by The Masters of Agile Mediterranean Patrol and Raiding Craft
This nomination for the shipwrights who perfected the design and construction of the fusta, a light, fast galley that was the workhorse of Mediterranean naval warfare, piracy, and patrol from the 14th to 17th centuries. Smaller and more maneuverable than a standard war galley, the fusta typically had 18-22 benches per side and could be powered by both oars and lateen sails. Its agility made it the preferred vessel for corsairs (like the Barbary pirates), for coastal defense, and for the light logistics of moving messengers and small cargoes quickly. The builders of these vessels solved complex problems of weight, speed, and seaworthiness for a specialized mission profile. The ubiquity of the fusta proved that maritime commerce and conflict required a spectrum of vessel types, and that a cheap, fast, and versatile patrol craft was as essential to controlling sea lanes as the large, capital ships of the line that dominate naval history.
