel used off the west coast of India. Penteconter: An ancient Greek galley with 50 oars, 25 each side set in a single bank. Pink: A two- or three-masted Dutch fishing vessel of the 18th century. Pinnace: 1. A variety of relatively small sailing vessels having generally two fore-and-aft rigged masts. 2. A 17th century ship's boat , usually rowed with eight oars. Examples of a pirate ship Polacre: A three-masted Mediterranean vessel, usually square-rigged on the mainmast , and lateen-rigged on the foremast and mizzenmast . Some of them however carried square sails on all three masts. They usually carried one piece pole-masts , neither topmasts nor topgallant masts were present. Polyreme: A variety of large Phoenician, Greek or Roman war galleys . In these large 'Polyremes', there were only two levels of oars, each being rowed by half the men indicated by the number.

For instance, in an octoreme (8), there were 2 banks of oars, each rowed by 4 men, on each side of the ship. In a 'decareme' (10), each oar was manned by 5. Pot Boat: An ancient boat made from clay or similar material for use in inland waterways. Privateer: A person or private vessel intent on raiding enemy shipping in wartime for the purpose of making a profit from the sale of captured ships, including whatever cargo would be onboard. A privateer could be described as a commissioned pirate . Dangerous business all-around, often a privateer would mistake a 'friendly' ship for fair game with the consequence of rapidly being 'promoted' from privateer to pirate. Qarib: A small two-masted lateen-rigged vessel, common in Egypt around the 11th century, sailing down the Nile from Cairo and as far west as Tunisia and Sicily. Quarter Boat: A boat hung from, or located on a ship's quarter .

Quinquereme: A Mediterranean war galley having three banks of oars, the oars on the top two levels being pulled by two men each, the lower level oar being pulled by a single man. The quinquereme (5 rowers) was developed from the earlier trireme , rowed by three levels (or banks) of oars, each rowed by a single man. It was used by the Greeks of the Hellenistic period and later by the Carthaginians and Romans, from the 4th century BC to about the 1st century AD. Rate: In 1653 the British Admiralty's Fighting Instructions classified the size and capabilities (guns mounted) of a sailing warship into 6 distinct rates. A first rate being the largest and most capable, a sixth rate being the least. The number of guns carried by a ship of a certain rate changed from time to time. Only the first four rates were considered fit for duty as ' ships of the line '. However, fifth and sixth rates, and other even smaller vessels, did join the battle where and when required.

Retour Ship: Generic name for a collection of different but relatively heavily armed, and well-manned merchant ships of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC ). They were specifically designed for the long roundtrip (retour) voyage from the Netherlands to the East Indies. Examples of a roundship Schooner: A vessel rigged with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. A topsail schooner sets one to three square sails on the foremast as well. Many further sub-divisions can be made such as Tern Schooners , Scow Schooners , Coastal Schooners and Grand Banks Schooners such as the Bluenose . Bald Headed Schooner is a slang term for a Schooner having/setting no topsails at all. Examples of a schooner Scow: A variety of flat-bottomed vessels used for carrying cargo, often having a sloping square bow and stern . Similar to a barge, simple hull construction and maximum cargo capacity. Scow Schooner: A flat-bottomed square-ended schooner-rigged vessel used mainly in the latter half of the 19th century on the Great Lakes and North-American coastal routes.

Scow schooners often used centerboards or leeboards and the name scow refers to the shape of the hull. Scow schooners carried the bulk of cargo in North-America during the 19th century. Examples of a sixth rate Skiff: A small flat-bottomed ship's boat , having a sharp pointed bow and a square stern . Could be propelled by oars or sail. Sloop: A single-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel setting a mainsail and generally a single jib , or headsail (sometimes double - double-headsail sloop). Sloop and cutter are almost indistinguishable today, generally a sloop has her mast located more forward than a cutter . See also sloop-of-war . Examples of a sloop Sloop-of-war: A name given to the smallest three-masted sailing warships, having 8 to 22 cannon on only one deck. They were either fully rigged as ships (three-masted ship-sloop) or as snows (two-masted brig-sloop). Also sometimes called 'corvette' (originally a French term). Even cutters were sometimes classified as sloops-of-war, or simply classified as sloops .

Smack: A small single- or two-masted coastal fishing or merchant vessel, fore-and-aft rigged with the two masted variant being very similar to a ketch . She was also characterized by a long horizontal running bowsprit . Snow: A relatively large two-masted sailing vessel, similar to a Brig. "A Brig bends her boom-sail (or trysail) to the mainmast , while a Snow bends it to a trysail mast (a third mast much less in diameter, stepped immediately aft of the mainmast ): in other respects these two vessels are alike." (Young's Nautical Dictionary 1846.) Examples of a snow Spiegelschip: Dutch term for a vessel with a distinctive flat stern and tafferel , with spiegel meaning mirror. Also spiegeljacht. Tarides: Small sail and/or oar powered transport vessel used from the dark ages to about the late 12th century. Early medieval equivalent of a landing craft, they had doors used as ramps for loading and unloading men and their horses. Possibly derived from earlier Roman horse transports.

