A tartane (also tartan, tartana) was a small ship used both as a fishing ship and for coastal trading in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

. They were in use for over 300 years until the late 19th century. A tartane had a single mast on which was rigged a large

lateen A lateen (from French ''latine'', meaning "Latin") or latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, and running in a fore-and-aft direction. The settee can be considered to be an associated type of the same ...

sail, and with a

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay A bobstay is a part of the rigging of a sailing boat or ship. Its purpose is to counteract the upward tensio ...

and fore-sail. When the wind was

aft "Aft", in nautical terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning towards the stern (rear) of the ship, aircraft or spacecraft, when the frame of reference is within the ship, headed at the fore. For example, "Able Seaman Smith; lie aft!" or "Wh ...

a square sail was generally hoisted like a cross jack.

References

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Retrieved 2007-11-23 *A Treatise on Insurances by Balthazard Marie Émérigon, Samuel Meredith, p330-331
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{{ship-type-stub Merchant sailing ship types