▁of ▁ship ▁– ▁the ▁cargo - car ry ing ▁fl û te ▁used ▁extens ively ▁as ▁a ▁merc ant ile ▁ship ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁naval ▁auxili ary ▁vessel . ▁In ▁turn ▁this ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁name ▁flu yt , ▁probably ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁type ▁of ▁cargo - car rier ▁during ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century ▁– ▁when ▁in ▁English ▁usage ▁it ▁was ▁commonly ▁rendered ▁as ▁a ▁fly bo at . ▁ ▁This ▁t actic ▁was ▁most ▁relevant ▁in ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁S ail , ▁when ▁gun ▁de cks ▁took ▁up ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁space ▁on ▁a ▁war ship ▁above ▁the ▁water line . ▁Red uc ing ▁the ▁art illery ▁of ▁a ▁ship ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁or ▁a ▁fr ig ate ▁ent a iled ▁a ▁dram atic ▁saving ▁in ▁space , ▁since ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁certain ▁guns ▁meant ▁that ▁their ▁g unn ers ▁( and ▁their ▁equipment ▁and ▁prov isions ) ▁were ▁not ▁needed . ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁of ▁a ▁sail ing ▁war ship ▁was ▁determined ▁primarily ▁by ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁guns ▁on ▁the ▁ship , ▁sometimes ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 , ▁as ▁each ▁gun ▁needed ▁a ▁crew ▁of ▁several ▁men , ▁and ▁it ▁might ▁be ▁necessary ▁to ▁have ▁all ▁the ▁guns ▁in ▁action ▁simultaneously . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁men ▁required ▁to ▁fight ▁on ▁board ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁far ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁number ▁needed ▁simply ▁to ▁sail ▁it . ▁A ▁typical ▁ship ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁armed ▁en ▁fl û te ▁would ▁have ▁her ▁arm ament ▁cut ▁down ▁to ▁a ▁quarter