Read part 1 on sail types here. The most common sail plan is the sloop. Also called the schooner barque. In other words, it's the setup or configuration of the sailboat. The ketch has two masts with the aftmost mast (the mizzen) shorter than the main mast forward of it. Has a lateen-rigged mainsail and square-rigged sails on the foremast and topsails. The Bermuda is the most used, the gaff is a bit old-fashioned, and the lateen rig is outdated (about a thousand years). (Click here to skip to the section with pictures). I'm the owner of ImproveSailing. Lateen rigs were used by the Moors. but still found this clarified some things for me. A ketch or yawl has a main mast and a mizzen mast but on a two masted schooner or square rigger such as a brig or brigantine the masts are called the fore mast and main mast. Sloop vs. Cutter I understand as an advantage of more but smaller sails, therefore easier handling and more variation according to conditions. All four variants were offered with a ketch rig that had a 54sq ft (5 square metre) mizzen, giving the same overall sail area as the sloop. These ships use a lot of sails to distribute the forces, which reduces the stress on the rigging and the masts. Boats with two masts that have a mizzenmast are most likely a yawl or ketch. So here goes; A sloop has a mainsail and headsail configuration, the mainsail being set on the mast at its luff and and a spar at its foot called a boom. But they were also slower. It could have a staysail, if it is a cutter ketch. Check out the amazing ships in this video of the tall ship races last year near my hometown. A yawl, like a ketch has two masts with the aftmost (the mizzen) shorter than the main, but in the case of a yawl, the helming position is forward of the mizzen mast. The most important difference between a ketch and a yawl are the position and height of the mizzenmast. To give you an idea of the most-used sail rigs, I'll quickly summarize some sail plans below and mention the three things that make up their sail plan. Although they are not quite the same. The sloop rig can be sailed shorthanded and is able to sail very close to the wind, making it very popular. It gives a good overview of sail types and is easy to understand. Cutters are considered better for bluewater sailing than sloops (although sloops will do fine also). A boat with one mast has a straightforward configuration because there's just one mast. On a two-masted boat, the mizzenmast is always (slightly) smaller than the mainmast. Schooner. There are fewer ketches … What is the difference between a ketch and a yawl? I can’t see anything at odds with the little I knew before, except that I understood a xebec has a square rigged centre mainmast, such as the Pelican (https://www.adventureundersail.com/). The mizzenmast carries the mizzen sail. Faster than a barque or a schooner, but the performance is worse than both. This may help to bring the bow into the wind when at anchor. Also, sloops are usually Bermuda-rigged, whereas schooners are usually gaff-rigged. Most recreational sailboats use a sloop rig. Generally, I don't know. Fractional Sloop Rig. A sail rig is the way in which the sails are attached to the mast(s). The mizzenmast on a yawl is located aft of the rudder, is shorter than the mainmast and doesn't carry a mainsail. The mizzenmast in ketches takes up space in the stern. Other than the addition of the Mizzen aft of the cockpit and rudder, the only difference between it and the sloop version is the E measurement is 2 feet shorter. They are quite fast for their size, and they could outrun most sloops and schooners (schooners were relatively a lot heavier). First of all, what is a sail rig?A sail rig is the way in which the sails are attached to the mast(s). Which is not to say the schooner’s not balanced – the for’ard sails versus the large main astern. Yawl vs. Ketch. As a verb ketch is or ketch can be (rare) to hang. I always look at the number of masts first, because this is the easiest to spot. Generally, ketches will be in the 40-plus foot range. That's really a lot. Well, I feel that I’ve learned a bit from this. The first word is the shape and rigging of the mainsail. So I've come up with a system. Stirling and wanted to understand the ship types he references. In addition to these vessel types we also have the catboat (usually a vessel with one mainsail set on a mast set more forward than usual), a dinghy (which I doubt needs explanation) and then there are the ships and multi-hulls, of which there are far too many for this blog! A square-rigged ship is only good for downwind runs, but a fore-and-aft rigged ship can sail close to the wind, using the lift to move forward. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast positioned abaft (behind) the rudder stock, or in some instances, very close to the rudder stock. This is still a Bermuda rig, … More sails mean less stress on all of them. The sail rig and sail type are both part of the sail plan. This article is part 2 of my series on sails and rig types. Lets not go there just now… Ketches have more standing rigging (shrouds and stays) and running rigging (halyards and sheets) to manage and maintain. I think that may be the difference between the pointing ability of my boat as opposed to a Ketch. The extra mast is a foremast which is generally smaller than the mainmast, but it does carry a mainsail. It's nearly as tall as the mainmast and carries a mainsail. Contact us The cat is the simplest sail plan and has one mast with one sail. But first I want to discuss the three factors that make up the sail plan in more detail. The barquentine usually has three masts. In the beginning, only the ketch rig configuration was offered. The rear masts are usually gaff-rigged. