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What is this sail called...

2K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Alden68 
#1 ·
On occasion I've seen ketch rigged boats with an inverted staysail between the masts. It looks to have the luff attached along a stay from the top of the main to the base of the mizzen and the clew sheeted to the top of the mizzen.

What's it called, and when would it be used?
 
#9 ·
XTR said:
On occasion I've seen ketch rigged boats with an inverted staysail between the masts. It looks to have the luff attached along a stay from the top of the main to the base of the mizzen and the clew sheeted to the top of the mizzen.

What's it called, and when would it be used?
Except for the word "inverted", I would have said "mizzen staysail", a reaching sail used to increase total area in the trades.
(the blue and white low triangular one)

But when you said "inverted", I thought of a fisherman, which I can't seem to find via Google but which I recall is a sort of inverted triangle that resembles a gaff-rig main topsail on a Marconi-rigged ketch, if that makes any sense.
 
#13 ·
The 'Fisherman' on a schooner is a squaresail, though not quite square, it has four sides. I have a schooner. I have to think the guys saying 'Main Staysail' sound most probably right. These sails are now most popular on the huge three and four-masted cruise ships with Bermudian mains and all computer controlled hydraulic furling systems. They are rigged from each masthead to a spot just above the boom gooseneck on the forward side of the next mast back. I don't know how well they work, but since you seldom see one on a world class racing ketch (I've only see a few of those pricy giants) I have to assume they are not the first choice for speed.
 
#15 ·
ianhlnd said:
valiente, that's a mizzen staysail.

The fisherman seems to be what it is, looks like this:

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. The OP's use of the term "inverted" threw me, as I know what a mizzen staysail is (a damned useful sail in the right conditions), but in no sense do I consider it "inverted".
 
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