Three ways blockade runners evade interception

One type of blockade runner was a small, fast craft that carried high-value, low-bulk cargo close to shore, where larger patrol ships and their boats struggled to follow. A second, Dutch-style approach combined a shallow draft, a long light hull, and as much sail as possible to exploit the right wind and tide. A third method used neutral flags and papers to complicate boarding decisions. Repeated abuse of a neutral flag could provoke that country to ban its own ships from the blockaded ports, making false claims easier to expose. Blockaders still had to search effectively while treating genuine neutrals with enough care to avoid a diplomatic dispute.