Galleon
A galleon was a sailing ship with multiple decks used in Europe and especially in Spain of the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century.
March to May with masts , it is an evolution of carrack , which are introduced in the characteristics of the caravel , as the stern square superseding the one round of carracks. The shell is elongated and thinner, which makes it faster and lowering of the castle makes it more stable by reducing the weight in the blast. It is, cons, usually smaller than the carrack, some of which exceeded 1000 tons , the galleons were generally below 500 tons, although larger have existed.
As carracks, the galleons were used for both the trade that uses military. They could be armed or not during a career for either of these functions. They have, however, tended to supplant carracks for war because of their superior performance. They were mostly armed with semi-culverins , although higher rating, as the half-barrel , were on board.
The galleons were built of oak (for the keel), in pine (for poles) and other wood hard for the hull and decks. The construction of a galleon was extremely expensive. Hundreds of craftsmen experts ( carpenters , blacksmiths , coopers , etc..) worked night and day for months before the ship can take Wed. The galleons were therefore often financed by groups of wealthy merchants. That's why most of the galleons were engaged in trade. When a ship was captured by a rival power, he was armed for war.
Because of the time spent on Wed and difficult living conditions on board, complex systems handling rig were developed so that the ship can be maneuvered by only a fraction of the crew.
The England in the last quarter of the sixteenth century , began to produce more efficient galleons for fighting the gun. The castles and lowered rear surfaces of wing enlarged, give them greater speed compared to models in Spain. In addition, the artillery of larger size is greater in scope. It is these vessels that will push the Invincible Armada. At the beginning of the century following their increase in size and will intensify their wing to give birth to the liner.
The galleon was used until the early nineteenth century , when the clipper and the liner made him obsolete.
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