Sailing Info
- What is a Schooner?
-
The schooner sail-plan
has two or more
masts with the forward mast being shorter or the same height as the rear
masts. A two-masted schooner is technically a yacht, as a sailing ship must have at least three masts. Most
schooners are either
gaff or
schooner rigged. Alternatives include the topsail schooner with
one or two square
rigged topsails on the foremast, and the staysail schooner with staysails only on the foremast.
There was no set maximum number of masts for a schooner. A small schooner has two
or three masts, but they were built with as many as six or seven masts to carry
a larger volume of cargo. The only seven-masted (steel hulled) schooner, the Thomas W. Lawson, was built
in 1902, with a length
of 395 ft (120 m) and carrying 25
sails with 43,000 ft² (4,000 m²) of sail. A schooner is quite maneuverable
and can be sailed by a smaller crew than some other sailing vessels.
- How fast is The Red Witch?
-
The Red Witch has a cruising speed of 10 knots.
Here is some interesting schooner/sailing vocabulary
A | B | C | D | E |
F | G | H | I | J |
K | L | M | N | O | P
| Q | R | S | T
| U | V | W | X | Y | Z
B
Baggywrinkle:
clumps of frayed rope that protect the sails from chafing against the lines.
Boom:
free-swinging spar attached to the bottom edge of of a sail, riding on the
mast, Red Witch has two.
Bowsprit:
a long spar attached to the bow; used to attach sails which hang out over
the ocean.
Bunk:
Red Witch has 5 sleeping berths, called bunks.
C
Capstan:
the drum-like part of the windlass, which is a machine used for winding in rope,
cables or chain connected to an anchor cargo.
Charley noble:
galley stove-pipe.
Crosstrees:
horizontal pieces of wood that cross the mast up high, acting as spreaders for
the shrouds.
D
Davite:
small cranes, usually located aster, that are used to raise and lower smaller
boats from the deck to the water.
Ditty bag:
a small bag for carrying or stowing all personal articles.
Dead-eyes:
blocks in the shroud rigging to adjust tension.
F
Fo’c’sle:
contraction of “fore castle” (fore= foreword); the living quarters inside the
hull of a ship.
Foremast:
the mast in the forepart of a vessel, nearest the bow.
Forepeak:
the crew’s quarters, located in the bow.
Foresail:
the lowest square sail on the foremast.
Frames:
the wooden ribs that form the shape of the hull.
G
Gaff:
a free-swinging spar attached to the top of the sail.
Galley:
the kitchen of a ship.
H
Halyards:
lines used to haul up the sail and the wooden poles (boom and gaff) that hold
the sails in place.
Hatch:
an opening in the deck for entering below.
Headsails:
any sail foreword of the foremast.
Highliner:
the best of its type of fishing boat. Word originates from a time when the crew
used to fish from the deck of a vessel. The best fisherman got the highest place
on deck, up in the bow, so his line was the highest above the sea.
Hold:
the space for cargo below the deck of the ship ( as in “fish hold”).
J
Jettison:
to throw overboard.
Jib:
a triangular foresail in front of the foremast.
Jumbo:
the larger of the headsails.
K
Keel:
the timber at the very bottom of the hull to which frames are attached.
Knockabout:
a type of schooner without a bowsprit.
L
Lazyjacks:
lines from topping lifts to under boom which act as a net to catch the sails
when lowered.
Lines:
ropes used for various purposes aboard a boat.
M
Mainmast:
the tallest mast of the ship; on a schooner, the mast furthest aft.
Mainsail:
the lowest square sail on the mainmast.
Mast:
a large wooden pole used to hold up the sails.
P
Pay out:
to feed line over the side of the boat, hand over hand.
Pilothouse:
a small cabin on the deck of the ship that protects the steering wheel and the
crewman steering.
Planking:
wood boards that cover the frames outside the hull.
Q
Queen topsail:
small stay sail located between the foremast and mainmast.
R
Rigging:
the lines that hold up the masts and move the sails (standing and running rigging).
Rudder:
a fin or blade attached under the hull’s stern used for steering
S
Scuppers:
holes through the ship sides which drain water at deck level over the side.
Sail:
a piece of cloth that catches the wind and so powers a vessel.
Sailing rig:
the equipment used to sail a boat, including sails, booms and gaffs, lines and
blocks.
Schooner:
sailing ships with at least 2 masts (foremast and mainmast) with the mainmast
being the taller. Word derives from the term "schoon/scoon" meaning to move smoothly
and quickly. ( a 3-masted vessel is called a "tern").
Sheet:
piece of line fastened to the sail and used to position relative to the wind.
Shroud:
a line or wire running from the top of the mast to the spreaders, then attaching
to the side of the vessel.
Sole:
the inside deck of the ship.
Spar:
a pole or a beam.
Stay:
a line or wire from the mast to the bow or stern of a ship, for support of the
mast (fore, back, running, and triadic stays).
Stay sail:
any sail attached to a stay.
Stem:
the timber at the very front of the bow.
T
Topmast:
a second spar carried at the top of the fore or main mast, used to fly more
sail.
Transom:
the planking that forms the stern and closes off the sides.
W
Wheel:
device used for steering a boat.
Widow-maker:
a term for the bowsprit (many sailors lost their lives falling off the bowsprit
while tending sails).
Y
Yankee:
a fore-sail flying above and forward of the jib, usually seen on bowsprit vessels.
Yawl boat:
smaller powered boat used to provide steerage-way when not under sail.