The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-11-08
DAY OF THE SCHOONER
RIG ON BIG VESSELS
HOW TIME HAS CHANGED THE
ORIGINAL LATEEE TO
MODERN SAIL.
One Weakness Of Schooner Rig
Which Still Keeps the Square
Rig in Use-Fresh Water
Vessels.

for large A. bulls grew larger the n
ten ssH changed in shape. losing a
small triangle from its forward end.
which allowed the yard to rise from the
deek IN this stage OF Development ii
had become the sail now used on Malay
proas and pimzues. Time passed and
the long. slender yard shortened to a
small spar the sail received more hoist
and the lCgsaii vas evolved.
From this sail sprung two varieties.
the square sail OF The Viking ship and,
later. the nameless. though familiar.
form used as the principal sail OF
schoOners and sloops-the first best in
running before the wind. the other best
in lacking the square sail obtaining ia
yor IN large vessels from its convenience
% handling aioft. the schooner sail
until la;cly-rslegated 10 small craft
because OF It's swinging gaf which left
the upper and after corner Of the sail
unrestraiEed by anything but the after
leach. or edge 4 very large sail Of this
pattern could not be handled with an or
set one above the other. could not be
controlled by any system of gearing
Hence the continuance OF the square rig
in large vessels long after seamen knew
that a schooner could head two points
closer to the wind than a ship, was
speedier and more easily handled in all
positions except dead before the wind
and was much cheaper TO equip and
maintain.
For this reason. however. the schoon
or rig was combined with the square
when practicable Small ships became
banks. small banks became barkentines.
the brig evolved into the brigantine
which is now adopting the better features
of the topsail schooner-and the orig
inal topsail schooner atayistically sent
down her yards and relepsed into the
parent type
But in spite OF the advantage gained
in speed. convenience and economy. the
gradual drift toward the schooner rig
has been held in check by the undisputed
necessity of dividing large sail area
and perhaps. also, by the one strong
points OF the square rig-safety in run
ming before a heavy gale and sea. Briggs
and topSail Schooners have about disap-
peared but ships. banks. barkenJines and
brigantinrs are still being launched. and
it will so continue until ship owners and
builders realize the superiority of the
one craft yet designed which can com
pete with a large ship in bad weather.
the multi-masted schooner, with its FIVE
six or seven short masts supporting an
aggregate sail area equal to that of
easy reach Of the deck.
This tpye Of vessel can be built as
large rs the largest ship; it can be man
aged by half the men required aboard !
the more complicated square-rigged |
craft. it can take to the high sea and |
keep IL: il can beat to windward in a |
sea thar would throw a ship to leeward |
il can 90 about-head TO wind-in sea |
that would force a ship TO wear, and L |
can wear. by means of its numerous
rs can a ship-nearly as safely. because
the rig has a weak point which asserts
itself in wearing; il is, that the largest
sail aboard is placed upon the mast
fartheSt aft a weakness which has been
peculiar to the schooner rig since the
day when the large sloop developed into
the two-masled schooner instead OF the
evenly balanced and convenient yawl.
which carries her largest mast just abaft
where Schooner's foremost is placed.
and. well aft, a small mast called the
jiggermast That this method of balanc-
is evidenced by the fact that tender rae
ing yachts adopt the rig in crossing the
Atlantic
Bur the early builders Of schooners. for
some iuserutahle reason perpetuated the
large mainsail. and when the three-mast-
ed schooner was horn. instead OF shift
ing the TWO mastS forward aud raising
a third smaller mast aft. which would
have abolished the weakness they spread
them apart and placed mast between
them % length intermediate between :
the two. still keeping the largest sail aft. :
and the fashion having been thus estah- :
Iished has been adhered to. even in the !
sparring Of four. FIVE and six-masted I
lcSSelS. |
The immense traffic on the Great I
L.akes ami the more frequent aetion Of I
he law Of survival have in the century 1
how ending. forced the evolution OF the 1
primitive sailing craft through all the I
rarious compromises until il has iually I
odgcd in the steam vessel In the early I
,ar; Of lhe century there were full-riggcd 1
'hilS and hrigs on the lakes. with the I
original twe-nasJei schooner and large I
hoop. The last two. fitted to survive
n shallow waters. can still be seen. bur.
With lee shore all about them. the early
hip and brig disappeared leaving harks.
brisantines aud the small
schooner Of two masis. Then died the
'Srk. later the hrigantine, and from the I
'arkentine was evolved the three Inasted
chooaer with short mirzenmast, which
or time retained one featnre Of her
aren't rig. foreyani and hrailing Z
quSre sail. above which she carried
triangular sail called a raTee.
Then. until their final going down in
be competition with stesm. existed the
nest type Of large sailing craft ever de-
ignea-oak-built. clipper-bowed. three-
TASTED. ccnterhoard scheoners-with
hort lower masts, long sopmas;s, heavy
CONS and lisht CATS Their masis were (
roportioned like those Of 4 ship. retain