An overview of the Galician fleet, 1752-1802

Abstract

According to the number of registered ships, Galicia was the main fishing region in Spain in the 18th century. There was a high geographic dispersion of fishing vessels, which were mostly built in Galicia. The most common types, boats and dornas, were often used to transport both peopel and goods. Their owners were mainly fisherman. On the contrary, trading vessels were not so highly dispersed. In 1752 pataches and pinazas of the coastal trade were the most common, whereas in 1802 frigates and brigantines, which had multiplied, became the most abundant vessels. Ocean navigation ships were mostly foreign-made and owned by trading companies. They gathered in ports of A Coruña and Vigo, which were used for international trade.