Fun Fact

Fun Fact: HM Bark Endeavour (Cook's ship) was designated "Bark", though she wasn't a Bark.

Fun Fact: HMB Endeavour was not designated a "Ship", though she was a Ship.


Explanation: At the time Endeavour was built, "Bark" (or "Barque") was considered as an oceangoing utility vessel. These vessels increasingly became Bark-rigged. = A square sail rig with 3 or 4 masts, where the last mast, the mizzen, only has fore-and-aft sails, no square sails. The logic is that you have the mizzen mast to balance the rudder, for the desired heading in the wind as usual, but you can take your time during sail operations and don't need as big crew.

At some time "Bark" became the designation for ships featuring a Bark-rig.

Symmetrically, "Ship" had been used to designate oceangoing vessels ever since the Vikings and Old-Norse. But during a long transition period, other designations came into use for various types of vessels: Carrack, Galley, Galleass, Galleon, Caravel, and, yes, Barque.  But "Ship" returned into use via Dutch language, but at this time, Age-of-sails and Napoleon wars, it came to designate specifically "Ship-rigged", = 3-masted vessels with square sails on all masts, i.e. a "full-rigged" vessel with three masts. This particular configuration was superior for maneuverability (essential in combat), allowing for rapid stops and go, reversing, small turning circle, even turning around on the spot, but required a big well-trained crew. For that reason it was mostly used for warships and early Tea-clippers & Passenger-clippers. Most other vessels employing Schooner-, Bark-, Brig-rigs, for reduced manning requirements.

After the age-of-sail, "Ship" returned to designate oceangoing vessels in general.

P.S. And to be completely clear: HMB Endeavour had a Ship-rig, and was thus a "Ship", by later understanding.