For millenia, sailing was the only way of propulsion safe for rowers, so it is only natural, that the Selkie developed their own riggings and sailing ship vessels,
Selkie, to this day, favour triangular, or in international parlance lanteen, sails.
Mythical and ancient times
Early Times (- 826)
The oldest type of sailing ship used by Selkie, which is tangible in written sources, are ships not primarily propelled by their sails, but by oarsmen: The rámhlong in Selkie, or galleys in international parlance. As there was no distinction between warships and civilian vessels, not yet, the types of vessels could be used for many different purposes. With the advancement of the Dark Ages, the vessels built advanced as well, their methods of construction changing and new methods of construction falling in and out of favour, depending on the region.
Ramming was never a favoured tactic amongst the Selkie, who much rather preferred to keep the enemy at a distance, hence the Order of Ladra, God of Helmsmen and Boatsmen, being the Arrowmaidens. Armament of vessels during that time were indeed archers with a variety of arrows, as well as torsion siege engines with a variety of ammunitions (this was indeed the most regular application of siege engines by the Selkie, many of their operators later finding jobs on dry shores when need arose).
Caogaidí
One of the oldest, tangible form of vessel built by the Selkie are the Caogaidí, the Fifties, named after the roundabout number of oarsmen this kind of vessel had in order to fix its tax bracket and dayage, which is indeed where they are first tangible in the year 952 BCE in what later would become Silverport.
Each of these vessels had roundabout fifty oarsmen, or rather between 40 and 58 in accordance with the tax regulation. They were rather long vessels, up to 35 metres long, and had a sharp keel, allowing for high speeds. In a test of the University of Wembury with a rebuild Caogaidí, the untrained and slightly uncoordinated crew of oarsmen managed a continuous speed of up to 9.5 knots.
They had a mast amidships, but that one was only used in favourable wind. A full deck was typical, but there were also provisions in the taxation regulations for vessels without that, meaning they had to pay a little bit less.
These vessels seem to have been rather common in Silverport, as the records show - usable for all manner of things, both military and civilian (though mostly military), these vessels were the backbone of the maritime trade protection of the Selkie in the Age of the High Kings, including their colonization efforts to the outlying islands.
The Caogaidí was built in the primitive, yet highly efficient way of mortise and tenon construction method with the shell, meaning the hull, first at first, later in the age of the High Kings gradually being replaced by the skeleton-first method.
Tríochaidí
The Tríochaidí was the other common type of vessel of the Selkie during that time, at least according to the tax regulations, its name meaning Thirties - with 20 to 38 oarsmen.
While the Caogaidí knew many different uses, the Tríochaidí was far more limited to military application, capable of taking aboard small loads, but not good as a freighter. Much rather, these small vessels, which could be up to 30 metres long, but were usually a bit shorter, were fast scouts, troop transports and patrol vessels, but also ideal pirate vessels and merchant raiders.
Ceapaire Dúbailte
The vessels of the Ceapaire Dúbailte Type, or sandwich type, was a more military application of the Caogaidí Type, with a second set of oarsmen and oars stacked upon the first, doubling the oarscrews and making it possible to successfully maneuvre vessels fourty metres in length and six metres wide.
The usability for trade of these vessels was very limited.
Triantán
The Triatán Type, or Triangle Type, was a type of small vessel not mainly powered by oarsmen, but by the wind, using the triangular sails it was named after to achieve great and impressive speeds. Ultimately, their use was limited to being either small scout vessels or fishing boats, predecessors of the Seoll Type, which is still in use today.
Later, these types of sailing vessels were adopted into the Reathaí Type or Runner Type, which is further explained below.
Olgaithe
Olgaithe, or Winddrinkers (not to be confused with the horse breed from Kyrenaia with the same name), were sailing ships larger then the Triantán Type. Primarily used as larger fishing vessels and merchantmen, these vessels were the backbone of the Merchant Navies of both the High Kings and the Kings. More importantly, while many of the vessels of the Selkie built in their Lands were rather limited in their range by their large crews, the Olgaithe-Type, as a sailing vessel, was far more economical.
Thought to have originated in the shallow waters of the Oileánra-Archipelago, these vessels were built in mortise and tenon construction, their planks edge to edge. With their narrow cross-section, these vessels could cut through the waves easily, transporting groups of people or goods relatively easily. These vessels had one or two masts, secured to the vessel by ropes, and a keel.
Their sails, a type of triangular sail, are built in the crab-claw style with spars along the upper and lower edges. While they could be rowed, that was only for auxiliary purposes.
There was also a type of boat known as the Olgaithe-Cobhaitoir in use, which added two outriggers, which negated the keel and were especially far-spread in the shallower parts of the Archipelago. However, these vessels weren't seen often north of Shella Island.
In good winds, an Olgaithe could manage 15 knots/27.8 km/h.
