Xebec: Difference between revisions
→External links: added link to reference book on Xebecs |
added names of several French naval xebecs |
||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
== Description == |
== Description == |
||
Xebecs were similar to [[galleys]] used by [[Berber people|Berber]] corsairs having both lanteen sails and oars for propulsion. Early xebecs had two [[mast (sailing)| mast]]s; later ones three. Xebecs featured a distinctive [[Hull (watercraft)| hull]] with pronounced overhanging [[Bow (ship)| bow]] and [[stern]], and rarely [[Displacement (fluid)| displaced]] more than 200 [[tonnage| ton]]s, making them slightly smaller and with slightly fewer guns than [[frigate]]s of the period. |
Xebecs were similar to [[galleys]] used by [[Berber people|Berber]] corsairs having both lanteen sails and oars for propulsion. Early xebecs had two [[mast (sailing)| mast]]s; later ones three. Xebecs featured a distinctive [[Hull (watercraft)| hull]] with pronounced overhanging [[Bow (ship)| bow]] and [[stern]], and rarely [[Displacement (fluid)| displaced]] more than 200 [[tonnage| ton]]s, making them slightly smaller and with slightly fewer guns than [[frigate]]s of the period. |
||
Noteable Xebecs of the French Navy include: |
|||
Ruse, 160 tons, 18 guns, 1750 |
|||
Serpent, 160 tons burthen, 18 guns, 1750 |
|||
Le Requin, 260 tons burthen, 24 guns, 1750 |
|||
Indiscret, 260 tons burthen, 24 guns, 1750 |
|||
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, a large poleacre-xebec carried a [[square rig]] on the [[foremast]], [[lateen]] [[sail]]s on the other masts, a [[bowsprit]], and two [[headsail]]s. The square sail distinguished this form of a xebec from that of a [[felucca]] which is equipped solely with [[lateen]] sails. The last of the xebecs in use by European navies were fully square-rigged and were termed xebec-frigates. |
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, a large poleacre-xebec carried a [[square rig]] on the [[foremast]], [[lateen]] [[sail]]s on the other masts, a [[bowsprit]], and two [[headsail]]s. The square sail distinguished this form of a xebec from that of a [[felucca]] which is equipped solely with [[lateen]] sails. The last of the xebecs in use by European navies were fully square-rigged and were termed xebec-frigates. |
||
Revision as of 12:02, 12 July 2008
- This article discusses the sailing vessel. For the Japanese animation studio, see Xebec (studio). Xebec was also a disk drive controller company in the 1980's, it provided the controller for the IBM PC/XT.
 |
 |
Xebec (/ˈziːbɛk/ or /zɨˈbɛk/; also written xebeck, xebe(c)que, zebec(k), zebecque, chebec, shebeck (/ʃɨˈbɛk/); from Catalan: xebec, [chabec, now chebec] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), [xabeque, now jabeque] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), [enxabeque, now xabeco] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), [sciabecco, zambecco, stambecco] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), Arabic: شباك, Template:ArabDIN and Turkish: sunbeki) a Xebec is a Mediterranean sea sailing ship that was used for trading and other things. It has a long overhanging bow and stern. It also refers to a small, fast vessel of the 16th to 19th centuries, used almost exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea.
Description
Xebecs were similar to galleys used by Berber corsairs having both lanteen sails and oars for propulsion. Early xebecs had two masts; later ones three. Xebecs featured a distinctive hull with pronounced overhanging bow and stern, and rarely displaced more than 200 tons, making them slightly smaller and with slightly fewer guns than frigates of the period.
Noteable Xebecs of the French Navy include: Ruse, 160 tons, 18 guns, 1750 Serpent, 160 tons burthen, 18 guns, 1750 Le Requin, 260 tons burthen, 24 guns, 1750 Indiscret, 260 tons burthen, 24 guns, 1750
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, a large poleacre-xebec carried a square rig on the foremast, lateen sails on the other masts, a bowsprit, and two headsails. The square sail distinguished this form of a xebec from that of a felucca which is equipped solely with lateen sails. The last of the xebecs in use by European navies were fully square-rigged and were termed xebec-frigates.
Sea-going Mediterranean peoples greatly favoured xebecs as corsairs, and for this purpose built them with a narrow floor to achieve a higher speed than their victims, but with a considerable beam in order to enable them to carry an extensive sail-plan. The lateen rig of the xebec allowed for the ship to sail close hauled to the wind often giving it an advantage in pursuit or escape. The use of oars or sweeps allowed the xebec to approach vessels who were becalmed. When used as corsairs they carried a crew of 300 to 400 men and mounted perhaps 16 to 40 guns according to size. In peacetime operations, the xebec could transport merchandise.
Etymology
Words similar in form and meaning to xebec occur in Catalan, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic and Turkish. The Online Etymology Dictionary regards the Arabic shabbak (meaning "a small warship") as the source form, however the Arabic root means 'a net', implying the word originally referred to a fishing boat.
The Spanish jabeque had only lateen sails, as portrayed in the Cazador. This ship was built and used by the Spanish crown in the mid eighteenth century to fight Algerian corsairs (privateers) in the Mediterranean Sea. Algerian Berber corsairs also used three lateen sails xebecs in their raids on Mediterranean trade.
See also
External links
- Arabian chebec High resolution photos of a model of an 18th century xebec
- book "Chebec Le Requin 1750" with English Translation, by Jean Boudroit, 1991