Tartan: A small and nimble single- or two-masted lateen-rigged sailing vessel originating in the Middle East and the north coast of Africa. Like the xebec , it is often associated with the Barbary corsairs . Engraving plate (G. Tagliagambe/Antonio Suntach) from around 1780 - 1800. Tender: A vessel attending to another vessel, in particular one that ferries supplies and personnel between ship and shore. Tern Schooner: North American term for a three-masted Schooner of 200 to 400 tons. Most cargo carrying Tern Schooners were built between 1870 and 1920 along the coast of North America. Third Rate: Sailing ' ship of the line ' warship with 64-80 guns on two gun decks (1779). Tjalk: A Dutch flat-bottomed vessel with rounded ends and leeboards . Used to carry freight and also often used as a pleasure yacht . Triaconter: An ancient Greek galley with 30 oars, 15 each side set in a single bank.

Trireme: An ancient Phoenician, Greek or Roman war galley propelled by three tiers (banks) of oars on each side, each oar being pulled by a single man, used from the 7th to the 4th century BC. Upper level oarsmen were called thranites, middle level zygites and lower level oarsmen were called thalamites. The hull was shell-first , mortise -and- tenon construction, planked with fir, cedar or pine while the keel was made of oak . Turtle Ship: A 16th-century Korean armoured warship called Geobukseon or Kobukson in Korean. It was fitted with an iron shell (top) and sharp spikes for protection and to prevent boarding . They were developed and built by Admiral YI, SOON SHIN in 1592 who led Korea to victory in the IM JIN WAR (Korea vs. Japan; 1592-1598). The hull was built from red pine and a turtle ship carried cannons with such names as Heaven and Earth or in Korean, Chon and Ji. Comparable to a European 12 and 7pdr cannon respectively.

Velocera: An Italian coastal merchant vessel. Vinco: A three-masted Italian vessel from the 19th century setting lateen sails on the main and mizzenmast, and square sails on the foremast. Vlieboat: A small three-masted vessel with a broad beam, shallow draft and a high narrow stern originating from the mid 16th century. Most likely named for the Vlie estuary of the IJssel near the Dutch islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. Designed as merchant vessels to navigate rivers and coastal waters, vlieboats were also used for exploration and military duties. Also Vlieboot (Dutch) and Flyboat (English). Examples of a whaler Wherry: A light and fast 17th century ship's boat . Windjammer: A three- to five-masted square-rigged merchant vessel built between 1870 and 1890. They were of all-iron hull construction and rather large, often displacing several thousand tons. Xebec: A relatively small three-masted lateen-rigged vessel favoured by the Barbary corsairs operating off the coast of North Africa.

These ships had long narrow hulls, and were fitted with oars like their galley predecessors. The xebec was adopted by the French and Spanish navies and called a chebec. Yacht: Any of a variety of small sailing vessels. Often a personal transportation watercraft or a personal pleasure boat; i.e. captain's yacht, royal yacht. Examples of a yacht Yawl: Originally a double-ended clinker built Scandinavian yol. Later becomes: 1. A small two-masted sailing vessel with the mizzenmast stepped astern of the rudder post. Similar to a ketch , which has its mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder head or post. 2. A ship's boat , smaller but similar to a pinnace , usually rowed by four to six oars. Zabra: A 16th century Spanish sailing vessel, smaller then a Galleon or Carrack . Zabra's were used for dispatch, transport and other utilitarian duties. Zulu: A Scottish lugger with a straight stem and raking sternpost .

An Introduction to Ship Types During the Age of Sail | The Dear Surprise Home » The Resources » Glossaries » An Introduction to Ship Types During the Age of Sail An Introduction to Ship Types During the Age of Sail Posted on April 8, 2010 by The Dear Knows in Glossaries , The History , The Resources , The Royal Navy , The Ships // 2 Comments You can mouse over terms in red for further clarification… Cool, huh? There were many different types of ships during the Age of Sail, and all were defined based on their size, the number of masts they had, the shape of their hull and their rigging (the size and shape of sails arranged on however many masts). Not all types of rigging are mutually exclusive. For example, the descriptor “fore-and-aft rigged” is very general, denoting only that all the sails run parallel to the centerline of the vessel. It is possible for a ship to be “fore-and-aft rigged” with many different shapes of sails (triangular, trapezoid, etc.), which would further narrow down the type of ship. The two most important words to help you understand the following definitions are bow and stern.

For the purposes of the geography of any ship, the bow is the front and the stern is the back. They are roughly equal to the terms fore and aft, with fore meaning “towards the bow” and aft meaning “towards the stern”. (This is probably an oversimplification but it will get you through which is the important thing!) A small single-masted sailing vessel, used in the 15th and 16th centuries. baltimore clipper A two-masted fore-and-aft gaff-rigged schooner-like ship also carrying square sails on the foremast and often used in the role of a blockade-runner or privateer. The masts were set at extreme angles, as it was believed at the time to provide for better speed. Baltimore clippers were also used to transport prospectors and settlers from the East Coast to the West Coast during the California gold-rush. barca-longa A two- or three-masted Mediterranean vessel carrying lugsails. barque longue A relatively small 17th century two-masted square-rigged sailing vessel best known for its use by early Fench explorers.

barge A 17th century long and narrow ship’s boat, rowed by 10 to 20 oars, often used to transport senior officers. bark A vessel square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast, which is fore-and-aft rigged. Also spelled Barque. Most were three-masted, some were four- or five-masted vessels. Before the mid 18th century the term Barque was also often used for any three-masted vessel not fitting any other accepted nomenclature or category. barkentine A sailing ship with from three to five masts of which only the foremast is square-rigged, the others all being fore-and-aft rigged. Also spelled Barquentine. bilander A small two-masted merchant sailing ship, similar to a brigantine, used mainly on Dutch coastal routes and canals. Rarely larger than 100 tons burthen. She carried a fore-and-aft lateen main-sail bent to a yard hanging at about 45 degrees to the mast bireme An ancient Greek or Roman war galley propelled by two tiers of oars on each side. boat A small open vessel for travel on water by rowing or sailing.

In the age of sail, boats were essential equipment on any ship. Used as a tender, for shore landing parties, towing, warping, rescue missions, patrols, escape from mutiny, to mention only a few purposes. Boats came in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on time-period and function: barges, cutters, dinghies, gigs, launches, longboats, pinnaces, shallops, skiffs and yawls. boejer A small single-masted Dutch vessel with an extreme rounded stern and bow, normally carrying leeboards. It had a very shallow draft but a relatively tall mast, limiting its use to inland canals, rivers and lakes. bomb vessel Developed by the French to battle the Barbary corsairs, these vessels used high trajectory mortars instead of conventional guns. The hull was strengthened to take the weight of one or more mortars and the foremast was completely omitted. Late 18th century bomb vessels would have had a full three-masted rig, and were often used for polar expeditions since their hulls were so sturdily built and would hold up better in the ice. brig A two-masted vessel, square-rigged on both masts.

The rear mast carries a fore-and-aft boom-sail as well. In the 17th century the term Brig was also used as short for Brigantine, which then could be any variety of two-masted square-rigged vessels depending on nation and region. brigantine A two-masted vessel with square sails on the foremast and fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast. See also Hermaphrodite Brig. In the 17th century the term Brigantine was also used to describe any variety of small two-masted square-rigged vessels. buss A relatively large two or sometimes three-masted European sailing vessel dating from the 15th through the 17th century, used mainly for the North-Sea herring fishery. Up to about 200 tons in size. C caique A long narrow rowboat, similar to a skiff, used in the Middle East and is also the name of a light sailing vessel used in the eastern Mediterranean caracore A small, light and swift sailboat with a single triangular sail and an outrigger, originating in the East Indies. Also called Proa.

caravel A relatively small but highly manoeuvrable Portuguese vessel of the 15th and 16th centuries setting lateen sails on two or three masts and sometimes a square sail on the foremast. Each mast increased in size from the one aft of it. When lateen-rigged was classified as a ‘caravela latina’, when modified as a square-rigged vessel was classified as a ‘caravela redonda’. carrack A large sailing vessel developed from the earlier cog, in use from the 14th to the 17th century, usually with elevated structures known as castles at the bow and stern. clipper A variety of square-rigged speed-built merchant ships built between 1790 and 1870. Often thought of as some of the most beautiful and elegant sailing vessels ever built. The three-masted Cutty Sark on display at Greenwich, England may well be the best known of the clippers. cocca Mediterranean equivalent for the Northern European cog. Introduced to the Mediterranean in the 14th century, a cocca was a one- or two-masted square-rigged and clinker-built vessel. Also Coca, Cocha or Cocche.

cog A single-masted clinker-built vessel used until the 15th century. The Cog originated in Northern Europe and spread throughout the Baltic and to the Mediterranean. The first mention of a cog is from 948 AD in Muiden near Amsterdam. Even though the usual clinker construction limited the ultimate size of a cog, the English chronicler Thomas Walsingham speaks of great cogs in 1331 with three decks and over 500 crew and soldiers. A cog is characterised by high sides, a relatively flat bottom, rounded bilge and a single square sail Also Kog (Dutch). collier A broad beamed and shallow draught merchant sailing ship. They were designed to transport coal between ports. The HMS Bark Endeavour was a Whitby collier. corvette Smallest of all the three-masted square-rigged sailing warships. Used mainly for reconnaissance also called a ‘sloop-of-war’ and could be classified as a small frigate. Armed with 8-22 guns on only one deck. crayer A small single-masted and slow merchant vessel. Built solely for maximum hold capacity, not for it’s sailing qualities.

currach A small rounded boat made of hides stretched over a wicker frame; still used in some parts of Great Britain. Also called Coracle. cutter 1. A fast-sailing single-masted vessel usually setting double headsails and used for patrol and dispatch services. Cutters were the ships of choice for English smugglers during the 18th century. The largest were up to 150 tons burden and could carry up to 12 guns. 2. A clinker built ship’s boat used for travel between ship and shore. A small rowing or sailing boat, often a tender to a larger vessel. dhow A lateen-rigged sailing vessel that originated in the Middle East. Early dhows were of shell-first construction. Most dhows are known by names referring to their hull shape. The ghanjah is a large vessel with a curved stem and a sloping, often ornately carved transom. The baghlah, was the traditional deep-sea dhow; it had a transom with five windows and a poop deck similar to European galleons. Double-ended dhows, like the boom, have both stem and stern posts.

