Ketch

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Ketch

A ketch is a sailing

Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat....
craft

Craft

A craft is a skill, especially involving practical The Arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art.The terms is often used as part of a longer word ....
with two masts

Mast (sailing)

The mast of a sailing ship is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship....
: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft (rearward) of the main mast, but forward of the rudder. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft

Fore-and-aft rig

A fore-and-aft rig is a sailing Rigging consisting mainly of sails that are set along the line of the keel rather than perpendicular to it. Such sails are described as fore-and-aft rigged....
. From one to three jib

Jib

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Ketch'

Start a new discussion about 'Ketch'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

A ketch is a sailing

Sailing

Craft

A craft is a skill, especially involving practical The Arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art.The terms is often used as part of a longer word ....
with two masts

Mast (sailing)

Fore-and-aft rig

Jib

A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremost mast of a sailing boat. Its Tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow , or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast....
s may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward. If a ketch is not rigged for jibs it is called a cat ketch, sometimes called a periauger. On older, larger ketches the main mast may in addition carry one or more square rig

Square rig

Square rig is a generic type of Sail-plan in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or , to the keel of the vessel and to the masts....
ged topsail

Topsail

A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails....
s. A ketch may also carry extra sails

Extra (sailing)

In sailing, an extra is a sail that is not part of the working sail plan.The most common extra is the spinnaker. Other extras include studding sails, the modern spanker , and some staysails and topsails....
, see below.

The lowest fore-and-aft sail on the main mast is called the mainsail

Mainsail

A mainsail is the most important sail raised from the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast....
, while that on the mizzen is called the mizzen sail. These may be any type of fore-and-aft sail, in any combination. The Scots Zulu, for example, had a dipping lug main with a standing lug mizzen.

The ketch is popular among long distance cruisers as the additional sail allows for a better balance, and a smaller more easily handled mainsail for the same overall sail area. It also allows sailing on mizzen and jib only without introducing excessive lee helm, and in an emergency can be quite well steered without use of the rudder. The ketch is a popular rig in northern European waters where sudden increases in wind strength sometimes requires a rapid reefing: the mainsail can be dropped, reducing sail and leaving a balanced sail-plan with jib and mizzen set.

Running before the wind or reaching across the wind, a ketch may carry extra sails

Extra (sailing)

Spinnaker

A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a Points of sail#Reaching to a downwind, i.e....
on the main mast, and a spinnaker

Spinnaker

A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a Points of sail#Reaching to a downwind, i.e....
or (mizzen stay sail) on the mizzen mast.

Similar rigs

The ketch rig is often confused with a yawl

Yawl

A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or Cutter but with an additional Mizzenmast well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom....
. The difference is that the ketch has her mizzen mast forward of the rudder post or waterline

Waterline

The waterline is an imaginary line marking the level at which a ship or boat floats in the water. To an observer on the ship the water appears to rise or fall against the Hull ....
thus having more sail area, which contributes significant forward propulsion, whereas the mizzen on a yawl is aft of the rudder post and is used primarily to balance the sail plan (and as a riding sail while at anchor). This is often a matter of intent rather than a physical difference.

The ketch rig can be distinguished from the similar two masted schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing ship characterized by the use of fore-and-aft rig sails on two or more mast s. Schooners were first used by the Netherlands in the 16th or 17th century, and further developed in North America from the early 18th century onwards....
rig by the shorter aftermost mast on the ketch. A schooner has the shorter mast forward. In the case where both masts are approximately the same height, the rig with the larger sail forward is usually called a ketch, while the rig with the larger sail aft is a schooner.

Ketch

Similar rigs

See also