Inside history

HIGH-SPEED SLAVE SHIP, 15TH-17TH CENTURY

Get up to speed with the super-fast galiot

Barbary corsairs used a variety of ships to prey on enemy vessels sailing across the Mediterranean. One of the most popular was the galiot, a small galley boat that was primarily propelled by oars but also had a sail. It could be rowed with great speed, which allowed the pirates to get in and out quickly during raids as well as easily chase down the lumbering merchant vessels that were weighed down with cargo. The galiot’s small size also allowed the pirates to hide, swiftly breaking cover once lookouts located easy prey. However, they could only be used during the calm seas of summer as they sat quite low, making them susceptible to taking in water in rough seas.

Although the galiots were the corsairs’ favourite ship, longer galleys with 25 pairs of oars were also used. These carried more guns and crew and so had greater fighting potential – for example, for when the privateers were enlisted in an Ottoman naval attack. Occasionally, however, the corsairs would use the smaller barca longas that, with one rower per oar, proved particularly useful for scouting and short-range raiding.

One of the most iconic Barbary ships was the three-masted xebec, which was powered mainly by sail rather than rowing. It had as many as 16 guns and it could sail close hauled to the wind, making the ship effective when in pursuit. Carrying three lateen-rigged sails, however, it was mostly used for trading.

Less versatile were the polaccas, which tended to carry cargo. Meanwhile, the felucca was more of a sailing vessel. Corsairs particularly liked the single-masted tartans that often fooled enemies into thinking they were fishing vessels. But just the sheer fact that the Barbary pirates had so many different kinds of ships showed how well equipped they were.