One aspect of the early American shipbuilding industry/designs is the fact that most Colonial/Continental vessels were designed for smuggling, since the American colonies, even before 1775, vigorously attempted to evade the effects of the Navigation Act. That means that local or regional preferences for the ships were inherent in their designs, affecting such matters as tacking, speed, run before the wind etc. So, early American designs, where preserved in the form of design prints or technical specifications should generally be regarded as unique, atypical designs of the period.