The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-12

Originally of two masts-an enlarged slooT
she grew larger and acquired third
| then a fourth, and Of late years a dfth
There is now feet of five-masted
schooners sailing out OF Atlantic ports. as
large as the medium-sized ship-riggeo
craft, and able to follow-and beat them
| through any bottle with wind and sea that
may be met. A seven-TnaSted schooner Is
soon TO be launched from a Rhode Island
shipyard; and she may be followed by
eight-masters. There seems to be no limit
to the number Of masts except the size
of the hull; bat it is noticea BILE that
though the masts increase in number they
increase but little in length. the addition
al sail area coming of the extra masts.
And as tribute to tradition, the builders
still insist upon fitting the mast farthest
aft with the largest sail, thus perpetusting
the sehooner's sole weakness With her
line of spars of the same length, the null
ti-masted schooner is the ugliest craft
afioat but, aside from the trouble in jibing
the large after sail, she is the handiesa,
and will. doubtless. supersede the square
rugged ship in deep water sailing. She
can show as much canvas to a fair wtDd
as can ship. and in a head wind can
sail two points closer and beat to wind
ward in a breeze and a sea that would
throw a ship ashore.
The sloop rig, mainsail and jib, which
may be supplemented by extra tibs, gaff-
topsail and spinnaker-is the rig of SAIL
boats, English cutters, and racing yachts.
1t is too common to need comment, except
that experiment and comparison have de-
cided that more speed per sail area can
be produced with this rig than with any
other
what a Logger Is
In the English channel, and along the
French and Spanish coasts can be seen
a picturesque craft about the size of two
nasted schooners called lugger. She
carries three pole masts and a short bow
spirit, and spreads three loft lag sails and
two or three jibs. Above the mainsail is
sometimes set what might be called a
club topsail, but is really miniature lug.
AS her sPars are proportional like those
of ship. or bark, she avoids the insight
illness of the American schooner. but. of
course, can never compete with the latter
in convenience.
Throughout the Mediterranean, Red sea,
Persian gulf and along the shores of the
Indian ocean can be found the lateen sail
in all its combinations and notifications.
Combined with a few square sails 1t IS
the main dependence of the three-maSted
Xebec; hoisted on two masts with a tri-
angular topsaiI spread santingly between
the Two lateen peaks, II prOpels the settee;
on one mast with a jib out ahead. 1t
stamps small craft as tartan; and
spread on three masts In naked simple
lily, with no embarrassing topsails or jibs,
1T makes up the dress Of a felucca- A
Persian garookuh carries one mast raking
forward from near the center. and one
lateen sail. An Arab dhow and Malabar
pattemar are alike in rig-two masts, the
longest forward, and differ only in size
and hull. Proas and pirogues are really
ca4amarans, built with out-riggers, and
they are similar in rig; but the one sail
is neither lateen nor lug, being a curious
combination of both, with boom on the
lower edge.
Lastly. we come to the nondescript Chi
nese junk. a dingy brown scow model,
with two three, or five shroudless masts
of any length and proportion, stepped
down hatchways or over the side. with lug
sails of bamboo mating suffened by BAN
boo splinters, and the inevitable perforat-
ed rudder and painted eyes, keeping look
out from the bows. The junk is as in
scrutable as the race which designed her;
but, as she can never go far to sea, she
will never compete with other types in the
navigation of the future.
Neither can any other form of lug, or
laseen, or square sail The sea-going ship
of the future will be schooner rugged.