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The Evolution of Sail

From muscle and oars, through the carrack that first crossed oceans, to the Golden-Age sloop — and on to the Napoleonic ship of the line, where the age of sail reached its height and, with the coming of steam, its end.

⚓ The Sandhill’s rig — period-correct gaff sloop

Single-masted gaff sloop (period-correct rig, c.1700-1725). One tall mast raked sharply aft carries a four-sided gaff mainsail: luff up the mast, head spread by an angled gaff spar aloft, foot on a very long boom overhanging the stern - that long boom is her signature. A small gaff topsail sets above in light airs. Forward, a fore-triangle of a forestaysail and one or two jibs run out on a long bowsprit; a light square sail could be crossed for running downwind. Tell bow from stern: bowsprit and stacked jibs mark the bow; the boom, gaff mainsail and rudder mark the stern.

The size ladder — tons burden

Dugout CanoeTimeless small craft
2 t
LongboatTimeless small craft
3 t
Oared GalleyAntiquity to 1600s
180 t
Cog1200s-1400s
100 t
Carrack (Nau)1400s-1500s
600 t
Caravel1400s-1500s
60 t
Galleon1500s-1600s
500 t
Fluyt1600s
300 t
Bermuda Sloop (the Sandhill)c.1700 Golden Age
70 t
Schoonerc.1700 Golden Age
90 t
Brigantinec.1700 Golden Age
120 t
Brig1700s
150 t
Merchantman1700s
350 t
Frigatemid-1700s
500 t
East Indiaman1700s
800 t
Ship of the LineNapoleonic 1805
1,500 t

Full comparison

Cell colour: green = strong, red = weak (firepower, crew, speed).
VesselEraPower / rigTonsGunsCrewSpeedHold
Dugout Canoe Timeless small craft Paddles & oars 2 0 6 5 kn minimal
Longboat Timeless small craft Oars 3 0 10 5 kn minimal
Oared Galley Antiquity to 1600s Oars + one sail 180 3 150 7 kn minimal
Cog 1200s-1400s Single square sail 100 0 20 5 kn large
Carrack (Nau) 1400s-1500s Full square rig 600 20 80 6 kn vast
Caravel 1400s-1500s Lateen rig 60 4 25 8 kn modest
Galleon 1500s-1600s Full rig 500 40 200 7 kn large
Fluyt 1600s Full rig 300 6 20 7 kn vast
Bermuda Sloop (the Sandhill) c.1700 Golden Age Fore-and-aft 70 10 60 12 kn modest
Schooner c.1700 Golden Age Fore-and-aft 90 8 55 11 kn fair
Brigantine c.1700 Golden Age Mixed rig 120 12 70 10 kn good
Brig 1700s Square rig 150 14 80 9 kn good
Merchantman 1700s Full rig 350 10 30 7 kn vast
Frigate mid-1700s Full rig 500 36 200 11 kn fair
East Indiaman 1700s Full rig 800 34 120 8 kn enormous
Ship of the Line Napoleonic 1805 Full rig 1,500 80 650 8 kn fair
Figures are representative archetypes, not any single ship — hull sizes varied widely within every class. The Bermuda Sloop row is our own Sandhill. The line stops at the Napoleonic ship of the line: after Trafalgar the clipper and the steam engine carried shipping into a new age, beyond the age of sail this museum keeps.