Schooner

A schooner (IPA: [ˈskuːnə]) is a kind of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. Schooners were first used by the Dutch in the 16th or 17th century, and more developed in North America from the time of the American Revolution.

The schooner sail-plan has two or more masts with the forward mast being shorter or the similar height as the rear masts. Most conventionally rigged schooners are gaff rigged, occasionally carrying a squ are top sail on the foremast and occasionally, in addition, a square fore-course (together with the gaff foresail). Schooners that carry square sails are called square-topsail schooners. Modern schooners might be Marconi or Bermuda rigged. Some schooner yachts are Bermudan rig on the mainmast and gaff-rigged on the foremast. A stay-sail schooner has no foresail, but in its place carries and main-stay sail between the masts besides the fore-staysail ahead of the foremast. A stay-sail or gaff-topsail schooner can carry a fisherman (a four sided fore and aft sail) above the main-stay sail or foresail, or a triangular mule. Multi masted stay-sail schooners generally carried a mule above each stay sail apart from the fore-stay sail. Gaff-rigged schooners usually carry a triangular fore-and-aft topsail above the gaff sail on the major topmast and sometimes also on the fore topmast (see illustration), called a gaff-topsail schooner. A gaff-rigged schooner that is not made for carrying one or more gaff topsails is sometimes called a 'bare-headed or bald-headed' schooner. A schooner which has no bowsprit is known as a 'knockabout' schooner.