gaff rigged

A yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. In later parlance, the definition came to mean any vessel, other than a dinghy, propelled by sail, power or both and used for pleasure cruising and/or yacht racing. A sailing yacht can vary in overall length (LOA in yachting parlance) from about 6 m (20 feet) to well over 30 m (98 ft) or more. However, most privately owned yachts fall on the range of about 7 m to 14 m (about 23-46 ft); the cost of building and keepin ...

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Square rig - Principally square rigged types. A barque has three or more masts, with the aftermost entirely fore-and-aft rigged, while the fore, main and any others are square rigged. A brig has two masts, both square rigged. A full rigged ship has three or more masts, including a foremast, mainmast and mizzen, and all masts are square rigged. A sloop has only one mast. All the above rigs normally carry a number of jibs and at least one spanker, and may al ...

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Square rig, Square rig - Types of square rig, Square rig - Principally square rigged types, Square rig - Fore-and-aft rigs with some square rigged sails, Square rig - Ranks and Duties of Officers and Sailors, Square rig - Other Types

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On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried. A full-rigged ship has either single or double ("split" upper and lower) topsails on all masts, the single or lower topsail being the second sail above the deck and the upper topsail where so rigged being the third. Although described as a "square" sail, this term refers not to a sail's shape but to it and its yard being rigged square to the keel of the vessel rather than in line with it or "fore and a ...

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Topsail, Topsail - Square rig, Topsail - Gaff rig, Topsail - Reference, Topsail - Topsail Island

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On a gaff rigged sailing boat, a topsail is a triangular sail set between the gaff and the top of the mast or extended higher by a small boom. These rigs may still be seen in widespread use today but were once more common, particularly on such vessels as cutters, two-masted racing, naval or merchant schooners and gaff sloops, but have now been largely superseded by the bermuda rig, which has no topsails. There may be o ...

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Topsail, Topsail - Square rig, Topsail - Gaff rig, Topsail - Reference, Topsail - Topsail Island

Read more here: » Topsail: Encyclopedia II - Topsail - Gaff rig