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Types Of Sailboats


There are a multitude of different types of sailing boats. Many different designs and shapes. What I am going to cover in this article is some of the various types of sailboats.

Of course we all know that a sailboat is a type of boat that uses the wind for it primary way to move across the water. Sailboats come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the craftsmanship.

There is the sloop. This is the most popular type of sailboat. It's also the most recognizable. It has two sails on its masts called the mainsail and the foresail. Next on the line there is the rig sloop. Again it has two sails but the sails do not run atop the mast. This works in its favor as it allows more tension to build up in the back stay.

Catboats are an interesting type of sailboat. They have one mast like the two sailboats above but it comes without a jib. The newer model catboats come with one sail, the older models usually have two sails.

Cutters are another popular type of sailboat and were used a lot in the 18th century navy. It has one mast and one mainsail which uses 2 head sails. Ketches are designed very similar to the sloop. They have two masts. The second mast is short and located aft. This second mast is probably the most well known, its called the mizzenmast.

The yawl is almost identical to the ketch, it also has a mizzenmast. A schooner is the final type of sailboat I am going to cover here. It has two or more masts. It's most recognizable due to the size of it's second mast.

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