Large Oared Craft Carried Aboard A Merchant Ship
Merchant ships have been carrying large oared crafts since ancient times. These crafts were used for a variety of purposes, including transportation of goods and people, fishing, and even piracy. The size and type of the craft varied depending on the needs of the merchant ship.
The most common type of large oared craft carried aboard merchant ships was the galley. Galleys were long, narrow ships with multiple decks and banks of oars. They were used for both transport and warfare, and were a common sight in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Types of Galley Ships
There were several types of galley ships, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common types were the bireme, trireme, and quinquereme.
The bireme had two banks of oars, while the trireme had three and the quinquereme had five. The more oars a ship had, the faster it could go and the more maneuverable it was. However, more oars also meant more crew members, which made the ship more expensive to operate.
Uses of Galleys
Galleys were used for a variety of purposes, including transportation of troops and supplies, reconnaissance, and piracy. They were especially effective in coastal waters, where their shallow draft allowed them to navigate in shallow waters and make surprise attacks on enemy ports.
Galleys were also used in naval battles, where they were often used to ram enemy ships or board them and engage in hand-to-hand combat. However, galleys were vulnerable to storms and heavy seas, which could damage their oars and leave them stranded.
Other Large Oared Crafts
In addition to galleys, merchant ships also carried other types of large oared crafts. These included longboats, which were used for transporting goods and people between the merchant ship and shore, and fishing boats, which were used for catching fish to supplement the crew's diet.
Merchant ships also carried barges, which were used for transporting heavy goods such as timber and stone. Barges were flat-bottomed boats with no deck or oars, and were usually towed behind the merchant ship.
Conclusion
Large oared crafts have been an important part of merchant shipping for centuries. Galleys were the most common type of large oared craft, and were used for a variety of purposes including transport, reconnaissance, and piracy. Other types of large oared crafts included longboats, fishing boats, and barges.