The battil, featured long stems topped by large, club-shaped stemheads and sternposts decorated with cowrie shells and leather. The badan was a smaller and shallow draught vessel. dogger A two-masted Dutch fishing-vessel resembling a ketch. dory A small, narrow, flat-bottomed and shallow draft boat of between 15 to 20 ft in length, usually with high sides and a sharp prow, propelled by oars. Also spelled Dorey (British). A narrow, swift, lateen-rigged sailing vessel used on the Nile and in the Mediterranean. fifth rate Sailing warship with 32-44 guns (1779). fireship A ship or boat that is deliberately set on fire and steered to collide with a larger enemy ship in order to set it on fire and destroy it. Fireships were often used in the 17th century to finish off disabled enemy vessels. first rate Sailing ‘ship of the line’ warship with 100 or more guns on three gun decks (1779). flagship The sailing warship carrying the admiral (or fleet commander) and his flag.

Normally the most powerful ship in a squadron or fleet. fluyt A classic three-masted, square-rigged merchant ship of the 17th century, invented by the Dutch to be economical in operation, carrying the largest cargo and smallest crew possible. It had a wide, balloon-like hull rounding at the stern and bow and a very narrow, high stern. Lightly armed, they were not well-suited for dealing with pirates, privateers or any other armed opposition. fourth rate Sailing ‘ship of the line’ warship with 50-60 guns on two gun decks (1779). frigate A three-masted sailing warship with two full decks, with only one gun deck. A frigate was armed with between 30 to 44 guns located on the gun deck and possibly some on the quarter-deck and forecastle, used in the 18th and 19th centuries, used for escort, reconnaissance and a myriad of other duties. G galjoot A small fast sailing 17th-century shallow-draught flat-bottom Dutch ship mostly used as a coastal merchant vessel. They were also used on occasion as bomb vessels because of their stability and durability.

galleas A large, three-masted galley/galleon hybrid of the 16th and 17th centuries that used both sails and oars. They were powerful warships of the day, very successful at the Battle of Lepanto, 1571. galleon A square-rigged, three-masted (or four-masted) sailing ship in use from the 16th to the 18th centuries, particularly by the Spanish and Portuguese but also by most other European nations. galley An oared fighting ship used mainly in the Mediterranean from many centuries BC until well into the 18th century. They were also used in the Baltic and by other northern European nations, just not to the same extent and duration as in the Mediterranean. A galley a scaloccio is rowed by groups of three, five or seven men on a bench pulling a single oar, and a galley ala sensile has a single rower per oar, possibly two or three men to a bench (a terzaruolo). The top speed of a galley under full-oar has been estimated to be 7 or 8 knots.

galliot Also Galiot; A light, fast galley formerly used in the Mediterranean. ghost ship Either a ship that appears as a ghostly apparition such as the Flying Dutchman, or a ship which is found floating at sea with no sign of the crew, such as the Mary Celeste. gig 1.A two-masted coastal vessel carrying lugsails. 2.A wide beamed 18th century ship’s boat, often reserved for use by a ship’s captain. H hermaphrodite brig A two-masted vessel, square-rigged on the foremast and fore-and-aft rigged mainsail with a square topsail on the mainmast. hooker 1.Slang for an outdated, obsolete, unwieldy, or just ugly vessel. 2.A small fishing vessel using hooked (baited) lines. Also Hoeker (Dutch). hoy A single-, two- or even three-masted European coastal merchant and fishing vessel from the 17th and 18th century. hulk 1.A medieval ship with the ends of the planks fitted parallel to the stern and sternposts. 2.A ship that has fallen into disuse or is used in a static role i.e.

sheer hulk or prison hulk. All purpose boat onboard a ship. junk A Chinese sailing vessel with bamboo sail battens and a long overhanging counter; originally developed during the 5th century. K ketch A two-masted sailing vessel with the mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder head. They were usually fore-and-aft rigged but could have square sails. Sizewise, they were usually from 100 to 250 tons burthen. Often used in the role as a bombard vessel. knarr A clinker built Viking merchant ship, exceptionally sturdy in rough seas. Broader in the beam and more draught than a longship. They were also more reliant on the use of sails for propulsion, rather than oars. Also Knorr. L lightship An anchored ship acting as a floating lighthouse where building a lighthouse was not possible or impractical. Lightships would display a light at the top of a mast and in case of fog would sound a fog signal. lodya Name for Russian river, lake and sea vessels until the 16th century and later. longship: Langskip. Generally thought of as the Viking war ship.

