These oared vessels with auxiliary fore-and-aft sail allowing the ship to go at large (up to 30?) angles to the wind. The vessel
was peculiar mainly to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and rivers. Galleys had a poor seaworthiness and relatively low speed (about 7
knots). But at the same time they were very maneuverable and did not depend on the wind. A galley was usually armed with several powerful guns at
the bow and small-caliber cannons at boards. Galleys were of different size. The most prevalent characteristics were as follows. Length -
41.7-43.0 m (136-140 ft); width - 5.5-7.3 m (18-24 ft); hull depth - 1.8-2.7 m (6-9 ft); 20-24 thwarts (benches for oarsmen). Galley arms
comprised 3-6 twelve-pound cannons and 18-21 falconets. Hired workers or convicts, or sometimes soldiers were used as oarsmen. In addition to
oarsmen, galleys took on 24-40 sailors, 9-14 officers, and about 150 soldiers for boarding and/or landing.