Northern Lands
While the southern parts of the Lands of the Selkie used the mortise and tenon construction method, the parts north of the Silver Mountains, roughly, used a method of construction known as clinker built, which slowly spread southwards in the 7th and 8th centuries to dominate seafaring in the dark ages until the cravel construction method came around in the latest 13th and 14th centuries.
Dark Ages (826 - 1365)
Reathaí-Type
A further development of the ancient Tríochaidí-Type, the Reathaí-Type, or Runner-Type, were in use up until the 16th/17th centuries. The time from which one can differ between the Tríochaidí-Type and the Reathaí-Type is an issue of much debate, but what differs them is clear, namely the full deck, the complete abandonment of the ram and the upcoming evolution of sails, gradually replacing the oarsmen. By the 14th century, the Reathaí had lost all oarsmen, a gradual process, however the square sails did not get much larger - rather, the hulls got more hydrodynamic. A second mast usually carried a lantten sail after Kyrenaian role model.
Their development, from a ship with oars for propulsion to a ship with sails for propulsion, opened the way for the development of the Capall na dTonn.
These vessels had a limited amount of application as trading vessels and were usually more vessels of war and piracy (which, at the time and at sea, were kind of the same thing for the Selkie). They are not to be confused with the 20th century Reathaí-class Torpedo Boats in service with the SDF-Navy (although it is usually assumed, that one took the name from the other). One of the most famous Reathaís is the Fatachán of the University of Fortham Sailing Team.
Geal-Type, or White-Type
The Geal-Type, or White-Type, is type, which was basically the Reathaí-Type, only as a cargo-hauler. Usually wider and slower, with more oarsmen, they were basically the same vessels, used as cargo transports or troop transports, oftentimes also as merchant vessels. There exists record of a special type known as the long margáil, or Horse Trading Ship, which, in turn is belived to be a sort-of Ride-On/Ride-Off Vessel for horses.
Tuaisceartach-Type, or Northener-Type
The Tuaisceartach-Type, or Northener-Type, is usually believed to have originated in the North, in the area of Launceston, around the 8th or 9th century. With their flat bottoms and high sides, these clinker-built vessels with pronounced keels had rudders instead of steering oars. They could be between 15 and 25 metres long and had a cargo capacity of up to 200 tons.
While mostly used by merchants, these square-rigged boats could also be used as warships and troop transports.
Although some Northeners also had lateen sails, their numbers were rather limited.
Explorers, Traders, Mercenaries (1365-1690)
Luasbhád
The Luasbhád, literally Speedboats, were small and light vessels in service with the Harbour Guards of the larger cities. With a single mast, and triangular sails, these vessels were fast and lightweight, as well as heavily armed for their size. They carried sufficient crew to board and capture other vessels, too. They could be up to 25 meters in length, characteristic for them being their high, raked masts with the long bowsprits and booms.
Prized for their speed and agility, especially upwind, these small vessels were mostly used for harbour defense and coast hugging. They were mostly in service from the 17th to the the 18th centuries, with some still being build in the 19th and 20th centuries, they mostly became workboats during that time.
The University of Fortham Sailing Team has two Luasbháds in service, the Sciath and the Cathlirach (Kanmusu Sciath and Cathlirach respectively).
Capall na dTonn
The sailplan of the Capall na dTonn Type. 1 - Bowsprit. 2 - Jib, followed by a fore staysail. 3 - Fore topsail on the foremast. 4 - Foresail. 5 - Main topsail on main mast. 6 - Mainsail. 7 - End of boom.
The Capall na dTonn Type, or 'Horse of the Waves Type', is a type of sailing vessel in use with the Selkie since the 16th century. Typically with a bowsprit and two masts, and rarely anything but (most exceptions to that are indeed of more modern times), the foremast is shorter then the main mast, with fore and aft sails, these vessels were typically used for purposes, that required speed, such as privateering, blockade running, war, but also fishing and trade.
Capable of sailing in shallow waters as much as on the open ocean, highly agile and speedy, while also only needing a relatively small crew, these ships are favoured by fishermen and some traders to today, but mostly serve as tourist attractions nowadays.
The sails of the Capall na dTonn Type are mostly trapezoid, with the exception of the jib and the fore staysail, which were triangular. However, these trapezoid sails, the foresail and the mainsail, were controlled at their peaks along their heads by a pole, usually equipped with running backstays.
Two of the most well-known Capall na dTonns in the original form are the Marcharnnau and the Eachtrán. The Aurelia-class Sailing Yachts are based on the design. Upon its foundation in 2021, Eachtara Cruise Lines Limited commissioned four vessels of this type.
Eachtraí
The Eachtraí Type, or Adventurer Type, is a type of sailing vessel, that came up in the late 16th and 17th centuries. While not as iconic as the Capall na dTonn, these ships are iconic in their own right, having served as pirate vessels, merchantmen and naval vessels. Generally speaking, they were fast and nimble vessels with only a shallow draft, two masts and heavy armament.
