Sailing ships have always attracted romantics. What could be more beautiful than sailing on waves in a ship propelled by a fair wind? The names of the ships are already poetry. Frigate, battleship, schooner - all of them evoke thoughts of long voyages across uncharted seas. But the most famous ship is the brigantine.
Meaning of the word
Historical documents send us to medieval Italy. The first brigantines are mentioned in the chronicles of the Genoese shipbuilders. The origin of the name is controversial. The fact is that at that time the same name was given to the armor of soldiers. Perhaps the brigantine inherited its name from them. Another version associates the name of the vessel with the brig. Indeed, these ships have common features.
The first brigantines were not only sailing, but also fun. This fact speaks in favor of the first version of the name. These were military galleys with the number of oars reaching fifteen on each side. Later descriptions define the brigantine as a two-masted ship.
Features of the ship
Sails inherited the signs of a brig and a schooner. They were straight on the front mast and oblique on the back. This allowed the brigantine to successfully carry out both military and reconnaissance operations. With the front sails lowered, the ship was driven by one experienced sailor.
The Brigantine was the pirate's favorite ship. There was enough fighting power to capture merchant ships, and high speed and maneuverability made it possible to escape from pursuit. If anyone overcame the difficult sections between the reefs, it’s a brigantine. By the way, another version of the name of the vessel is associated with pirates (brigands' vessel - “gangster ship”).
Chestplate in art
Perhaps the most famous work praising this filibuster sailboat was a poem by Pavel Kogan. The text was put to music in 1937. So the song “Brigantine raises the sails” appeared, which became a symbol of freedom in the era of terror and repression. In the 60s, her quail Yuri Vizbor. The song has become a real informal anthem of youth.
Another brigantine gained fame thanks to the rock opera "Juno and Avos." In the libretto of Andrei Voznesensky, these ships are called schooners, which is a little inaccurate. Unfortunately, the drawings were not preserved, but enthusiasts got to the bottom. Two schooners were converted, resulting in a brigantine and a tender. Juno and Avos are some of the most popular ship models in ship modeling.
These days, you can cruise on the world's largest brigantine Swan Fan Makkum. This Dutch ship is equipped with modern equipment, which makes sailing safe. Children's dreams of long journeys under the sails of a beautiful brigantine have become a reality.