It was a 45–75ft (14–23m) galley with up to 10 oars on each side, a square sail on a removable mast, and a 50–60-man capacity. Double-ended and built shell-first with overlapping planks (clinker built). longboat The largest boat carried aboard a larger sea going vessel. Propelled by sail or oars. lugger A small ship rigged with one or more lugsails on two or three masts, and usually one, two or three jibs were set on the bowsprit. Luggers usually outperformed square-rigged vessels in coastal tideways but required a larger crew then a square-rigged vessel of similar size. Often used by smugglers and privateers around the English Channel in the 18th century. M man o’war A term applied to a ship specifically built for the purpose of war. Instances of the term ‘man-of-war’ to indicate a warship are found as early as 1484. merchantman Any vessel used for trade. The combined term of ‘merchant’ and ‘man’ occurs as early as 1473.

monkey The generic name given to a vessel that sailed in regular service between two ports. pattamar A one to three-masted lateen-rigged dhow-like vessel used off the west coast of India. penteconter An ancient Greek galley with 50 oars, 25 each side set in a single bank. pink Dutch term for a small open fishing vessel. pinnace 1.A variety of relatively small sailing vessels having generally two fore-and-aft rigged masts. 2.A 17th century ship’s boat, usually rowed with eight oars. pirate A sea-robber, or an armed ship that roams the seas without any legal commission, and seizes or plunders any vessel she meets indiscriminately, whether friend or foe. Some other names for a pirate were buccaneer, freebooter and skimmer. polacre A three-masted Mediterranean vessel, usually square-rigged on the mainmast, and lateen-rigged on the foremast and mizzenmast. Some of them however carried square sails on all three masts. They carried one piece masts, neither topmast nor topgallant mast were present.

polyreme A variety of large Phoenician, Greek or Roman war galleys. In these large ‘Polyremes’, there were only two levels of oars, each being rowed by half the men indicated by the number. For instance, in an octoreme (8), there were 2 banks of oars, each rowed by 4 men, on each side of the ship. In a ‘decareme’ (10), each oar was manned by 5. pot boat An ancient boat made from clay or similar material for use in inland waterways. privateer A person or private vessel intent on raiding enemy shipping in wartime for the purpose of making a profit from the sale of captured ships, including whatever cargo would be onboard. A privateer could be described as a commissioned pirate. Dangerous business all-around, often a privateer would mistake a ‘friendly’ ship for fair game with the consequence of rapidly being ‘promoted’ from privateer to pirate. punt Q qarib A small two-masted lateen-rigged vessel, common in Egypt around the 11th century, sailing down the Nile from Cairo and as far west as Tunisia and Sicily.

quarter boat A boat hung from or located on a ship’s quarter. quinquereme A Mediterranean war galley having three banks of oars, the oars on the top two levels being pulled by two men each, the lower level oar being pulled by a single man. The quinquereme (5 rowers) was developed from the earlier trireme, rowed by three levels (or banks) of oars, each rowed by a single man. It was used by the Greeks of the Hellenistic period and later by the Carthaginians and Romans, from the 4th century BC to about the 1st century AD. R rate In 1653 the British Admiralty’s Fighting Instructions classified the size and capabilities (guns mounted) of a sailing warship into 6 distinct rates. A first rate being the largest and most capable, a sixth rate being the least. The number of guns carried by a ship of a certain rate changed from time to time. Only the first four rates were considered fit for duty as ‘ships of the line’, all though fifth and sixth rates did join the battle from time to time.

retour ship Generic name for a collection of different but relatively heavily armed, and well-manned merchant ships of the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC). They were specifically designed for the long roundtrip (retour) voyage from the Netherlands to the East Indies. roundship A medieval merchant sailing ship with a rounded stern and bow, as opposed to a sharp double-ended longship. A roundship often had a two-masted rig with a small foresail. Also called a nef. S schooner A vessel rigged with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. A topsail schooner sets one or two square sails on the foremast as well. Many further sub-divisions can be made such as Tern Schooners, Scow Schooners, Coastal Schooners and Grand Banks Schooners such as the Bluenose. Bald Headed Schooner is a term for a Schooner having/setting no topsails at all. scow A variety of flat-bottomed vessels used for carrying cargo, often having a sloping square bow and stern. Similar to a barge, simple hull construction and maximum cargo capacity.

scow schooner A flat-bottomed square-ended schooner-rigged vessel used mainly in the latter half of the 19th century on the Great Lakes and North-American coastal routes. Scow schooners often used centerboards or leeboards and the name scow refers to the shape of the hull. Scow schooners carried the bulk of cargo in North-America during the 19th century. second rate Sailing ‘ship of the line’ warship with 84-98 guns on three or two gun decks (1779). shallop 1.A two-masted ship usually carrying lugsails. 2.A 17th century ship’s boat, used as a tender. Shallops had no keel but used leeboards instead. A shallop could be propelled by oars or sails. sheer hulk A cut-down, old ship fitted with a pair of sheers, used to hoist masts up to another ship that was being built or repaired.

ship In the 18-19th centuries a ship was defined as a first rank sailing vessel having a bowsprit and three or more square-rigged masts (ship-rigged), each composed of a lowermast, a topmast, and often a topgallant mast. Many earlier and other definitions of ship exist, just think of a single-masted Viking ship for example. ship of the line A sailing warship built to fight in the line of battle. The ‘line of battle’ meant that each ship would form in a line thus allowing each ship to fire full broadside salvos at the opponent. Ships of the line were usually all of fourth rate or above, most were third-rate ships of 74 guns. sixth rate Sailing warship with 20-30 guns (1779). skiff A small flat-bottomed ship’s boat, having a sharp pointed bow and a square stern. Could be propelled by oars or sail. sloop A single-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel setting a mainsail and generally a single jib, or headsail (sometimes double – double-headsail sloop).

