A TALL SHIPS LEXICON 



JLhe giants of the sailing world first 

 came to be called tall ships because their 

 lofty masts were built in sections. 'Tall 

 ships" has evolved into a collective term 

 for a variety of traditional sailing vessels, 

 including many of relatively modest 

 proportions. 



Types of tall ships are often 

 distinguished by their sail-plan — the 

 number and height of their masts, their 

 placement on deck and the shape of their 

 sails. Common terminology: 



MASTS 



o Main mast: the tallest, 

 o Foremast: between the main and 

 the bow. 



o Mizzenmast: between the main and 

 the stem. 



o The topmast, topgallant mast and royal 

 mast, in that order, are the upper 

 lengths of a mast that is composed 

 of three or more sections. 



SAILS 



o Fore-and-aft: triangular sails running 

 parallel with the centerline when flat. 



o Caff-rig: fore-and-aft sails, shaped like 

 a truncated triangle, with the upper 

 edge held up by a slender pole called a 



gaff, running at an angle to the mast, 

 o Staysail: triangular sail attached to a 

 stay, the ropes or wires that hold a mast 

 in place. 



o Schooner-rig: gaff-rigged lower sails with 



trapezoidal topsails, 

 o Square-rig: square sails supported by 



yardaims, perpendicular to the mast, 

 o Topsail: uppermost sail on a mast 



carrying more than one sail. 



TYPES OFTALL SHIPS 



Tall ships generally are classified by the 



placement of the dominant sails, although 



most vessels use a combination. 



o Barkentine orBarquentine: three or more 

 masts; fore mast square-rigged and the 

 others fore-and-aft. 



o Bark or Barque: three masts, the main 

 and fore mast square-rigged; the mizzen 

 fore-and-aft. 



o Brigantine: two masts, one square- 

 rigged, typically the fore mast. 



o Brig: two masts, both square-rigged. 



o Schooner: two or more masts; the fore 

 mast the same height or shorter than 

 the others. Gaff-rigged, schooner-rigged 

 or staysail-rigged. 



o Fully rigged ship: three or more masts, 

 all square-rigged. — J. P. 



Barkentine 



Bark 



Schooner 



Brigantine 



Fully rigged ship 



Coastwatch I Winter 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 19 



LEFT: Crew members on HMS Bounty 

 demonstrate the workaboard a sailing ship. 

 ABOVE Visitors will get a ehanee to walkdecks 

 of tall ships visiting North Carolina this summer. 



legend and lore with an enthusiastic following. 



Tourism that emphasizes culture, history 

 and heritage is growing in the state and nation. 

 The N.C. Department of Commerce recently 

 established a maritime heritage tourism 

 development officer position based in Carteret 

 County. Regional and local governments and 

 visitors bureaus also are establishing similar 

 posts. 



The trend parallels a rise in ecotourism, 

 says Jack Thigpen, North Carolina Sea Grant 

 extension director. Thigpen, who studies coastal 

 tourism, theorizes the renewed interest in 

 history is a counterbalance to today's fast- 

 paced, electronic-driven existence. 



"Connecting to history and nature has 

 become very important in our urban-based 

 population," he says. "It's an opportunity to see 

 and experience something 'real.' Our Internet- 

 and TV-based world does not provide that." 



LINKS: 



• Americas' Sail: www.americassail.com 



• N.C.Maritime Museum: 

 www.ncmaritimemuseum.com 



• Pepsi Americas' Sail 2006: 

 www.nctallships.com 



• Sinbad: www.pirate-privateer.com 



• Sinbad's Privateer's Commission: 

 www.pirate-privateer.com/commission.httnl 



• HMS Bounty: www.tallshipbounty.org 



