Sloop-of-war

From PotBS Wiki

The 18-gun 'Hermes' Packet-Boat. Since she has a small displacement and fewer than 20 guns, she would likely be rated a sloop of war by the Royal Navy.

A sloop-of-war is an unrated ship of about 16 guns used for quick actions and running small amounts of cargo. Quick and tough to catch, they are prefferred by Pirates and Privateers for their speed and maneuverability compared to traditional square-rigged navy and merchant ships. Oddly enough, a sloop-of-war does not neccessarily have to be a sloop - it is merely a classifaction used by the British Royal Navy to rate ships of 16 or 18 guns commanded by Lieutenants instead of Post-Captains.

There are many examples of a sloop-of-war (few of which are, technically speaking, sloops) in Pirates of the Burning Sea, including the 16-gun 'Algiers' Xebec, the 18-gun 'Lexington' Brig, and the 18-gun 'Locust' Corvette.