frigates brigs flotilla 1770 1830Frigates Frigates were perhaps the hardest worked of warship types during the Age of Sail. A small warship with a perfect balance of speed, armament and resilience that made it one of the perfect vessels for single ship action and privateering against merchant ships. It usually had one main gun deck as well as the guns positioned on the top decks. These were categorised as either 5th or 6th rate within the British Rating System, dependent on the