The gig was traditionally reserved as the captain’s or commanders’ boat and often referred to as the Captain’s Galley [1].

[1] Weatherall, D.J., Naval Gigs,: Past and Present, Occasional Paper 90 vol 33, 2019.

Captain’s galley: any colour except green and blue, at Captain’s discretion. […] The power and pulling boats of individual ships other than Flag officers’ barges and Captain’s galleys, should be uniform in appearance, although it is not compulsory for both categories to be alike.


State Library of Western Australia image number b2943881_004
HMS Hood, Fremantle, 27 February 1924. Image of the gig (click image to go to SLWA website for better quality).