Tools of the Trade: Ship's Boats

The largest that ships take to sea is the long-boat, built very strongly, and furnished with masts and sails.


The launch is a sort of long-boat, and is now generally taken to sea in its stead; but it is not built upon a principle of sailing, it being more flat, is broader, and more useful for weighing small anchors that the long-boat.

The barge is next in size, but very different from the former in its construction, having a slighter frame, and being more ornamented. It is constructed for rowing or sailing, having conveniences for ten or twelve oars, and two or three masts, and is chiefly used for the conveyance of admirals and other officers of rank to and from the ship.

The pinnace is of the same form as the barge, but is something smaller, and never rows more than eight oars. It is for smaller ships, or for the use of officers of subordinate rank.

A yawl is something less than a pinnace, nearly of the same form, and used for similar purposes. They are generally rowed with six oars.

The above boats are carvel-built.

Cutters are clincher-built, and are used for the conveyance of seamen or lighter stores. They are shorter and broader in proportion to their length than the long-boat, and constructed either for rowing or sailing. ~ from The Shipwright’s Vade-Mecum by David Steel, first published in 1805

Header: Ship and boats painted by Geoff Hunt via Marine Art Gallery