Portuguese Schooners

The Portuguese three and four-masted fishing schooners were sailing commercially up until the 1970s. Each year they made voyages across the Atlantic to the Grand Banks cod fishing grounds off Newfoundland.
The fishermans staysail was a feature of these schooners and is a big powerful sail.  It is set flying and does not require working aloft. Trinovante had a fisherman made for her in 2005. The basic shape was taken from photos of the Portuguese schooner Creoula and it has been a great success. In the right conditions, it can add up to an extra knot on Trinovante’s speed.

Here is a link to a 15 min film of the Portuguese schooner Santa Maria Manuela Fishing Off Newfoundland In The 1950s . Made by the Canadian Film Board in the last few years these ships were still working, it is well worth watching.

Smallest Three Masted Gaff Schooner?

The smallest three-masted gaff schooner we have come across is the North American Schooner ‘Souvenir’. Built in 1903 this schooner was only 61 feet long, Basil Greenhill mentions her in his book ‘Schooners’ and notes that she was ‘reported to have been a lovely vessel to handle’.

Schooner Books

If you fancy reading more about schooners check out our Schooner Books page.

We took some nice photos of European schooners in the Baltic Tall Ships Race recently. You can find them in our Tall Ships Gallery