Fluyt

By Crusader1307

Designed by many Dutch Nations as a cargo transport vessel, The Fluyt class of vessel was seen in the 16th Century. Used for transoceanic transport, the ships were built to have large cargo holding berths (spaces). So successful were The Fluyts, that they comprised over half of cargo transports in all of Europe for a time. They were considered specialized vessels, requiring skill (and a dedicated group of workers to construct them). They could displace between 200 to 300 tons. The Fluyts were mostly standard in length at 80 feet with a beam of 30 to 40 feet. Cargo operations on Fluyts were accomplished solely by the “Block and Tackle” system (coupled with old fashioned labor). Although not generally armed, with the increased advent of Piracy, The Fluyts were equipped with forward and rearward guns (with most space being reserved for cargo). Some Fluyts were preseed into military operations during The Anglo-Dutch Wars. Fluyts that were captured by The English were pressed into cargo service (or copied), making this vessel a highly reliable transport ship.