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. Ketch - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. At the rear: schooner or brig. As Glanville noted, a ketch can “turn up and down” (upwind and downwind), “go to and fro” (tacking, presumably) “almost with any wind” (in all conditions). Their boats were quicker downwind than the boats with fore-and-aft rigged sails, but they didn't handle as well. Mizzen without a mainsail. I am gratefull to Shawn for sharing - Thanks & Kudos to you! It’s probably fair to assume that for every sailing term there are at least 3 or more other pieces of jargon that fit equally as well. So let's take a look at the three things that make up the sail plan. It's one of the fastest rig types for upwind sailing. Try making a single triangular sail with a sail area of over 500 sq. The mizzen sail on a yawl can't really drive the boat forward. The foremast is always square-rigged. All I will say is go learn a lot more before posting. What is a sloop rig? The middle mast is called the mainmast. Schooners have two masts that are fore-and-aft rigged. Yawl - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. Ketch Rig vs Sloop: Great Advantages for Cruisers - YouTube Most single-masted boats are sloops, which means one mast with two sails (mainsail + headsail). Well done Shawn. Hi, I'm Shawn, and when I was 2 years old, I was sailing (with my parents) on the English Channel during a proper storm (and by proper I mean something along the lines of force 10). If the aft mast is smaller than the front mast, it is a sail plan with a mizzenmast. Is it accurate? The yawl has two masts that are fore-and-aft rigged and a mizzenmast. The three sails do not necessarily mean that the sail area on a ketch is larger than on a sloop of the same size, however. A ketch may also use a spinnaker. Yawl vs. Ketch. Good stuff Shawn - very helpful. The way the sails are attached to the mast determines the shape of the sail. A sail plan is made up of: I'll explore the most common rig types in detail later in this post. (The event was organized by friends of mine). Very popular rig for ocean crossings, so a great rig for merchants who travel long distances and don't want 30 - 50 sailors to run their ship. Gaff-rigged sails are mostly found on older, classic boats. The xebec is a Mediterranean trading ship with three masts. If you want to determine what the rig type of a boat is, you need to look at these three things: Below I'll explain each of these factors in more detail. I think it is wonderful to share knowledge and learn together. As they say in the Navy: “BZ” - for a good article. The rig consists of the sail and mast hardware. That means the extra mast has been placed at the back of the boat. Sloops and ketches each have their own benefits, but also disadvantages. So to make this stuff more easy to understand, I've divided up the rig types based on the number of masts below. Barques have three masts. Tall ships are used nowadays for racing, with the popular tall ship races traveling the world. I can’t comment therefore on the accuracy of the article, but it seems clear to me that the spirit of the author is positive. It's a simple sail plan that allows for high performance, and you can sail it short-handed. This site is owned and operated by Truly Content. Thanks for laying it out. Mainmast carries no square-rigged mainsail. A boat with two masts or more gets interesting. The sail rig and sail plan are often used interchangeably. ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Now it's time to take a look at the mast configuration. That’s why the ketch is so popular, especially in a smaller boat. The foot is attached to the boom, usually at the tack and clue, but sometimes by way of a bolt rope in its foot which slots into the boom along its whole length. Thanks, So this is the way the sail is attached to the mast. Bermuda rig - most used - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail, Gaff rig - has a four-sided mainsail, the head of the mainsail is guided by a, Lateen rig - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail on a long yard, Junk rig - has horizontal battens to control the sail, Settee rig - Lateen with the front corner cut off, full or ship-rigged boats - also called 'ships' or 'tall ships', Lugger - two masts (mizzen), with lugsail (a cross between gaff rig and lateen rig) on both masts. The main and mizzenmast are lateen-rigged. Thank you for your article I found easy to read and understand, and more importantly remember, which emphasises the well written.. A ketch has 2 masts. Main mast with only slightly smaller foremast. Reply. It pushes the stern away from the wind and forces the bow in the opposite way. So how do you know what kind of boat you're dealing with? History Derivation of "yawl" The above is an accepted modern definition, but it may not be correct within a historical context. Every four years I go and check them out when they are at Harlingen (which is very close to where I live). Your mizzensail provides all kinds of benefits. If the forestay connects to the top of the mast then the vessel is ‘masthead’ rigged and if it connects a few feet or metres below the top of the mast it’s a fractional rig, allowing ‘rake’ to be induced in the mast by tensioning the backstay. When you add a mast, it means you have to decide where to put the extra mast: in front, or in back of the mainmast. A yawl has 2 masts, one behind the rudder post. Sometimes sail plans with two masts are used with more masts. A cutter is a sloop with 2 foresails(jib, staysail) and a mainsail. Ketches, yawls, brigs, and schooners have two masts. The part about being easier to learn on is particularly relevant for me as I am teaching myself how to sail. Slightly ) smaller than the aft of ) the mainmast and carries a mainsail plan with main... 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