Sloop and cutter are almost indistinguishable today, generally a sloop has her mast located more forward than a cutter. sloop-of-war A name given to the smallest three-masted sailing warships, having 8 to 22 cannon on only one deck. They were either fully rigged as ships (three-masted ship-sloop) or as snows. Also sometimes called ‘corvette’ (0riginally a French term) but brigs (two-masted brig-sloop) and cutters were also sometimes classified as sloops-of-war. smack A small two-masted coastal fishing or merchant vessel, fore-and-aft rigged and very similar to a ketch. snow A large two-masted sailing vessel, similar to a Brig. “A Brig bends her boom-sail (or trysail) to the mainmast, while a Snow bends it to a trysail mast ( a small third mast stepped immediately aft of the mainmast): in other respects these two vessels are alike.” (Young’s Nautical Dictionary 1846.) spiegelschip T tarides Small sail and/or oar powered transport vessel used from the dark ages to about the late 12th century.

Early medieval equivalent of a landing craft, they had doors used as ramps for loading and unloading men and their horses. Possibly derived from earlier Roman horse transports. tartan A small and nimble single- or two-masted lateen-rigged sailing vessel originating in the Middle East and the north coast of Africa. Like the xebec, it is often associated with the Barbary corsairs. tender A vessel attending to another vessel, in particular one that ferries supplies and personnel between ship and shore. third rate Sailing ‘ship of the line’ warship with 64-80 guns on two gun decks (1779). tjalk A Dutch flat-bottomed vessel with rounded ends and leeboards. Used to carry freight and also often used as a pleasure yacht. triaconter An ancient Greek galley with 30 oars, 15 each side set in a single bank. trireme An ancient Phoenician, Greek or Roman war galley propelled by three tiers (banks) of oars on each side, each oar being pulled by a single man, used from the 7th to the 4th century BC.

Upper level oarsmen were called thranites, middle level zygites and lower level oarsmen were called thalamites. The hull was shell-first, mortise-and-tenon construction, planked with fir, cedar or pine while the keel was made of oak. turtle ship A 16th-century Korean armoured warship called Geobukseon or Kobukson in Korean. It was fitted with an iron shell (top) and sharp spikes for protection and to prevent boarding. They were developed and built by Admiral YI, SOON SHIN in 1592 who led Korea to victory in the IM JIN WAR (Korea vs. Japan; 1592-1598). The hull was built from red pine and a turtle ship carried cannons with such names as Heaven and Earth or in Korean, Chon and Ji. Comparable to a European 12 and 7pdr cannon respectively. X xebec A relatively small three-masted lateen-rigged vessel favored by the Barbary corsairs operating off the coast of North Africa. These ships had long narrow hulls, and were fitted with oars like their galley predecessors.

The xebec was adopted by the French and Spanish navies and called a chebec. Y yacht Any of a variety of small sailing vessels. Often a personal transportation watercraft or a personal pleasure boat; i.e. captain’s yacht, royal yacht. yawl 1. A small two-masted sailing vessel with the mizzenmast stepped astern of the rudder post. Similar to a ketch, which has its mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder head or post. 2. A ship’s boat similar to, but smaller than a pinnace, usually rowed by four to six oars. Z zabra A 16th century Spanish sailing vessel, smaller then a Galleon or Carrack. Zabra’s were used for dispatch, transport and other utilitarian duties. Sailing ship - iSnare Free Encyclopedia Sailing ship This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2008) ARC Gloria , a three-masted barque and Colombian Navy training ship, at sunset in Cartagena A modern sailing ship or sailship is any large wind-powered vessel.

Traditionally a sailing ship (or simply ship) is a sailing vessel that carries three or more masts with square sails on each. Large sailing vessels that are not ship-rigged may be more precisely referred to by their sail rig, such as schooner , barque (also spelled "bark"), brig , barkentine , brigantine or sloop . [1] Contents 8 External links Characteristics USS Constitution under sail in Massachusetts Bay , 21 July 1997. Nicknamed "Old Ironsides," the frigate became famous in the War of 1812 when British cannonballs bounced off her oak hull. She is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and is open to the public in Charlestown, Massachusetts. [2] For a history of ship construction, see shipbuilding . There are many different types of sailing ships, but they all have certain basic things in common. Every sailing ship has a hull , rigging and at least one mast to hold up the sails that use the wind to power the ship. The crew who sail a ship are called sailors or hands. They take turns to take the watch , the active managers of the ship and her performance for a period.

