Miles raised the ships, planning on using them as merchant vessels. The Sierra Leonean flag is utilized as a flag of convenience by foreign merchant vessels. A total of 32 merchant vessels joined the convoy. They relied on requisitioning cogs, the merchant vessels of English traders. The Bahamian flag is often used as a flag of convenience by foreign-owned merchant vessels. Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) that has been promulgated for use by all merchant vessels. Tonnage - A measurement of the cargo-carrying capacity of merchant vessels. Warships had priority over merchant vessels in competition for materials. Three destroyers and 11 merchant vessels were also sunk. He also circled some sailings on a schedule for merchant vessels leaving New York. After Captain Cook large numbers of European merchant vessels began to enter the Pacific. Abbasid sailors were also responsible for reintroducing large three masted merchant vessels to the Mediterranean. Larger merchant vessels had larger crews. Most of the ships were merchant vessels. The Barbary pirates demanded tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.