16th to 19th century,
Small and fast sailing ship used almost exclusively in the Mediterranean sea.
A xebec (or zebec) is a small Mediterranean ship of Hispano-Arabic origins which was used for both trading and war. Very slim, xebecs used both lateen sails and oars for propulsion. The difference from galleys was ...
16th to 19th century,
Small and fast sailing ship used almost exclusively in the Mediterranean sea.
A xebec (or zebec) is a small Mediterranean ship of Hispano-Arabic origins which was used for both trading and war. Very slim, xebecs used both lateen sails and oars for propulsion. The difference from galleys was that the xebecs could carry guns on their flanks and had three masts with lateen sails.
They were heavily used during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, disappearing slowly in the nineteenth century. Several xebec vessels were still used for transporting merchandise at the beginning of the twentieth century, the last one only disappearing after the First World War.
The xebec was originally a Moorish rowing vessel used for net fishing in the area of Spain and Malaga known under the name of jebega. Her shape was very archaic with a steering oar and pronounced overhanging bow and stern. After the departure of the Arabs from the peninsula (1492), the vessel and its name survived but the xebec found its final characteristics only in the seventeenth century.
The xebec would then replace the galley and the brigantine due to its gun carrying capability.
In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a large polacre-xebec carried a square rig on the foremast, lateen sails on the other masts, a bowsprit, and two headsails. 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 the eighteenth century the Spanish Armada had 47 of those vessels and the admiral of the xebecs Antonio Barcelo (Captain Toni) was famous for his battles against Muslim corsairs from North Africa. Xebecs as warships were used by Spain up to the beginning of the nineteenth century but smaller vessels were still used by coast guards.
The French Navy only made use of the xebecs in 1748 after abandoning the use of galleys. Nine xebecs were launched between 1750 and 1759 and 4 in 1762. Suffren, famous French admiral, first took command on xebecs: the Chameleon in 1764, then the Monkey in 1765. Those vessels cruised against Barbary pirates and took part in the Indian campaign. In 1848 the French coast guards were still using such vessels.