Watches are traditionally four hours long. Some sailing ships use traditional ship's bells to tell the time and regulate the watch system, with the bell being rung once for every half hour into the watch and rung eight times at watch end (a four-hour watch). [3] [4] Ocean journeys by sailing ship can take many months, and a common hazard is becoming becalmed because of lack of wind, or being blown off course by severe storms or winds that do not allow progress in the desired direction. A severe storm could lead to shipwreck , and the loss of all hands. Sailing ships are limited in their maximum size compared to ships with heat engines , so economies of scale are also limited. The heaviest sailing ships (limited to those vessels for which sails were the primary means of propulsion) never exceeded 14,000 tons displacement . Sailing ships are therefore also very limited in the supply capacity of their holds , so they have to plan long voyages carefully to include many stops to take on provisions and, in the days before watermakers , fresh water .

Types of sailing ships Further information: Sail-plan § Types of ships There are many types of sailing ships , mostly distinguished by their rigging, hull, keel, or number and configuration of masts. There are also many types of smaller sailboats not listed here. [5] The following is a list of vessel types, many of which have changed in meaning over time: windjammer : large sailing ship with an iron or for the most part steel hull, built to carry cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. xebec : a Mediterranean warship adapted from a galley, with three lateen-rigged masts yawl : two masts, fore-and-aft rigged, the mizzen mast aft of the rudder post yacht :a small pleasure craft Automated sailing The Moshulu is a rare four-masted bark (with square sales on all masts except for the jigger-mast, which carries fore-and-aft sails. She is berthed in Philadelphia and is now open as a restaurant. [6] In 1902 the sailing vessel Preussen was the first to assist handling of sails by making use of steam power without auxiliary engines for propulsion.

The steam power was used to drive the winches , hoists and pumps . A similar ship Kruzenshtern , a very large sailing vessel without mechanical assists, had a crew of 257 men, compared to the Preussen, which required only 48 men. [7] In 2006, automated control had been taken to the point where sails could be operated by one person using a central control unit, DynaRig . The DynaRig technology was first developed in the 1960s in Germany by W. Prolls as a propulsion alternative for commercial ships to prepare for a possible future energy crisis. The technology is a high-tech version of the same type of sail used by the Preussen, the " square-rigger ". The main difference is that the yards do not swing around a fixed mast but are rigidly attached to a rotating mast. DynaRig along with extensive computerization was used in the proof-of-concept Maltese Falcon to enable it to be sailed with no crew aloft. [7] As of 2013, with increasing restrictions on use of bunker fuel , attempts were underway to develop hybrid sailing ships using automated sail and alternative fuels.

[8] [9] Gallery Below is a chart showing the various sizes of different ships. Rigging Basics If you think you're confused about what type of ship is what, then you're in good company. Ship rigging is very confusing and rarely explained in anything resembling English. This section will try and clarify how the ships are rigged, that is how the sails are arranged. Three things will determine what kind of ship you're about to board. The number of masts The way the sails are attached to the mast The number of gun decks A mast is the tall pole sticking up from the deck of a ship. Most sailing ships have between one and three mast but some have four. To simplify matters I'm going to only discuss ships of three masts or less. Each mast has a particular name Foremast: the front mast on three masted ship Mizzenmast: rear mast of ship with more than two masts Mainmast: middle mast of three masted ship or the tallest mast of two masted ship or the only mast on a one masted ship. Sails are usually rigged in one of two fashions. The rigging is often used to determine what kind of ship you're looking at.

Sometimes only one style of rigging is used throughout the vessel but in some cases their is a mix of both types of rigging. Rigging is simply defined as the way the sail is attached to the ship. A sail can be attached to a "yard"or "yardarm" which is a cross beam on the mast which is permanently attached. Or it can be attached to a gaff, which is a spar (beam) that juts out from the mast and usually angled upward. The gaff is moveable and is what is used in "Fore & Aft Rigged" ships. Other sails Jibs are triangular stay-sail stretching from the outer end of the jib-boom to the fore-topmast head in large ships, and from the bowsprit to the mast-head in smaller craft. Spankers are the fore-and-aft sail, set with a gaff and boom at the aftermost part of the ship. (Jibs in front, spanker in the rear) Stay Sails are a triangular sail hoisted upon a stay Which leads us to Stays which are large ropes used to support a mast, and leading from its head down to some other mast or spar, or to some part of the ship.

Stays leading forward are fore stays. Stays leading to the back are Aft stays. Finally stays which lead down to the vessel's sides are backstays. Along with this, the stays also are named after the mast they serve such as forestay for the Foremast and mizzenstay for the mizzenmast. Types of Rigging As I said, there are two basic ways to rig sails: Square Rigged Rig in which the sails are bent to the yards carried athwart the mast and trimmed with braces. The advantage is the square rigged sails are quite sturdy and can catch a lot of wind. Fore & Aft Rigged (Sloop Rigged). A rig in which the sails are not attached to the yards but are bent to gaffs or set on the mast or on stays in the midship line of the ship. The advantage is increased maneuverability. To add to the confusion, some ships also possessed lanteen sails which were used heavily in the Mediterranean on merchant ships. The lanteen is a sail shaped like a right triangle. Lanteen sails added to the maneuverability of the ship, allowing ships to sail in directions other than directly with the wind.