The main difference to the Capall is the round, almost circular hull until the sides and superstructure go up concavely. The masts were also taller, the square sails slimmer, but taller. The Eachtraí-Type is one of the few Selkie-built vessels of the time utilizing a square rig, at least partially on the main mast (though enough examples of square rigs on the fore mast exist as well). The rear mast usually had a trapezoid sail. The bowsprit also had sails. Despite said sails being the main way of propulsion, the Eachtraí-Type also usually had sweep-oars for operations in harbours or other tight areas.
The Eachtraí-Type vessels had a half-deck astern, full main deck and a full gun deck, but not all were fully armed, as the number of guns was limited by the cargo and vice versa. Vessels of this type were typically square-sterned (ornamental sterns were not unheard of) and a fully built-in, raised quarterdeck, where the colours were kept and which served as the platform of operations for Captain, pilot and navigator. Typically, Eachtraí-Type vessels were between 22 and 45 meters long and armed with 16 to 40 guns.
The most famous Eachtraí-Type vessel is the Theilgadún.
Seol-Type
sail-fishing vessel still used along the shores of the Free Lands and the Archipelago, as well as up in Northern Islands with a few modifications. The originals were, and sometimes still are as traditional craftsmen still build their boats in accordance with their inherited knowledge and skill, of wood, nails and corresponding materials
The rigging is, according to a foreign sailing expert seeing the prototype at work, typically for a sloop with one jib and one jib-headed mainsail, both on the twenty-three meters high mast with a long boom. Provisions to climb the mast as seen necessary are provided, especially since at the top both a flag and a satellite uplink for both data transmissions and GPS are fitted, as well as a radio antenna.
Second Golden Age and Age of Peace (1690 - 1903)
Dorcha-Type
The Dorcha-Type of sailing vessels was a type of small, shallow sailing vessels, larger then the Seol-Type and used as both a fishing vessel and a cargo hauler to this day. Plump by silhouette, with flat bottoms and a raised bow and stern, these one masted vessels with a trapezoid main sail and a fore stay sail, much like the Capall na dTonn.
However, unlike the Capall na dTonn, the Dorcha-Type was not a very good vessel for high seas, mostly being used as a ship connecting the Oileánra-Archipelago and the Mainland via Shella and Droichid Island. Some regularly sailed to Mount Vellenge and Lutetii as well.
On average, these vessels were thirty meters long, eight meters wide and two meters deep. They were also, usually, unarmed.
Taiscéalaí-Type
The Taiscéalaí-Type was a small, two-masted and square-rigged ship used mostly in the 18th and 19th centuries. While some see them as the logical successor and evolutipn of the Capall na dTonn, that view is not shared by all. The Taiscéalaí-Type was mostly used as a merchantman, fishing vessel, whaler and light warship - and pirate vessel. Despite being difficult to sail in the wind and with large crew requirements for their time and size, these vessels were quite popular.
While the sails on the mainmast and the foremast are square, the aftmost mast also carries a gaff-rigged spanker. Another series of sails are attached between the bowsprit and the foremast. Typically, a Taiscéalaí-Type Vessel was between 20 and 50 meters long and a low freeboard, which caused the decks to often have a main deck awash with water. In later vessels, the flush main deck sometimes had a forecastle added at the bow.
The Bádmíolta is seen as the epitome for a late Taiscéalaí-Type Vessel.
Tarraing-Type
The Tarraing-Type of sailing vessels is an oddity of Selkie-Shipbuilding, mainly because it was a large freighter, not a small and nimble ship. Their first predecessors came up over the 17th century, but their golden age were the 18th and early 19th centuries and the trade, which they had a part in. The MGoL had a fleet of these vessels, numbering a total of 39 vessels of this kind in 1719 (in 1720, three of their vessels were part of the Raid on the Kyrenaian Treasure Fleet of 1720, two of which were lost).
Generally measuring about fifty meters in total length, with a beam to hull-length ratio of 1:5.5 to 1:6, generally giving them a beam of 8.7 meters. Records of the MGoL indicate, that these ships were armed for self-defense, with up to 16 canons to maximize the cargo capacity to around 800 to 900 tons. They were also relatively fast, usually being able to reach ten knots with good winds.
The term tarraing means something along the lines of to haul, giving this type of vessel the international name of Hauler-Type. One of the most famous vessels of this kind is the Saor, owned by Enya Díol of the Tribe of Fingal. Two vessels of this type were part of the fleet of Eachtara Cruise Lines Limited upon its founding in 2021.
Newer Times (1903-today)
Many of the traditions of Selkie-Shipbuilding are nowadays kept alive by traditional shipyards, such as the Clipthóir Shipbuilding Company of Shella, or by the Sailing Teams of the UoF and UoS. Their departments of Naval Engineering also work on new sailing ship types for the 21st centuries.