Is a gulet right for you? To what? you may be asking GOLETA? One of those old ships?

Despite the fact that the schooner is the only sailing ship designed and built in the United States, most people are woefully ignorant of her attributes and vital contribution to American history. Despite the popularity of ketches and yolas, most people never consider a two-masted schooner as an option when selecting a boat. And there are as many kinds of schooners as there are, well… kinds of apples.

The schooner was originally used for smuggling, that might be an attractive feature to some! Built for the smuggling of goods from the West Indies, the schooner was designed to be fast to elude British gunboats, small enough to enter hidden coves that large British ships could not enter, and manageable by very few men. .

The two original masters were called the “Virginia Model”. According to Neale Haley in The Schooner Era, “The bow and stern rigging made it easy to sail close to the wind. The draft was shallow so the men could avoid shoals and mudflats in out-of-the-way places. where they unloaded” (p.28) It didn’t take long for the British to recognize the great sailing qualities of the American schooner and bought many, including the notorious Halifax, famous for “…the devastation she brought to her native nation” during the Revolutionary War (p. 28 ).

Schooners soon became the workhorse of the country, carrying coal, wood, rocks, and even lime. More masts were added, until finally the seven-masted Thomas W. Lawson appeared. Although the ship’s hull was deep enough for the cargo, the draft of it was so great that there were only a few ports accessible to the ship.

Schooners rounded the rocky shoreline of the East Coast from the time of the Civil War until the 1920s. These “…were some of the best years for sailing. They were the last years a wind ship could open way at sea. Those are the years America should look back on proudly” (p. 19). Eventually, steam-powered ships took control of the country’s maritime trade, but during its heyday, “The schooner forged a heritage for a nation, kept the tradition of the sea alive” (p. 15).

So what are the advantages of a schooner rig? There are several according to Philip C. Bolger in 100 Small Rigs. First of all, the largest sail is at the stern, where it can be hoisted first and lowered last. Due to the design of the sail, it can be left up while at anchor, even in moderate weather, and does not cause the boat to want to take off. Then, because the sails get smaller the further you go, they are aerodynamically perfect. If the sails are positioned and notched correctly, each sail holds its shape and allows air to flow smoothly from one sail to the next. And because the sails are generally smaller than those of other rigs of comparable size, they are easier to handle.

The sail combinations on a schooner are numerous and the needs of every weather condition can be easily met. In bad weather the rig can be trimmed and balanced well, causing absolutely no stress on the hull. And the bottom line is that sailing schooners just look good.

As for equipment, there are a multitude of options. Bolger lists many, including the Baldheaded rig crab; Crab rig with main topsail and fisherman’s staysail; Jib mainsail with crab foresail and single jib with mallet; Jib bow with headsail without boom; and yola of schooner Leg-o-mutton. The Marconi rig and crab rig are often used together as well, with the Marconi sail being the main aft sail.

While schooners will not compete with ultralight racing yachts today, the 86-foot schooner Lurline has won the Transpac three times, and the 120-foot Mariner held the Transpac record for 26 years, the longest it has been held. .

Actively serving in four wars (Civil War, War of 1812, Spanish-American War, and World War I), the schooner is a true American veteran. However, as Haley sadly notes, “The schooner made more voyages, carried more cargoes, was used for more kinds of work, sailed for more years than any other ship in America, and the schooner is the ship America forgets” ( p.15).

Once owned, the schooner is truly beloved. It has an elegant and striking appeal, and is often the center of attention in ports. Traditionally, the schooner is robust and resilient, cruising the American coastline and the world’s seas with confidence and character. The schooner, simply put, is an American heritage. If you are adventurous, daring and daring, perhaps with a touch of nostalgia, then a schooner might be right for you!