Pirate Roleplay Reference Ships

SHIPS OF BOTH THE 1600S AND 1700S

Galleons
Little changed in a galleon's design... though they were mostly obsolete by the 1700s. galleons were large ships built as either warships, or merchants. the Spainards were famous for using these ships in their Anuual Treasure Fleet from the Americas back to Spain. Heavily armed, a galleon was not to be taken lightly, they generaly had 3 masts square rigged on the first two and square and fore and aft rigged on the mizzen. Sometimes they also had another mast at the end of the bowsprit so squaresails could be mounted. And some had 4 masts. In the 1600s, galleons were the principal warship and merchant form. frigats and ships of the line both were built in the galleon design (high raised stern etc) they were lavishly decorated with gilded carvings.

Fluyts
had a high rounded stern and a shallow draft, and were used mainly by the dutch

Frigates
were fast, three masted sqaurrigged medium sized heavily armed ships,

1600s
they fallowed the galleon design, and could have one or two gundecks, and mounted between 20 and 50 broadside cannons
1700s
they had been refined to have a level deck, and high rails amidships, and also had one or two gundecks

Ships of the Line
Large three masted ships mounting between 60 and over 120  broadside cannons mounted on either 2 or 3 gundecks... used in 'line of battle' tactics, exclusively by Royale Navies of Europe. historically NEVER used by pirates but characters can take creative liberties, as i did for my ship the 74 gun third rate Sea  Reaper

1600s
they fallowed the galleon form, had a latteen sail on the mizzen, and a spritsail topsmast
1700s
Refined into the modern frigate form, but with more guns, larger, and up to 3 gun decks


Sloops
Small Single masted ships with a sqaure topsail, jibs and fore and aft mainsail usually mounted anywhere from 2 to 10 broadside guns, the only difference in era, was the mainsail, in the

1600s
they were likely to have a latten mainsail
1700s
they had a spanker mainsail

Ketch
A small two masted ship whose bowsprit was 2X as long as the Hull with jibs, which allowed her to turn on a dime. the mainmast was shorter than the foremast. small armnement of broadside guns, probably anound 12 or 14

1600s
sqaurerigged, latten on mizzen
1700s
sqaure rigged, spanker on both masts

Brig
second largest of the small ships, two masted sqaure and fore and aft rigged on the mizzen, sqaure rigged on the fore mounted up to 16 guns

1600s
had a latteen on the main
1700s
had a spanker mainsail

Barque
Largest of the small ships the barque had 3 masts, was fore and aft rigged on the mizzen and sqaure rigged on the foremast and main mast mounted around 18 guns

1600s
mizzen was latten rigged, or could be entirely latteen rigged
1700s
mizzen was rigged with a spanker, and rest was fore and aft rigged

SHIPS OF THE 1600S

Galley Frigate
Captian Kidd's ship the 'Adeventure Galley' was a galley frigate, it had two continuous decks runing from stem to stern, the bottom had ports for sweeps, the top was where the cannons were mounted mounted up to 36 broadside guns

Crompster
a small fast ship favored by the baccaneers, its beam was 1/2 its leangth and could carry many guns and men. it resembled a barque or frigate in rig armenement: 12-16 broadside gunns (this is an estamate... i have found few referances to Crompsters)

Peraguas
Large dugout canoes that could hold up to 20 or 30 men... the event that sparked the Golden age of Pirates was committed in a peragua... the frenchman Perrie la grand came astern of a treasure galleon, and seized it without fireing a shot, then never went to sea again

SHIPS OF THE 1700S

schooners
small 2 masted ships that were fore and aft rigged with spankers and sometimes sqaureriged on one or both masts as well mounted up to 6 broadside guns


SHIPS UNIQUE TO THE BARBARY COAST

Galley
a galley had long banks of sweeps, and were latten rigged on all masts and only mounted foreward pionting heavy guns, as well as a ram had up to 3 masts and were used by the barbary coarsairs... though some european Navies used these ships as counter pirate patrols

Chebec/Xebec,
a smaller version of a galley, still three masted though oars were kept in reserve, and up to 14 or 16 broadside cannons were mounted sometimes these even went up to 20 or so, depending on the size.

SHIPS UNIQUE TO THE SOUTH CHINA SEAS

Junk
Ships of various size and number of masts and connon, they had sealed bulkheads in case of flooding, flat bottoms, and sails stiffened with bammboo battons