VESSELS WITH TWO MASTS.

A SNOW is the largest two-masted vessel, and is extremely convenient for navigation.

The sails and rigging on the main and fore mast are similar to those on the same mast in a ship, the braces of the sails on the main-mast leading forward: besides which, there is a small mast, close behind the main-mast, that carries a trysail, resembling the mizen of a ship. This mast, called the trysail-mast, is fixed in a step of wood upon deck, and the head fixed by an iron clamp to the aftside of the main-top.

Vessels in the navy, that resembles snows, have a rope-horse, that sets up abaft the main-mast with dead-eyes and a laniard, to which the trysail is bent, by hanks and seizings, similar to the trysail of a snow.

An HERMAPHRODITE is a vessel so constructed as to be, occasionally, a snow, and sometimes a brig. It has therefore two mainsails; a boom mainsail, when a brig; and a square mainsail when a snow; and a[ ]main-topsail larger than the fore-topsail.

Sometimes the boom mainsail is bent to the main-mast, as a brig; or on a trysail-mast, as a snow.

BRIG.

The rigging of a brig is little different from the fore and main masts of a ship, the braces of the sails on the main-mast leading forward. The after-main-shroud must be served from the mast-head to the dead-eye, to prevent its being chafed by the main-boom and gaff. The after-backstay is fitted with a tackle, that it may be slacked when the mainsail jibes, or is bowsed forward by the boom-pendent and tackle. They carry no main-yard, but cross-jack-yard.

BILANDER.

A merchant-ship with two masts, but different from others in the shape of the mainsail, which resembles a settee-sail. The head is bent to a yard, similar to the mizen yard of a ship, and hangs to the main-mast, as a ship's does to the mizen-yard.

This method has proved inconvenient, and is now seldom used but by the Dutch.

KETCH.

Is a vessel with two masts; the main-mast has a topmast, and carries a mainsail, topsail, and topgallant-sail, similar to a ship's; and sometimes, abaft the main-mast, is a large gaff-sail, called a wingsail. The mizen-mast sometimes has a topmast, and carries a topsail, and, abaft the mast, gaffsail, like a ship's mizen. The bowsprit is long, and on it are set two or three jibs.

SCHOONER

Is a small vessel with two masts and a bowsprit. The masts rake aft, but the bowsprit lies nearly horizontal. On the bowsprit are set two or three jibs; on the foremast a square foresail; and, abaft the foremast, a gaff or boomsail; and above those a topsail. Abaft the main-mast is set a boomsail, and above it a topsail. The main-stay leads through a block, at the head of the foremast, and sets up upon by a tackle. By these means, the sail abaft the foremast is not obstructed when the vessel goes about, as the peek passes under the stay.

Schooners sail very near the wind, and require few hands to work them. Their rigging is light, similar to a ketch's, and the topmasts fix in iron rings, abaft the lower mast-heads.

LUGGER

Is a small vessel with two masts, and a bowsprit nearly horizontal.

On the bowsprit are set two or three jibs; and the lug-sails hang obliquely to the masts, their yards being flung at one-third their length, one on each lower-masts and topmast: the topmast fixes abaft the mast-heads, as those of schooners.

Luggers sail well close hauled, and very near the wind. The rigging is very light and simple. The masts are supported by shrouds and stays; the yards have haliards, lifts, and braces. To the lee-clue of the sail is a sheet, and to the windward-clue tack, which is occasionally shifted as the vessel goes about. When this is often repeated, they loose ground in stays.

Some luggers have a small mast and a ring-sail set to it over the stern, and the foot spread by a small boom.

In blowing weather they have small lug-sails, the tack of which hauls down by the mast, as their large sails would endanger them, should they chance to get up in the wind.

Steel: The Elements and Rigging and Seamanship
David Steel, London, 1794. pp 220-221.

Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius

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