The word "brig" has been used in the past as an abbreviation of brigantine (which is the name for a principally fore-and-aft two-masted rig with a square rigged foremast). 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. The square-rigged brig's advantage over the fore-and-aft rigged brigantine was "that the sails, being smaller and more numerous, are more easily managed, and require fewer men or 'hands' to work them. Due to their speed and maneuverability they were popular among pirates, and a skilled captain on a brig could "maneuver it with ease and elegance; a brig could for instance turn around almost on the spot".
The Howling Blade carries 12 guns, has a crew of 25, is 92 ft. in length, 24 ft. abeam and draws 12 ft. of water moving at a top speed of 14 knots (16mph). Empty she draws 10 ft. of water and displaces 197 tonnes.
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