Galleon

The galleon was the Iberian sailing warship and treasure carrier of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a refinement of the carrack with a lower forecastle, longer hull, and heavier broadside that made it more weatherly and combat-capable. Spain used galleons to carry American silver in the convoyed treasure fleets and on the Manila galleon run across the Pacific, while England and the Dutch built their own for war. Many galleon wrecks, such as Nuestra Senora de Atocha, are major underwater archaeology and salvage sites.