A small sailing vessel with one mast and a fore-and-aft sail, used historically in the Caribbean and coastal waters.
From Spanish 'balandra,' possibly derived from Dutch or Basque maritime terminology. The word entered English in the 17th century when Caribbean trade was flourishing, referring to the nimble sailing ships used in those waters.
The balander was the speedboat of the 1600s—pirates and traders loved these fast little ships because they could outrun larger galleons, and their design influenced modern sailing vessels for centuries.
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