I’m between boats and have been for some time. However, the sea (or lake, as may be) always calls to me and I’m always on the look out for my next boat. Of couse, it’s got to be sail powered. None of this driving a motorized gas tank for me. Unless it’s one of those old wooden classics which are varnished and polished to mirror like shine and that don’t go much over 30 knots on a calm day.
But back to real boats. Here are your choices of sail plans:
Sloop a single jib or staysail and a bermudan or gaff mainsail lifted by a single mast. The mainsail is managed with a spar on the underside called a “boom.” One of the best-performing rigs, it is the fastest for up-wind passages. It’s popular with amateurs because of its simplicity and potential for high performance. On small boats, it is a very simple rig. On larger sloops, the large sails pull dangerously, and one must manage them with winches.
Cutter, Like a sloop with two jibs in front. Better than a sloop for light winds. It’s easier to manage, too. But, it has (very) slightly less up-wind ability than a sloop because it has more windage.
Yawl, is like sloop with a mizzen mast located aft (closer to the stern of the vessel) of the rudder post. The mizzen is usually small, and is often intended just to help point the boat upwind and balance it when going downwind. It is commonplace for badly-designed yawls to sail faster with the mizzen removed.
Ketch, is like a yawl, but the mizzenmast is often much larger, and is located forward of the rudderpost. The purpose of the mizzen is to make the sails smaller and more manageable than they would be on a sloop with the same sail area. The shorter masts also reduce the amount of ballast needed to keep the boat upright. Generally the rig is safer and less prone to broaching or capsize than a comparable sloop, and has more flexibility in sailplan when reducing sail under adverse conditions. The ketch is a classic small cargo boat.
Catboat, a single gaff-rigged sailboat. This is the easiest sail-plan to sail, and is used on the smallest and simplest boats. The catboat is a classic fishing boat. A popular movement among home-built boats uses this simple rig to make “folk-boats.” One of the advantages of this type is that there’s no boom to hit one’s head or knock one into the water, as there are in the sloop-derived boats. However, the gaff is mechanically complex, and adds weight high in the rigging. The gaff’s fork (jaws) is held on by a rope threaded through beads called trucks (US) or parrel beads (UK). The gaff must slide down the mast, and therefore prevents any stays from bracing the mast. This usually makes the rig even heavier, requiring even more ballast.
Schooner, a two-masted gaff-rig. It mounts jibs and staysails, and often little triangular top-sails. One of the easiest types to sail, but it goes poorly to up-wind without the topsails. The extra sails and ease of the gaff sails make it easier to operate, though not necessarily faster, than a sloop on all points of sail other than up-wind. Schooners are more popular than sloops. The better performance of the sloop upwind is outweighed for most sailors by the better performance of the schooner at all other, more comfortable, points of sail.
There are more but I’ve tried to isolat the ones most often found sailing around North American shores these days. At least the ones I see most often. Also realizing that not all rig configurations are alike and variations are a plenty.
Feel free to add your favourite if I’ve missed it.
Mine, in order of preference of looks and not necessarily performance:
- Schooner Gaff rigged
- Ketch
- Cutter Gaff rigged
N.B. I’ve only ever owned a sloop. So many boats, so little time.
