The 3-Masted Schooner Bertha Louise, of Fall River, Massachusetts, built by Kelly and Spear of Bath, Maine, 

 and launched March i, 1890. A typical New England 3-masted coasting schooner of the date, her register 

 dimensions were 1 15.2' x 28.3' x 8.7', 231.42 gross tons. (Smithsonian photo 448^2.) 



usual. If the packet run was long enough to warrant 

 sleeping quarters, the cabin was fitted for passengers, 

 the after trunk being usually given up to passengers 

 and the captain, and the crew being quartered for- 

 ward as usual. The hold was fitted for light cargo, 

 but some vessels had large hatches fitted with tem- 

 porary ramps to allow carrying carriages and wagons 

 in the hold as well as horses. Some of the packet 

 operators, particularly in eastern New England, had 

 arrangements with stage-coach lines that permitted 

 the transfer of mail, packaged goods, and passengers. 

 Coastal passages by the sailing packets were far more 

 comfortable and usually faster than by stage-coaches, 

 particularly if the trip were long. A number of 

 Chesapeake-Bay-built schooners were employed as 

 coastal packets after 1840 even in New England, 

 though New England builders were turning out very 

 fast packet schooners themselves. A distinct period 



existed, 1845-50, in which Maryland-built schooners 

 were introduced into New England, particularly at 

 Cape Cod and at Gloucester and one of the builder's 

 models in the Collection (p. 78) shows a vessel built 

 for the packet trade on this imported model. 



The brigantines used in the coasting trades during 

 the 19th century represent a most interesting class of 

 vessel. During much of the century vessels of this rig 

 were "jacks-of-all-trades," serving alternately as 

 coasters. West Indian traders, and as ocean freighters. 

 This rig had a very curious history. In the 17th cen- 

 tury it appears in its accepted form — a 2-masted vessel 

 square rigged on the foremast and fore-and-aft on the 

 main. At some time late in that century, or early in 

 the 18th century, the fashion arose for carrying a 

 square topsail on the main, and later square topgallant 

 sails were added to this mast so that, except for the 

 main course, the fore and main masts carried the 



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