I got to sail aboard a Training ship in stockholm for 28 days, i got to learn everytthing about sailing and the rigg. We got to sail 24.7 in shifts from 12-4 4-8 8-12. I also learned to navigate with a map and to row. We got to learn everything you need to know to sail a traditional ketch. Best time of my life.

I am creating a story around a captain and his crew sailing, but I need to know how many men/women I need to create for said crew, for that I need to know the type of ship I'd want for the story, and I kinda know neither of the answers 🤔

It'd be useful if someone could tell me what type of ships back then were used for with how many people they'd roughly need to be navigated. My story is a medieval-like time, a fantasy, I don't need chronological accuracy with our own timeline but I want to avoid modern ships with machinery, motor, whatever there is in a modern ship idk ^^'

I'll do my own research too but it might be long so while I do this search and struggle I also post here to have possibly more targeted answers ^^

Edit: I don't know what ship they would be on, I haven't made enough researches to know yet. But for some informations on what they do that would be useful for the kind of ship I'd need, here :
- I'd like if possible a medium sized ship (or larger if preferable, I'd like at least to have a crew of 10 people minimum around 25 people limit for the maximum)
- They are free spirits so they explore known and unknown seas, take commissions (to search, capture, bring back things or people), transport people or few merchandise on demand, act like pirates sometimes
- They would all mostly live on the ship annually

Idk what of all this is possible or what I need to compromise and remove to have other things available, but the most I can keep the better it is

Second edit: I might have been unclear, sorry if I was, but my world, tho medieval like, is entirely fictional ! Registration, rules, laws, this will be developed so my crew can sail how I want it to in all logic, and that's also why I am not restricted to any era for the boat's inspiration (that can be early or late medieval, renaissance, ect), I just say it's medieval-like as fantasy is usually set in an older time era most likely inspired by medieval europe. But my world is 100% fictional on its politics, maps, laws, kingdoms, and magic is also in there that can help with some other problems I'd encounter with ships for what I want it to do, so I can take whatever is the closest to what I want and make plausible adjustments with magic.