This week, Dan of San Diego asked, "I'm new to sailboats and I would like to know the difference between a sloop and a ketch?"
The quick and simple answer is the number of masts. A sloop has one, while a ketch has two. But since I'm not one for quick and simple answers, here are a few more details that'll give you the knowledge to fit in at your local yacht club, or blend with the old salts down at the marina.
The most common type of sailboat is the sloop. It has one mast and two sails; the forward sail is the jib, and the aft sail is called the main. Typically, the mast is forward of the midship point. A similar boat is the cutter, which has a single mast with three sails. This mast is usually closer to the midship point. It has a main just like a sloop, but in front of the mast it has two sails. You can call both of them jibs, but the forward-most one is the yankee, and the second one is called the staysail.
The Catboat is also a one-mast boat. This is a small, one-sail sailboat, with the mast towards the front. It's found on lakes all over the United States and is one of the more common boats people learn to sail on. Sunfish is a good example of a brand that offers this type of sailboat.
When it comes to one- or two-mast boats, the ketch and yawl are most common. Both of these boats have a tall mast forward and a short mast aft. The rear mast is called the mizzen, and the sail it flies is cleverly dubbed the mizzen sail. They both fly a main sail and a jib on the forward mast. (Think of a sloop with an extra mast and sail at the back of the boat.)
Now comes a topic of debate among seasoned sailors everywhere: What's the difference between a ketch and a yawl? Well, the quick and simple answer has to do with the location of the mizzenmast and the rudderpost. Traditionally, if the mizzenmast is in front of the rudderpost, then it's called a ketch; if it's behind the rudderpost, then it's a yawl. Unless you're familiar with sailboats, it's difficult to look at a two-mast boat from a distance and tell whether it's a ketch or yawl.
The last category of sailboats is the schooner. Schooners are boats with two or more masts, with the one in the middle being the tallest. Beyond that, a schooner can have shorter masts in the front and back of the main mast. Just think Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Some schooners have up to seven masts. Visit a tall-ships festival at one of our historic ports, and you'll see lots of schooners.
You can never learn too much about sailboats! The sailing community takes great pride in the knowledge of their boats, and knowing basic sailing terminology will go a long way when chatting it up with sailors. For additional sailing terminology, check out DiscoverBoating.com.
The Boating Guy answers all kind of questions. To give it a try, visit DiscoverBoating.com. You'll receive an answer in a day or two, and who knows – your question and answer may just end up in this blog!
