I saw this scene from quite a long way away. It looked at first glance like a single yacht with three masts, but then I realized it was two separate boats. So in order to do this photograph, I had to drive back up the street and grab my 200-600mm Sony zoom lens. With that lens on my camera I could really reach out and get a much closer view of the boats and masts. I am going to go out on a limb and say the larger yacht is Ketch rigged. I am not sure if the jib and staysail changes that designation at all. Primo will check in and let us all know the correct term! Always nice to have an expert in the audience!
OK. So here's the deal. The larger boat is a ketch. A ketch and a yawl are both two masted boats, but the placement of the mizzen mast (smaller mast aft) defines the sail plan. On a ketch, the mizzen mast is forward of the rudder post; with a yawl the smaller mast is placed aft of the rudder post. The second (smaller) boat is a cutter. A cutter and a sloop are similar except that a cutter's mast is placed slightly further aft, which allows for two two sails forward (a small inside sail called a staysail and a larger sail forward, which is typically a genoa that overlaps the mast. Both ketch and cutter rigs make for very good ocean sailing because of increased options to adjust sail area depending on wind and wave conditions. So there you have it - you owe me a donut!
ReplyDeleteI came back to your blog to see if "Primo" answered and found so much new information from Anonymous. I think you owe him a dozen donuts. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe learn so much from your blog. Thank you.
Joan
We do always learn new things in the blog thanks to everyone who makes comments. And now I want a donut :-) Betsey
ReplyDeleteThe first answer WAS from Primo! I know his style and I know his knowledge! And he did just as I had hoped - He gave us all the information we needed! And that's because he has been a sailor all his life, starting as a teenager, when he worked on other people's boats. Thanks, Primo!
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