Sailing ship

Tarangini, the only sail ship currently in-service with the Indian Navy.

Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large sailing vessels and when steam power came along the adjective became necessary. Large sailing vessels which are not ship rigged may be more appropriately called boats.

Specifications[]

File:USS Constitution 1997.jpg

USS Constitution under sail in Massachusetts Bay, 21 July 1997

For a history of ship construction, see shipbuilding.

There are many different types of sailing ship, but they all have certain basic things in common. Every sailing ship has a hull, rigging and at least one mast to hold up the sails that use the wind to power the ship. The crew who sail a ship are called sailors or hands. They take turns to take the watch, the active managers of the ship and her performance for a period. Watches are traditionally four hours long. Some sailing ships use traditional ship's bells to tell the time and regulate the watch system, with the bell being rung once for every half hour into the watch and rung eight times at watch end (a four-hour watch).

Ocean journeys by sailing ship can take many months, and a common hazard is becoming becalmed because of lack of wind, or being blown off course by severe storms or winds that do not allow progress in the desired direction. A severe storm could lead to shipwreck, and the loss of all hands.

Sailing ships can only carry a certain quantity of supplies in their hold, so they have to plan long voyages carefully to include many stops to take on provisions and, in the days before watermakers, fresh water.

Types of sailing ships[]

Template:See There are many types of sailing ships, mostly distinguished by their rigging, hull, keel, or number and configuration of masts. There are also many types of smaller sailboats not listed here.^[1] The following is a list of vessel types, many of which have changed in meaning over time:

File:Sailship1900-1920.jpg

A sailing ship tied to shore, circa 1900-1920

barque, or bark - at least three masts, fore-and-aft rigged mizzen mast
barquentine
bilander
brig - two masts square rigged
brigantine - two masts
caravel
carrack
clipper
cog - plank built, one mast, square rigged
corvette
cutter
dhow
dinghy - open, usually one mast
frigate
fishing smack
fluyt
full-rigged ship - three or more masts, all of them square rigged
galleon
hermaphrodite brig

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junk
ketch - two masts, the mizzen mast forward of the rudder post
Koch (boat)
longship
lugger
luzzu
pram
schooner - fore-and-aft rigged sails, with two or more masts, the aftermost mast taller or equal to the height of the forward mast(s)
ship of the line - large warship, three masts (sometimes four) and a bowsprit
sloop
snow - two masts with a separate trysail mast
tjotter
xebec
yawl - two masts, the mizzen mast aft of the rudder post
catamaran
trimaran
waʻa kaulua