Schooner
For other uses, see Schooner (disambiguation). A traditional gaff topsail schooner Schooner rigging: 1 ) Bowsprit 2 ) Jib & fore staysail 3 ) Fore gaffsail & topsail 4 ) Main staysail 5 ) Main gaff topsail 6 ) Mainsail 7 ) End of boom A schooner / ˈ s k uː n ər / is a type of sailing vessel with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. The most common type has two masts, the foremast being shorter than the main. While the schooner was originally gaff-rigged, modern schooners typically carry a Bermuda rig. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Usage 4 Schooner sail plan 4.1 Schooner rationale 5 Multi-masted schooners 6 Famous schooners 7 Gallery 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Etymology Traditional square topsail schooner Shenandoah , sailing in Nantucket Sound. The first detailed definition of a schooner, describing the vessel as two-masted vessel with fore and aft gaff-rigged sails appeared in ...