Xebec

The xebec is a Mediterranean sailing ship characterized by a long, narrow hull and, typically, a combination of lateen sails on raked masts, developed and widely used from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century by Mediterranean powers and, especially, the Barbary corsairs operating from North African ports. Built with a shallow draft and a hull shape optimized for speed under sail, sometimes supplemented by oars for maneuvering in calm conditions or combat, the xebec was prized for its ability to outrun and outmaneuver more heavily built merchant and naval vessels, making it an effective platform for both piracy and, in some navies, coastal patrol and anti-piracy operations. Its distinctive silhouette, low and sharply raked compared with contemporary square-rigged ships, made it one of the most recognizable vessel types of Mediterranean waters during its period of use.