A brigantine
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2025 4:55 pm
A brigantine (also called a schooner-brig) is a sailing vessel with two masts. As the name suggests, brigantine (schooner) comes from the word brig. Only the foremast is square-rigged. The aft mast is gaff-rigged (schooner-rigged) and carries one or two square sails.
The name comes from the Italian raiding vessel "bergantine" or "bargantine"—a small Mediterranean galley that by the 13th century was also used by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch,Turks, and French. The latter called it "brigantine."
The brigantine in its modern form appeared only in the early 18th century and initially had a rounded bow and a sloping transom. Gradually, the bow became sharper, and later brigantines even had a clipper bow and a projecting stern. The rig remained virtually the same, but the square sails on the mainmast disappeared; it became a schooner-brig.
In the past, brigantines were often used by smugglers and pirates. They prized the ship for its maneuverability and excellent seaworthiness on steep courses. It is therefore not surprising that the navies and coast guards, which pursued these vessels, soon began building their own brigantines.
Today, several brigantines still operate, primarily as sailing passenger ships for day trips and short cruises. The brigantine "Nave Italia," commissioned in 1993 as "Swan Fan Makkum," is the largest brigantine in the world. Originally a Dutch vessel, it was sold to an Italian company in February 2007.
Nederland 2025; 1.0.
Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigantijn.
The name comes from the Italian raiding vessel "bergantine" or "bargantine"—a small Mediterranean galley that by the 13th century was also used by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch,Turks, and French. The latter called it "brigantine."
The brigantine in its modern form appeared only in the early 18th century and initially had a rounded bow and a sloping transom. Gradually, the bow became sharper, and later brigantines even had a clipper bow and a projecting stern. The rig remained virtually the same, but the square sails on the mainmast disappeared; it became a schooner-brig.
In the past, brigantines were often used by smugglers and pirates. They prized the ship for its maneuverability and excellent seaworthiness on steep courses. It is therefore not surprising that the navies and coast guards, which pursued these vessels, soon began building their own brigantines.
Today, several brigantines still operate, primarily as sailing passenger ships for day trips and short cruises. The brigantine "Nave Italia," commissioned in 1993 as "Swan Fan Makkum," is the largest brigantine in the world. Originally a Dutch vessel, it was sold to an Italian company in February 2007.
Nederland 2025; 1.0.
Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigantijn.