Xebecs were ships similar to
galleys primarily used by
Barbary pirates, which have both
lateen sails and oars for propulsion. Early xebecs had two
masts while later ships had three. Xebecs featured a distinctive
hull with pronounced overhanging
bow and
stern, and rarely
displaced more than 200
tons, making them slightly smaller and with slightly fewer guns than
frigates of the period.
Use by Barbary corsairs These ships were easy to produce and were cheap, and thus nearly every corsair captain (
Raïs) had at least one xebec in his fleet. They could be of varying sizes. Some ships had only three guns while others had up to forty. Most xebecs had around 20–30 cannons, and the overwhelming majority had
swivel guns equipped. After the 18th century, galleys became increasingly outdated and xebecs became the preferred ships of Barbary pirates thanks to their heavy and effective use of wind power, reduced need for slaves to row, ability to carry more cannons than a galley, and overall cheapness, speed, and maneuverability. Xebecs were generally faster than contemporary ship types until the introduction of
steamships. Corsairs built their xebecs with a narrow floor to achieve a higher speed than their victims, but with a considerable
beam in order to enable them to carry an extensive
sail-plan. The
lateen rig of the xebec allowed the ship to sail close hauled to the wind, often giving it an advantage in pursuit or escape. The use of oars or sweeps allowed the xebec to approach vessels which were becalmed. When used as corsairs, the xebecs carried a crew of between 90 == Etymology ==