| For other uses, see Brig (disambiguation) |
The Interceptor, a brisk and sturdy vessel formerly the British Royal Navy, was a brig purported to be the fastest vessel commissioned to His Majesty's Service.
- "Booty?"
"But of course. A nice little Dutch brig we took a day's sail east off the Northwest Providence Channel." - ―Jack Sparrow and Esmeralda
A brig was a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts, one fore, one main, although some large brigs had three masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and maneuverable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. Their use dated back to before the 1600s, but were especially popular in the 18th century.
They are not to be confused with a brigantine, which was not square-rigged.
History[]
The Nemesis, the toughest brig to ever sail in the Caribbean
During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and maneuverable and were used as both naval warships and merchant ships. Their use dated back to before the 1600s.
Brigs were two masted, square-rigged vessels, although some large brigs had three masts, like the Nemesis. They were small, generally carrying no more than sixteen guns and 120 men. In order to sail closer to the wind, the mainmast carried a fore-and-aft sail (lateen rigged in the seventeenth century and gaff-rigged by the eighteenth) and several staysails. Brig sails were named after the masts to which they were attached: the mainsail; above that the maintopsail; above that the main topgallant sail; and occasionally a very small sail, called the royal, above that.
The word "brig" had been used in the past as an abbreviation of brigantine (which was the name for a principally fore-and-aft two-masted rig with a square rigged foremast), distigushing the ship's rig from the 'snow' (a square rigged, two-masted rig with a small trysail mast on the main). The brig actually developed as a variant of the brigantine. By re-rigging a brigantine with two square sails instead of one, it gained greater sailing power.
Rigging[]
Two masted brigs like the HMS Interceptor were generally square rigged, carrying jib sails hanging from the bowsprit, a square mainsail, topsail, and topgallant, also carrying optional royals. The mainsail has one of two sail plans: either a gaff-rigged mainsail, topsail, and topgallant (like the Interceptor), or a square rigged mainsail, gaff rigged spanker sail, topsail, and topgallant. Optional staysails can be put between the two masts.
Notable brigs[]
The two pirate brigs.
- HMS Interceptor[1]
- HMS Hound
- HMS Blazer
- Dolphin
- Fancy
- Fair Wind[2]
- Henrietta[3]
- Paradox
- Nemesis[4]
- Le Requin
Behind the scenes[]
- Although it wasn't clarified in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the HMS Interceptor was said to be a brig in both Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide and The Complete Visual Guide.[1]
- In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, War Brigs have three masts.
- The video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned featured brigs. But, since the game was canceled, it is unknown if the ship type's appearance in the game is canon or not.
Appearances[]
- The Price of Freedom
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Isles of War
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First appearance)
- Breakout! (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online
