After a lot of frustrating google searches I decided that I'd be better off getting help in a forum than continuing my lonesome descend into madness. I am looking for a specific type of ship, especially a medieval one. Its purpose is to carry freight (and guards to protect said freight) in near-coastal waters from moderate climates into subartic waters. The Problem: neither is English my first language nor am I familiar with the differences between ship types (except for ship vs. boat). If there is someone out there that has any knowledge as to what I am looking for, input would be greatly appreciated [If my question is to vague or unspecific, feel free to ask for specifics, I have a rather detail-oriented writing style so there is a neat description of almost everything ]
This should deal with your research problem: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_ships Personally, I think a cog would suit your purposes best.
Funny coincidence, I just went on this board to see if someone could help me with the same. Although my ship has to cross rather rough subarctic waters far from the coast. As it stands now I'm going for the Caravel, but I agree with the previous post in your case since the cog is earlier medieval.
Another possible candidate is the "fluyt" although it may be of a later period than you're looking for: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluyt
After a bit of consideration I decided to go for the cog, although I might have changed a few details to tailor it to my needs (courtesy of the fantasy setting the ship is sailing in). Grateful for all the input on here
My knowledge on the subject is very limited, but I think that reading about the Battle of Lepanto and he invention the Caravel should give you some context and thus better understanding.