In commercial or military vessels, approximately one sailor is needed for every five tons of displacement. For example, a lateen-rigged ship, which weighs 240 tons and carries 50 men, requires one man for every ten tons. In the 14th century, Venetian cocche (ships) required one man for every ten tons: 240 tons with 20 adult sailors and eight apprentices, by law. In the 17th century, the ratio returned to one man for every five tons in English Mediterranean shipping, but the increase was to defend against pirates.
