- Early
Spanish
Sailing
Ships
- By
Jerry
Wilkinson
- -
- There
is
a
huge
variety
of
sailing
ships
used
by
Spain.
This
page
is
not
meant
as
an
authority
on
ships
and
only
as
a
guide
for
general
interpreting
Spanish
writings
of
the
15th,
16th
and
17th
centuries.
Those
listed
below
are
a
few
that
may
be
encountered
while
doing
Florida
Keys
research.
For
a
companion
page
of
Early
American
Sailing
vessels,
Click
HERE.
JW
- -
-
The
smallest
boat
generally
mentioned
is
a
"lancha."
This
is
an
open
longboat
carried
aboard
or
towed.
Others
boats
of
this
class
could
be
"botes"
or
a
simple
boat
and
the
"esquife"
or
skiff.
Generally
they
are
rowed;
however,
some
have
a
makeshift
sail
and
mast.
Usually
a
larger
version
of
the
lancha
is
called
a
"pinaza."
-
The
"chalupa"
or
shallop
implies
a
swift
sailing
single-deck
cargo/transport
vessel
and
could
be
as
large
as
75
tons.
-
The
"patache"
is
a
fast,
row-sailer
used
for
courier
and
reconnaissance
service,
but
sometimes
for
coastal
patrols.
-
The
"barco"
can
simply
mean
boat,
but
generally
implies
a
row-sail
freighter,
transport
or
fisherman
with
a
low
freeboard
for
ease
of
rowing.
The
barco
gavarra
is
a
large
version
and
the
barco
longo
is
a
small
version.
- A
galley
is
a
warship
driven
by
a
lanteen
sail
and
sweeps
or
oars.
This
is
the
smallest
of
the
galleys
and
a
model
for
larger
ships
- Simply
a
small
galley
(single
deck)
meant
as
a
war
ship
and
often
used
for
exploration.
Often
has
a
bow
ram
and
fixed
mounted
cannons
in
the
bow
and
stern.
Could
carry
20
to
50
soldiers
which
also
had
to
man
the
sweeps
(oars).
Could
have
multiple
sails.
- This
is
a
larger
version
of
the
bergantin
with
lanteen
sail
or
sails
and
oars
(sweeps)
for
propulsion
and
were
in
many
lengths
-
up
to
200
feet.
They
were
not
normally
for
ocean
travel
and
were
of
single
decked.
Normally
equipped
with
bow
ram
and
often
with
a
bow
and
stern
straight
ahead
cannon.
Coastal
operations
were
their
primary
purpose.
- -
- A
drawing
of
the
Spanish
Treasure
Frigate
Pero
Menendez
Marquez.
These
were
especially
designed
to
transport
treasure
from
the
New
World
to
Spain.
The
Marquez
was
104
foot
in
length
and
34
foot
wide.
She
carried
150
people,
18-pounders
on
the
main
deck,
9-pounders
on
the
upper
deck
and
3-pounders
on
the
spar
deck.
-
- Usually
multiple
sail
rigging
of
square
and
lanteen
design.
Larger
than
the
aforementioned
ships,
a
caravela
probably
would
be
between
100
and
150
tons.
The
foremast
was
raked
(leaned)
forward.
It
could
have
a
forward
and
after
castle.
- The
galleon
(galeon)
is
a
large
armed
ship
up
to
1,000
tons
and
sometimes
had
sweeps
for
harbor
operations.
They
were
often
classified
as
one,
two,
three,
or
four
deckers
and
rigged
with
square
and
lanteen
sails
notably
with
top
sails.
Large
galleons
could
easily
carry
a
crew
of
100,
plus
15
to
30
gunners
and
50
to
100
passengers
as
well
as
provisions
and
cargo.
- The
largest
is
the
nao
which
are
broader
in
beam
and
usually
above
900
tons.
Generally,
the
rigging
is
square
sails
and
were
often
solely
merchantmen
as
opposed
to
a
warship.
