Ketch
A ketch is a two-masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast),[1] generally in a 40-foot or bigger boat.[2] The name ketch is derived from catch.[3] The ketch's main mast is usually stepped in the same position as in a sloop.[4]
The sail-plan of a ketch is similar to that of a yawl, on which the mizzen mast is smaller and set further back. The addition of headsails can make a cutter-ketch.[2] In New England in the 1600s the ketch was a small coastal craft. In the 1700s it disappeared from contemporary records, apparently replaced by the schooner.[5]
A ketch rig has an advantage over a sloop downwind and in heavy winds where it has greater variety of setups,[2] but is less efficient than a sloop upwind.[6] Staysails can also be hoisted between the top of the mizzen mast and base of the main mast to help downwind performance,[7] and in heavy winds the mainsail can be dropped altogether leaving the boat stable under foresail and mizzen alone. Dropping the mainsail and operating under mizzen and foresail or even mizzen alone, leaves the central area of the boat free for working without intrusion of the mainsail boom.
References
- ^ "Definition of KETCH". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Pat (27 July 2015). "What's in a Rig? The Ketch". American Sailing Association. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "the definition of ketch". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ Jordan, Richard (13 January 2011). "Sailboat Rig Types: Sloop, Cutter, Ketch, Yawl, Schooner, Cat". Jordan Yacht Brokerage. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "Ship Model, Ketch". National Museum of American History. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "Different Types of Sailboat Rigs: Bermuda (Sloop), Ketch, Cutter, and Gaff". SkyAboveUs. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ Nicholson, Darrell. "A One-sided Defense of the Cruising Ketch - Inside Practical Sailor Blog Article". Practical Sailor. Retrieved 13 June 2019.