Friday, June 6, 2008
Square Rigs
Brigantine - is a vessel with two masts whose foremast is made in three spars and square rigged like that of the full-rigged brig. The mainmast, however, is made in two spars and carries a fore-and-aft mainsail, above which are two or three yards on which are carried a square main-topsail and topgallant sail. 
Brig - is a vessel with two masts (fore and main), both of which are square rigged. The foremast is made in three spars and square-rigged. On the mainmast there is a standing gaff to which is rigged a small fore-and-aft sail. 
Barquentine - is a vessel of at least three masts similar to a bark with fore-and-aft rigging of the mainmast. The foremast is made in three spars in square rigging, but the main- and mizzenmast carry hoist-and-lower mainsails and gaff topsails of the schooner type. 
Barque or Bark - is a three-masted vessel with the foremast and mainmast square rigged and the mizzenmast fore-and-aft rigged. The mizzenmast carries no yards: there is a hoist-and-lower fore-and-aft sail and a gaff topsail. 
Full Rigged Ship - is properly, only a vessel of at least three square rigged masts, each composed of a lower-mast, top-mast, and topgallant mast. Each is outfitted with a yard and a full complement of square sails. 
