Frigate:
Medium sized, square rigged swift, light, sailing warships of the 18th and 19th centuries usually built to naval architects' designs and used to assist larger warships or for delivery and reconnoitring. Many packed a good punch with 28-60 cannons on the main gun decks. British War Ships of this period were rated by the number of cannons a vessel could deploy.

Clipper:
Fast sailing vessels based on the faster sleeker American designs, merchantmen, used extensively in the tea trade with China, India, the Orient and the United Kingdom. Mainly built of English Oak and other hardy timbers, some were built of composite wood and iron or clad in iron. Usually three masted, some were refrigerated for the sheep meat trade between New Zealand, Australia and Britain.

These beautiful "Moonrakers" still hold some of the fastest sailing times between ports ever recorded by sailing vessels. Many were noted for sailing for days at 14 to 17 knots and them some, a feat modern sailing craft find hard to match.

With their huge masts and sail area, these magnificent sailing vessels were a joy to behold and they will never be forgotten as long as man sails the oceans of our planet.


Windjammer:
Also known as windcheaters. Large merchant sailing vessels, many built near the end of the era of the all wooden Clippers. Some were iron-clad and others were mainly built of iron with three, four, or even five main masts. Being mainly of iron these vessels were sometimes larger than Clippers and could carry more cargo with larger masts and more sail. These stronger vessels could stand more pressure and "jam against the wind". As fast as some earlier Clipper ships these sailing ships could displace between 2000 and 3000 tons.


Full Rigged Ship:
A three masted vessel with square sail on all masts. Four and five masted ships were also built.


Barque:
Normally a vessel of three or more masts, square rigged on all masts but the aftermost which is fore and aft rigged. The barque, Edwin Fox, was an East Indiaman built in 1853 and is the ninth oldest vessel left in the world and New Zealand's oldest surviving sailing vessel. http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/edwinfox.htm


Barquentine:
A vessel with three or more masts. Square rigged on her foremast and fore and aft on all others.


Brig:
A two masted vessel square rigged on the foremast, fore and aft on the mainmast. The original type of brigantine carried square sail on the topmast as well.


Brigantine:
Hermaphrodite Brig. A two-masted vessel with a brig's foremast and a schooner's mainmast. Ref. Dana's Seaman's Manual. Sometimes referred to as a pirate vessel. The Soren Larsen, often sailing in New Zealand waters and the South Pacific, is considered a fine example of a brigantine.


Topsail Schooner:
Vessels with two or masts, fore and aft rigged on all masts with the addition of square topsails on the foremast.

If you have notes on any vessels and would like to be considered for inclusion in this website, please e-mail.