Sailboats are designed primarily for
wind power, although many have auxiliary
engines. They come in a variety of sizes
and styles. They range from small daysailers
to large cruising sailboats with inboard
engines and very comfortable accommodations.
The following photos illustrate types
of sailboats.
Section 1: Getting Started 17
Figure 1- 41. Catboats are beamy and carry a single sail on a single
mast. The mast is placed near the bow in the boat. Catboats were
used over a century ago as working fishing boats, and are popular
today as a very stable, traditional-style boat.
Figure 1-42. The sloop is the most popular type
of sailboat. Sloops typically are rigged with one
mast and two sails: the mainsail and the headsail.
Their masts are placed farther aft than in
the catboat but forward of center. These boats
are relatively fast, point very well toward the
wind (sail close to the oncoming wind), and
are relatively easy to handle.
Figure 1-43. Ketch
Figure 1-44. Ketches (Figure 1-43) and yawls (above) have two
masts—a mainmast and a mizzenmast. The second mast is a
shorter mast aft of the mainmast. The mizzenmast on a ketch is
about two-thirds the height of the mainmast and located forward
of the rudder post. The mizzenmast on a yawl (shown above) is
approximately one-half the height of the mainmast and is located
aft of the rudder post. Ketches and yawls make sail handling easier
than on a sloop because the sails tend to be smaller.
107