Cog (ship)

The cog was a type of sailing ship used in northern Europe from the 10th to the 14th century, with a flat bottom, high straight sides, a single square sail and, later, a stern rudder and raised castles. Large and cheap to build, it carried bulk cargoes such as grain, timber and cloth and became the typical ship of the Hanseatic League. The Bremen cog, found in 1962, is a well-preserved example from about 1380.