GALEOTTA
Built also according to the designs from 1968 by Franco Gay.
The ship sailed in the Mediterranean in large numbers and in various versions from the end of
the 16th century until the middle of the 19th century.
Barbarian pirates also made good use of this ship , although eventually because of its poor weaponry
it was no longer a match for the much better equipped merchant vessels from the beginning of the 17th century.
The ship could be both rowed and sailed, had a very shallow draught and also as a consequence of this
was very swift. Rowing, however, was preferred; owing to its shallow draught it was a bad sailing vessel
and in fact it only made use of the wind if it could sail dead before the wind.
It sailed by means of the Latin rigging, fastened to two masts. The foremast leant forward, the tall mast
stood straight.
In the middle there was a raised section, the so-called ‘marcia’, which made it possible for the crew to
move around the ship quickly. This elevation was not found on all galeottas. Although usually of the same
size, these ships were not always equipped in the same way. Even certain parts of the rigging could be
different and the suitability thereof was generally left to the captains’ judgement.
The model has 15 pairs of rowing-benches, each for two rowers. It often happened that not all the
rowing-benches were occupied.
In the fore part of the ship there were two small cannons , which, however, were only loaded with scrap
iron.
The small calibre balls were said to have little effect. The model was built as if it were to sail dead
before the wind. The sail on the foremast leans towards starboard, the sail on the tall mast towards port.
Translation; Jaap Dirkse van den Heuvel.