Types of rigging

Sailing ships are differentiated by the arrangement of their masts and their equipment with sails. The rigging is important for the assignment to a ship type. For assigning to a ship type, other characteristics of the ship are taken into account too, mainly the shape of the hull, which in turn determines the purposes and possible sailing areas and is often related to the regional shipbuilding tradition in the respective construction period.

The sails have different shapes and different methods are used to attach them to the masts of a sailing ship.

A so-called square sail is a rectengular sail that is attached at the top of a yard. The yard is a pole made of wood or metal that carries the square sail. It is attached on the mast that both ends protrude beyond the mast. The attachment of the yard to the mast is movable so that the position of the sails to the wind can be changed. Square rigged sailing ships are large sailing ships, such as fully-rigged ships, brigs or barques, where the yards and thus the sails are perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Sails set along the line of the keel are called fore-and-aft sails. This position of the sails has advantages when sailing against the wind and wind from the side. Fore-and-aft sails are, at least with smaller sail areas, easier to handle from the deck of the sailing ship.

Square fore-and-aft sails that are attached to a gaff at the top and often a boom at the bottom are called gaff sails. The so-called gaff is a pole that holds the gaff sail and is slidable, but with one end directly attached on the mast, while the other end protrudes freely and diagonally upwards. It is the distinguishing feature of the gaff rigging. The lower edge of the gaff sail is often attached to another pole called a boom.

If the main sails of a sailing ship are triangular and they are set directly between a mast at the front and a boom at the bottom, one speaks of a Bermuda rigging. Sails of this type are on the one hand easier to use and on the other hand offer comparatively better sailing characteristics.

What is a fully-rigged ship?

A fully-rigged ship is a sailing ship with at least 3 masts, of which all are fully equipped with square sails. The number of yards or square sails per mast is different. The mast furthest back, the so-called mizzen mast, has a gaff sail too. Between all masts of the fully-rigged ship and between the foremost mast and the jib boom, jib sails are set. The type of rigging and the number of sails to handle require a large and well-trained crew. Fully-rigged ships are still used today mainly as sail training ships. The only remaining 4-masted fully-rigged ship is the permanently moored museum ship  Falls of Clyde. The only 5-masted fully-rigged ship in this data collection is the cruise ship  Royal Clipper.

What is a brig?

A brig is a sailing ship with 2 masts of the same height, of which all are fully equipped with square sails. The number of yards or square sails per mast is different. The mast furthest back has a fore-and-aft sail too, the so-called brig sail. Between the two masts of a brig and between the front mast and the jib boom, jib sails are set. To sail a brig you need a smaller crew than for a fullly-rigged ship and the brig is more manoeuvrable due to its smaller size. Sailing ships rigged as brig are nowadays mainly used in clubs for ambitious sailing designed to develop good seamanship.

What is a bark?

A bark is a sailing ship with at least 3 masts, in which the front masts are equipped with square sails and the one furthest to the stern carries fore-and-aft sails only. The number of yards or square sails per mast is different. Fore-and-aft sails are set between the masts of a bark and between the front mast and the jib boom. A bark requires a large crew to operate the sails too, although the crew can be somewhat smaller compared to a fully-rigged ship. Today barks are mainly used as sail training ships or they are permanently moored museum ships.

What is a schooner bark or barkentine?

A schooner bark is a sailing ship with at least 3 masts. The foremost mast of the schooner bark is completely rigged with square sails. All other masts are equipped with fore-and-aft sails, mostly with gaff sails. Another name for this type of rig is barkentine, A barkentine originally had a square sail on the main mast, the second mast from the front. Fore-and-aft sails are set between the front mast and the main mast and towards the jib boom. Most of todays schooner barks in service have 3 masts, a few have 4 masts. They are mainly used as charter and cruise ships for vacation and leisure.

What is a schooner brig or brigantine?

A brigantine is a sailing ship with 2 masts of the same height. The front mast is completely rigged with square sails. The rear mast carries fore-and-aft sails. Between the masts and towards the jib boom more jib sails are set. This hybrid form of a brig and a schooner can make good use of different wind situations and sailing ships with this rigging are very maneuverable with a relatively low number of crew due to their size.

What is a schooner?

A schooner is a sailing ship with at least 2 masts of the same height or the rear mast a little higher. All masts carry fore-and-aft sails only, gaff sail in case of a gaff schooner. All sails can be operated from the deck of the sailing ship, whats allows a lower crew. Originally schooners only had 2 masts. Later schooners with 3 or more masts were also built. The rigging of a schooner is still very common today, including for classic yachts.

What is a topsail schooner?

A topsail schooner is a schooner that has square sails attached to one or more masts above the main sails. If necessary, these sails offer the possibility of better exploiting the wind from behind.

What is a staysail schooner?

A staysail schooner is a schooner that has triangular main sails, the so-called staysails. These sails are not attached to a gaff or yard, but instead are guided between the masts along of ropes, which at the same time ensure that the masts are stable.

What is a ketch?

A ketch is a sailing ship with 2 masts with the rear mast being significantly lower than the front one. The mizzen mast is in front of the ship's rudder axis. Fore-and-aft sails, mostly as gaff sails, are carried on both masts. Rigging as a ketch is still very common today, both for traditional sailing ships as well as in modern yacht building.

What is a yawl?

A yawl is a sailing ship with 2 masts with the rear mast being significantly lower and its location behind the rudder axis very far aft on the deck. On both masts fore-and-aft sails are carried, which are mainly designed as Bermuda rigging. The rigging as a yawl is mainly used for newer yachts today.

What is a cutter?

A sailing ship rigged as a cutter has 1 mast, on which for-and-aft sails sails are attached only. The main sail can be a Bermuda sail or a gaff sail. Sailing ships rigged as a cutter are characterized by high maneuverability, low construction costs for the ships and the operation with a small crew, which led to the popularity of the rigging type for traditional sailing ships and classic yachts as well as in today's yacht building.

What is a sloop?

A sailing ship rigged as a sloop has 1 mast on which 2 fore-and-aft sails are attached only. Mostly the Bermuda rigging or a very high-angle gaff sail is used as main sail. The sloop has only one foresail that is attached to the bow without a jib boom or bowsprit. The sloop rigging is very simple and common for small sailing boats or modern yachts.