Trabaccolo
Encyclopedia
The Trabaccoló, Trabaccalo, or Trabakul, is a type of Adriatic Sea sailing coaster. The name comes from the word trabacca, which means tent, which in turn recalls the vessel's sails. The trabaccoló was a typical Venetian boat-form that dates back to the first half of the 15th Century, and which has spread throughout the Adriatic. Built of oak
and larch
, they were slow but reliable cargo vessels ranging between 50 to 200 deadweight tons. They had round bows and sterns, and were wide, compact, and with good stowage. Other characteristics included a large rudder
that extended below the depth of the keel
, two masts
with lug-sails and rigging, a bowsprit
, and a carved and colorfully painted stern. The usual such vessel was about 20 meters long, with a breadth equal to about a third of the length. Typically a trabaccoló would have a crew of 10 to 20 sailors.
Today, the Marine Museum of Cesenatico
(Museo della Marineria di Cesenatico) has a restored, functioning trabaccoló, the Barchet, which participates in sailing events during the summer.
During the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, Royal Navy
vessels cruising around Italy often captured trabaccolós. The 14-gun cutter HMS Pigmy captured several. On 17 January 1800 she captured the Imperial trabaccolo Divine Providence, which was carrying a cargo of rope from Cesenatico
to France
. On 18 February 1801, off the island of Lafrina, Pigmy captured Adelaide, a French privateer trabaccoló armed with two 12-pounders and one 6-pounder cannon, and carrying a crew of 51 men. A former fishing vessel, she was under the command of Dominique Cannilla and was seven days out from Ancona. She had taken one small prize. On 15 March, Pigmy encountered yet another trabaccoló off the Isle of Lonzo. Pigmy chased the vessel to the Isle of Molata where the quarry anchored and hoisted French colours. When Pigmy fired a shot, the French vessel struck. She turned out to be the privateer Achille, armed with four 9-pounders and six 2-pounders, and carrying a crew of 44 men. Achille was under the command of Francisco Bruni, had only been out of Ancona
for one day, and had made no captures.
On 25 October 1807, the 20-gun, sixth rate HMS Herald
was off Otranto
when she found an armed trabaccolo anchored under the fortress there. Under fire from both the vessel and the shore, a boat party from the Herald cut-out the vessel, which turned out to be the French privateer Caesar, armed with four 6-pounders. The Caesar was sailing from Ancona to Corfu
with a cargo of rice and flour. British casualties were four men wounded.
On 21 December 1812, the 38-gun frigate HMS Apollo
, Captain Bridges Watkinson Taylor commanding, accompanied by the brig-sloop HMS Weazel
, chased a trabaccoló under the protection of the tower of San Cataldo, on the coast between Brindisi
and Otranto
. The boats of the two vessels captured the tower and blew it up. The trabaccolo had three guns and three swivel gun
s, but no cargo, and the boats blew it up too.
On 2 February 1813, after a two-hour chase, the boats of the 18-gun sloop HMS Kingfisher
captured one trabaccoló and ran nine ashore at St. Catherine's, Corfu
. Musket fire from the heights and cannon fire from a battery killed two men and severely wounded seven.
On 22 Mar 1813, boats from HMS Havannah
captured a large trabaccoló armed with three 9-pounders, and burnt a similar one laden with oil, under the town of Vasto
. On the 26th, boats from Havannah captured five armed trabaccolos and five feluccas
laden with salt, near the town of Fortore
. These operations cost the Herald only two men wounded.
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
, they were slow but reliable cargo vessels ranging between 50 to 200 deadweight tons. They had round bows and sterns, and were wide, compact, and with good stowage. Other characteristics included a large rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
that extended below the depth of the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
, two masts
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
with lug-sails and rigging, a bowsprit
Bowsprit
The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow. It provides an anchor point for the forestay, allowing the fore-mast to be stepped farther forward on the hull.-Origin:...
, and a carved and colorfully painted stern. The usual such vessel was about 20 meters long, with a breadth equal to about a third of the length. Typically a trabaccoló would have a crew of 10 to 20 sailors.
Cesenatico
Cesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
(Museo della Marineria di Cesenatico) has a restored, functioning trabaccoló, the Barchet, which participates in sailing events during the summer.
