Grab (ship)

The name derives from "ghurāb" or "ghorāb", Arabic for raven, which in turn came into Marathi and Konkani as "gurab".

[2] A description from 1750 states that the grabs of Angria's fleet narrowed from the middle forward and instead of a bow had the prow of a Mediterranean galley, covered with a strong deck level with the main deck but separated from it by a bulkhead.

The grab pitched violently when sailing against a head sea so the prow sides were open to permit water easily to run off.

On the main deck under the forecastle there were two 6 or 9-pounder guns pointing forward through port-holes cut in the bulkhead and firing over the prow.

[3] The vessel was generally of shallow draft, and broad in proportion to its length.