Galiots

Galliot, plural galliots, is a term used for a class of small to medium-sized sailing vessels employed in European coastal trade from the late Middle Ages into the early modern period. The name derives from Old French galiote, and is related to the word galley.

Construction and rigging varied by region. Hulls were typically designed for shallow drafts to operate close to shore and along rivers. In northern Europe, galliots were often clinker-built; in the Mediterranean they tended toward carvel construction. Most galliots were two-masted, carrying a mix of sails suited to coastal work, such as a square sail on the mainmast and a fore-and-aft sail on the other; some used lateen rigs or alternate combinations of square and lateen sails.

Function and distribution: Galliots served as coastal cargo vessels for regional trade, transporting timber, grain, wine, salt, and other goods along shores, estuaries, and river mouths. They were common on Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and in the fleets of England, France, the Dutch Republic, Spain, and Portugal.

Decline and legacy: By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, galliots were largely supplanted by larger, more versatile vessels such as brigs, schooners, and other fast coastal traders. Surviving examples are rare, but the class is documented in contemporary art, ship plans, and maritime museums, and modern researchers occasionally attempt to reproduce galliot designs in reconstructed ships.