How To Tell The Difference Between A Ketch And A Schooner

A Definitive Guide

Sloops and cutters.


Let’s start off with the basics. Most sailing vessels have only one mast and would be classed as sloops or cutters. A sloop has one headsail, a cutter has two or more. Sloops and cutters can be either gaff rigged like the drawing here or bermudan rigged like most yachts. The majority of  yachts today will be bermudan sloops.

Where’s the mizzen mast?
In most cases it’s the after-most mast. A ketch or yawl has a main mast and a mizzen mast but on a two masted schooner or square rigger such as a brig or brigantine the masts are called the fore mast and main mast.
On three masted square riggers and schooners the mizzen is the after-most mast. More than three masts? Lets not go there just now…

Line drawing of a sloop

Ketches and Yawls

A ketch has two masts with the mizzen mast stepped before the rudder head. If the mast is stepped aft of the rudder head the boat becomes technically a yawl not a ketch.
Yawl rig tends to be used on smaller boats, ketch rig is often used on larger vessels, notably the Brixham trawlers and trading ketches of the last century.
The mizzen sail in a ketch is a driving sail, in a yawl it is more of a balancing sail. The mizzen sail is always is smaller, often much smaller than the mainsail. If it was the same size or larger the boat would be a schooner.

Line drawing of a ketch

Schooners

Schooners have two or more masts.
The defining thing for a schooner is that the after masts must be the same height or greater than the foremast.
Two masted schooners are simply called schooners, schooners with more than two masts are called by the number of masts they have unless that is they are a topsail schooner. The American seven masted schooner, the Thomas Lawson had more masts than any other schooner but was the only one of its kind.

When Does A Schooner Become A Topsail Schooner?
Any time a schooner has a square topsail it becomes a topsail schooner. They were once common in the UK and were just called schooners, a schooner without square topsails was called a fore and aft schooner. In America the situation was reversed and  the standard schooner did not carry square topsails.

Line drawing of a schooner

Sprit Rig

Sprit rig is usually reserved for dinghies but is also used on the Thames barges.
The sprit is the spar that runs diagonally across the largest sail. This rig is not ideal in a big seaway because the sprit cannot be lowered and could become an unmanageable weight aloft. In coastal waters it is an extremely handy rig, the topsail can catch a high up breeze above river banks and the mainsail can be quickly brailed up to the sprit if bit of a breeze gets up (it’s like drawing a large curtain)
If you want to know more about its use in dinghies there is an article on our web site.

Line drawing of a Thames Barge

More ‘Learn To Sail A Schooner’ Articles

Learn To Sail Article No 1, Sailing Off Anchor Image 2SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.1

Sail off anchor, wind & tide together.
Learning To Sail A Schooner, Anchoring Under Sail On The Run image 4SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.2

Anchoring under sail on the run.
Learn To Sail A Schooner, Docking And Undocking Using A Spring image No.3

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.3

Dock & undock using springs
Learn To Sail A Schooner No.4 Sailing Off A Quay Image 1SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.4

Sailing off a quay, wind ahead.
Learn To Sail A Schooner No 5 , Sailing Off A Quay With The Wind Aft image 3SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.5

Sailing off a quay, wind aft.
Learn To Sail A Schooner No.6, Short Turning Away From A Quay, Image 2SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.6

Short turning off a quay
Learn To Sail A Schooner No.7 Tacking Image 1SchoonerSail Limited

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.7

Tacking a 3 masted schooner.
Learn To Sail A Schooner No.8 Sailing Into Harbour

Learn To Sail A Schooner No.8

Sailing into harbour.
Line drawing of a ketch

The Difference Between A Ketch And A Schooner

Enough Sitting On Your Computer Reading About Sailing?

Go Sailing On A Schooner For Real
Voyages In Date Order

Uk Sailing weekends on the schooner TrinovanteSchoonerSail

UK Sailing Weekends

Fri 5th to Mon 8th May 2023
3 nights £495
A UK sailing weekend to get out on the water in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
View of waves sailing offshore to Norway.SchoonerSail

Harwich To Kirkwall, Orkney

Sat 13th May to Sat 27th May 2023
14 nights £2160
2 Spaces Only
A voyage to Orkney lasting several days with time to sail and explore ashore on arrival.
Sailing In Orkney, a small traditional sailing boat at anchor, harbour view near Stromness.SchoonerSail Limited

Sailing In Orkney

Fri 2nd June to Fri 9th June 2023
7 Nights £1295
1 space only High summer sailing and exploring in the islands of Orkney
Puffins on Fair IsleSchoonerSail

Orkney to Shetland & Shetland to Orkney

Thurs 15th July to Thurs 22nd July FULL
Or
Mon 24th to Mon 31st July 2023 £1295
2 Spaces Only, 7 Nights
A voyage from Shetland to Orkney or Orkney to Shetland Via Fair Isle
Walking ashore on a sailing holiday in Shetland

Sailing In Shetland

Wed 28th June to Wed 5th July 2023 £1295
2 spaces only, or
Tues 11th July to Tues 18th July 2023 £1295
7 Nights
A sailing holiday in Shetland with time to explore ashore.
The Schooner Trinovante enters Whitby Harbour on a UK Sailing Holiday. Copyright Alan Green.

Kirkwall, Orkney To Whitby

Sat 5th Aug To Sat 13th Aug 2023
8 Nights £1350
Sail south along the Scottish coast to Whitby.
View through a port hole of the sea - taken on a UK Sailing Holiday.SchoonerSail Limited

Whitby To Harwich

Sat 19th Aug to Fri 25th Aug 2023
6 Nights £960
Set sail on the old collier route. Offshore and Coastal Sailing
Southen Pier at sunset with rigging blocks in the foregroundSchoonerSail

Ipswich To London

Thurs 31st Aug To Mon 4th Sept 2023
4 Nights £720
Sail on the East Coast rivers and up to the centre of London.
The schooner Trinovante sailing off Felixstowe

London to Harwich

Fri 8th Sept To Tues 12th Sept 2023
4 Nights FULL
Sail from the centre of London to the historic port of Harwich.