It was designed as a replacement for the galleys that made up the core of the fleets that operated along the coasts and in the archipelagos of the Baltic Sea. Compared to Swedish galleys, the hemmema had a bigger draft and was slower under oars, but offered superior accommodations and stores for its crew, was more seaworthy, and had roughly ten times the number of heavy guns.
It could be propelled with either sails or oars and was smaller and more maneuverable than most sailing warships which made it suitable for operations in shallow, confined waters.