You are correct about the Beagle. It was one
of many ten gun "cofffin brigs".

They had a round bilge and only two masts.
About 1/4 of them never returned.

Supposedly, the boats would broach easily, flip
and then sink rapidly.

I read that the Beagle was later fitted with a mizzen
mast to make her more maneuverable. By this I
presume it to mean a third mast was added farther
aft, and the other two masts were of roughly equal
height.


"Scout" wrote

"Bart Senior" wrote
What is a coffin brig?

Name two characteristics of such boats?

What percentage of them gave rise to the term?

Name one famous coffin brig.

If you heard the term used today, what would it
mean?


A vessel believed to be susceptible to sinking easily.
I believe Darwin's ship, HMS Beagle, was considered to be a coffin brig.
Scout