pinnace

plural pinnaces

1. nauticalA light boat, traditionally propelled by sails, but sometimes a rowboat, and usually serving to carry messages among the larger ships of a fleet.

   Theſe flatts make it unnavigable for ſhippes, yet at high vvater great Boates, Loiters, and Pinnaces of 20, and 30 tun, may ſaile up to the plantation, but they neede have a skilfull Pilote, becauſe of many dangerous rockes and foaming breakers, that lye at the mouth of that Bay.

   1634, William Wood, “Of The Severall Plantations in Particular”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of the Indians, […]), page 66

   1 more example

   I cast my eyes to the ship, and there she rode, within little more than half a mile of the shore; for they had weighed her anchor as soon as they were masters of her, and, the weather being fair, had brought her to an anchor just against the mouth of the little creek; and the tide being up, the captain had brought the pinnace in […]

   1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC