Barkentine (or Barquentine): A sailing vessel with three or more masts, where the foremast is square-rigged, and the remaining masts are fore-and-aft rigged. Barkentines were commonly used in the 19th century for trade routes that benefited from a mix of speed and cargo capacity. In shipwrecks, the distinct rigging configuration often helps identify the vessel type and gives insight into the types of routes and conditions it was built to handle.