History
During the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, it was common for trabaccolós to carry some armament in the form of two or three cannons. The vessels were not only prey to pirates and privateers, but also were fair game for naval vessels seeking prizes.During the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
vessels cruising around Italy often captured trabaccolós. The 14-gun cutter HMS Pigmy captured several. On 17 January 1800 she captured the Imperial trabaccolo Divine Providence, which was carrying a cargo of rope from Cesenatico
Cesenatico
Cesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. On 18 February 1801, off the island of Lafrina, Pigmy captured Adelaide, a French privateer trabaccoló armed with two 12-pounders and one 6-pounder cannon, and carrying a crew of 51 men. A former fishing vessel, she was under the command of Dominique Cannilla and was seven days out from Ancona. She had taken one small prize. On 15 March, Pigmy encountered yet another trabaccoló off the Isle of Lonzo. Pigmy chased the vessel to the Isle of Molata where the quarry anchored and hoisted French colours. When Pigmy fired a shot, the French vessel struck. She turned out to be the privateer Achille, armed with four 9-pounders and six 2-pounders, and carrying a crew of 44 men. Achille was under the command of Francisco Bruni, had only been out of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
for one day, and had made no captures.
On 25 October 1807, the 20-gun, sixth rate HMS Herald
HMS Herald (1806)
HMS Herald was an 18-gun ship-sloop of the Cormorant class in the Royal Navy, launched in 1806 at Littlehampton. In 1810 she was reclassed as a 20-gun sixth rate ship , and again re-rated as 24 guns in 1817, just before she was broken up.-Adriatic:Herald was commissioned in March 1806 under Captain...
was off Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
when she found an armed trabaccolo anchored under the fortress there. Under fire from both the vessel and the shore, a boat party from the Herald cut-out the vessel, which turned out to be the French privateer Caesar, armed with four 6-pounders. The Caesar was sailing from Ancona to Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
with a cargo of rice and flour. British casualties were four men wounded.
On 21 December 1812, the 38-gun frigate HMS Apollo
HMS Apollo (1805)
HMS Apollo, the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to be named for the Greek god Apollo, was a fifth-rate frigate of the Lively class, carrying 38 guns, launched in 1805 and broken up in 1856.-Napoleonic Wars:...
, Captain Bridges Watkinson Taylor commanding, accompanied by the brig-sloop HMS Weazel
HMS Weazel (1805)
HMS Weazel was a Royal Navy 18-gun , launched in 1805 at Topsham, Devon. She saw active service in and around the Mediterranean during the Napoleonic Wars, was decommissioned in 1815 and was sold for breaking in 1825.-Service:Weazel entered service in 1805, under the command of Commander Peter...
, chased a trabaccoló under the protection of the tower of San Cataldo, on the coast between Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
and Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
. The boats of the two vessels captured the tower and blew it up. The trabaccolo had three guns and three swivel gun
Swivel gun
The term swivel gun usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun with two barrels that rotated along their axes to allow the shooter to...
s, but no cargo, and the boats blew it up too.
On 2 February 1813, after a two-hour chase, the boats of the 18-gun sloop HMS Kingfisher
HMS Kingfisher (1804)
HMS Kingfisher was a Royal Navy 18-gun Merlin-class ship sloop, built by John King and launched in 1804 at Dover. She served during the Napoleonic Wars, first in the Caribbean and then in the Mediterranean before being broken up in 11816.-Caribbean:Kingfisher was commissioned under Commander...
captured one trabaccoló and ran nine ashore at St. Catherine's, Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
. Musket fire from the heights and cannon fire from a battery killed two men and severely wounded seven.
On 22 Mar 1813, boats from HMS Havannah
HMS Havannah (1811)
HMS Havannah was a Royal Navy 36-gun fifth-rate frigate. She was launched at the Liverpool yard of Wilson & Co. in 1811 and was one of twenty-seven Apollo-class frigates...
captured a large trabaccoló armed with three 9-pounders, and burnt a similar one laden with oil, under the town of Vasto
Vasto
Vasto is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of the Province of Chieti in southern Abruzzo, Italy. The population is now just over 40,000.-History:According to tradition, the town was founded by Diomedes, the Greek hero...
. On the 26th, boats from Havannah captured five armed trabaccolos and five feluccas
Felucca
A felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat used in protected waters of the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean including Malta, and particularly along the Nile in Egypt, Sudan, and also in Iraq. Its rig consists of one or two lateen sails....
laden with salt, near the town of Fortore
Fortore
The Fortore is a river which flows through the provinces of Benevento, Campobasso and Foggia in southern Italy. It has a length of 110 km....
. These operations cost the Herald only two men wounded.