Object Type: Ships - Galiot

Image Credits

A Dutch galiot from Willaumez's Dictionnaire de la Marine in the 17th century, wikimedia commons

 

Description

A single or double masted smaller ship that was used by merchants and the DWIC to sail alongside the fleets.   They carried cargo and mail and often assisted in communications between larger ships.

At of 20 to 400 tons (bm), similar to a ketch, with a rounded fore and aft like a Dutch fluyt, they could vary in size a great deal, and were especially good at navigation.  Galiots had nearly flat bottoms to allow them  sail in shallow waters for good coastal navigation or  up rivers.   Depending up on the size of the ship 20 -150 men might be aboard, and usually several small cannon for protection.

 

Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galiot