The overlooked work of sloops, cutters, cogs, and carracks

Which ship or ship type is most underrated in history?

Sloops and cutters are strong candidates, while cogs, hulks, carracks, caravels, and clippers deserve more credit for trade and exploration.

Sloops often lose recognition when their work is described as frigate work, while Coast Guard cutters perform duties that receive little attention. Clippers are another nomination. Cogs and hulks are valued for the amount of cargo they could carry, with a recent Danish discovery prompting a tentative recollection of roughly 1,400 tons displacement for a cog. The example leads to the scale of Hanseatic trade in the fourteenth century. Carracks and caravels also deserve credit for carrying Europeans to the New World before galleons came to dominate the popular image.