However they were not as good for speed because they caught less wind than a square sail. Typically the Lanteen had a yard arm which is loosely affixed to a mast and hangs diagonally. This allows for the sail to be shifted about to catch the wind. Lanteens are common among many small sailing vessels in use today. Gaff sails also helped in maneuvering ships. Gaff sails hung from a gaff or spar extending from a mast on a ship. If a ship does not have its sails in place then the presence of gaffs and yards can help determine what kind of ship you're looking at. However, almost all Square rigged ships have supplemental gaffs! Of course, to complicate the matter, you'll run across numerous other terms for the way a ship is rigged. Here are the most common terms. Ship: A veseel square rigged on three masts Brigantine or Barq Rigged: square rigged Foremast (front) . Fore and aft rigged on the other masts.

(This can be confusing especially when you compare Barqs an Barquentines Schooner or Sloop Rigged: Sails rigged fore and aft but sometimes carrying a square rigged top sail on the mainmast (one mast, sloop, more than one mast, Schooner, no matter how many masts). To further complicate the matter, Square rigged ships also have gaffs on every mast. These gaffs are there to rig fore & aft sails in the event of storms. These special sails are called Trysails. In the event of heavy seas or violent storms the square rigged sails would be put away (shorten sails) and try sails are sometimes used in their place. If the square rigged sails were left in place three possible disasters could occur: The strong winds could rip the square rigged sails from the yards. If the sails aren't torn from the Yards then the masts stand a good chance of breaking due to the added weight of the wet sails or simply from the wind. If the masts doesn't break, the sails could force the ship to capsize, that is roll over in the water. The trysails are smaller and attached only to the bottom portion of the mast.

This reduces the possibility of the ship capsizing and also reduces the strain on the very tall masts. Because the try sails are rigged fore and aft they assist in the maneuverability of the ship during the storm. Try sails are also used in order to increase speed, improve maneuverability and improve a ship ability to sail when sailing against or in a direction other than the wind. Decks: As each mast had a name so do the decks. Poop: The aftermost part of a ship; the stern; also, the aftermost and highest deck, often forming the roof of the cabin built in the stern. Forecastle (fo'c'sle): (never called the forecastle deck) A short raised deck at the fore end of a vessel. In early use raised like a castle to command the enemy's decks. the forecastle also refers to the forward part of the merchant vessel, under the deck, where the sailors live. Spar: The spar deck extended from stem to to stern and rest above the main deck. It is usually devoid of guns but not always. Frigates typically would fill about half the spar with guns. This deck is not found on a merchant ship.

Main: This is the deck just below the spar deck on a man of war or the deck that rest between the poop and fore-castle on a merchant ship. The main deck will be the upper most deck on a man-o-war being with a full compliment of guns The guns on this deck are sometimes referred to as main-deckers. This means the guns rest on the main deck (if there is just one deck of guns, it is called the gun deck) and the spar deck acts as the ceiling. Lower Deck: The second deck containing guns, if the ship had only two decks containing a full complement of guns. Middle Deck: The middle deck of guns when the ship of the line carried three decks of guns. If a middle deck existed the lower deck. obviously becomes the third deck of guns. Berth: The deck below the gun decks where the mess, sick bay, living/sleeping quarters were found. The berth was often at or just above the water line and was devoid of proper lighting and poorly ventilated Orlop: The orlop (normally not called the orlop deck, just orlop) is the lowest deck on a ship usually covering the hold.

Quite often the magazines (ammunition rooms) would be found under the orlop, typically aft on war ships. Remember to get to the hold, you have to pass under the orlop. The hold resides between the orlop and the bilge. Bilge: The bottom of a ship's hull, or that part on either side of the keel which has more a horizontal than a perpendicular direction, and upon which the ship would rest if aground; also the lowest internal part of the hull. As you can guess, not all ships or boats have every deck. for instance a sloop may only have one deck which then becomes the "deck" and everything else is below deck. Or you may have a spar deck, gun deck,and then a hold. Gun Decks The number of decks containing guns is a determining factor when discussing Man-O-Wars or fighting ships. Fighting ships fall into four basic classes.

Those with one gun deck and less than three ship rigged masts ( corvettes, snows ) Those with one gun deck and three ship rigged masts (ship) Those with one and half gun decks and three ship rigged masts ( frigates ) Those Ships with two or more full gun decks ( Ship of the Line ) As you can assume, there were hybrids and exceptions to these descriptions. Typically, the number of masts on on a Man of War would give some clue as to how many gun decks she would have. Merchant ships would also be armed but most likely not as well armed as a man-o-war. More likely the merchant ship would only have one gun deck and or a few guns strapped to the spar. Hopefully this information will assist you when reading the descriptions of specific sailing vessels. See figures 1 and 2 for diagrams labeling the vital parts of a standard ship and a sloop

Question: On a three-masted sailing ship, what name is given to aftermost mast?
Answer: THE MIZZEN MAST