Navio: Three-masted, ship-rigged vessel, with two or three gundecks. Distinguished by being strong enough to join a line of battle. The largest three-decker, Santissima Trinidad (120), was converted into a four-decker with 136 guns in 1796. Other three deckers carried 112 guns. By the late 18th Century these powerful vessels meant that only the larger two-decker navios between 74 and 80 guns could hold a place in a European line of battle. Smaller two-decker navios down to 50 guns were obsolescent and usually relegated to the colonies. (Ship-of-the-line) Fragata: Smaller, faster, three-masted, ship-rigged vessel, usually with two gun decks. 26-44 guns. (Frigate) Corbeta: Small, three-masted, ship-rigged vessel, usually with one gun deck. 18-30 guns. (Corvette or Sloop) Bergantin: A small, two-masted, ship-rigged vessel. 8-24 guns. (Brigantine) Goleta: Small, two-masted vessel with fore-and-aft rigging. 10- 17 guns. (Schooner). The patache and polacra were similar. Urca: Two-masted, ship-rigged, fragata-sized merchantman of anything between 10 and 26 light guns. A few were three-masted converted fragatas of up to 40 light guns. They were the standard naval transport. (Hooker) Paquebot: A despatch vessel. Could be a fragata, corbeta, bergantine or goleta. They carried fewer, lighter guns than their naval equivalents to improve speed. (Packet) More The Spanish Navy, 1762-1807 Introduction Carlos III and Sea Power Decline Under Godoy Major Spanish Warship Losses in the Caribbean: 1741-1796 Major Spanish Warship Types in Late 18th C. Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol V No. 4 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The South and Central American Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com