brigs

Brigs are two-masted sailing ships that are square-rigged on both the foremast and the mainmast. They were a common type of working vessel from the 17th through the early 19th century, valued for their maneuverability, speed, and ease of handling with relatively small crews. The typical brig carried a variety of small to medium artillery and served in a range of roles, including escort, reconnaissance, message transport, and coastal trade. The design evolved from earlier two-masted designs and is distinct from the brigantine, which has a foremast square rigged and the mainmast rigged fore-and-aft.

In naval service, brigs were used by many major fleets, including those of Britain, France, Spain, and the United States. They were often smaller and faster than ships of the line, making them suitable for duties that required speed and agility rather than heavy firepower. Brigs could operate in coastal waters, harbors, and convoy work, and some developed into specialized forms such as brig-sloops, which carried more guns than typical merchant brigs.

The word brig also has a separate meaning in maritime usage: the brig is a secure compartment or jail aboard a ship, used to detain prisoners or disciplinary offenders. This sense extends to prisons on board ships in general, and the term is occasionally used in plural to refer to multiple such spaces.

With the rise of steam-powered and iron-hulled vessels in the mid-19th century, traditional brigs declined in military and commercial use. Today, surviving brigs are of historical interest, featured in museums and nautical heritage programs.