Why Two MASTS? [Ketches vs Yawls] | Sailing Wisdom

[@kiwifirey7347]

The only thing wrong with this explanation is that we weren't sitting in a bay having this great conversation over a beer... Fascinating. Cheers.

[@jacquesleblanc6608]

I remember my drunk asf dad give me the exact same tirade under the Golden Gate Bridge when a regatta of ketches yawls and schooners came by. He gave me the exact same definition of each regarding the rudder post and misons. Spoken like a true sailor great video

[@GTU969]

To add... a couple of other advantages with the yawl rig... It will self steer at most reaching points of sail. Takes a little practice but if you get the boat balanced well you can lock the wheel and the mizzen will self steer the boat very reliably at a set angle to the wind. Does not consume your battery power like your autopilot does. In heavy winds with the mizzen and a very small amount of jib rolled out (roller furler) you can sail very comfortably and safely to windward in 30+ knots of breeze with little stress on the rig. Off the wind in heavy wind it is easy to reach hull speed with the mizzen and a little handkerchief of a jib rolled out. Very comfortable, safe, and easier on the rig. It is a very versatile rig. Offers lots of options for different conditions.

[@daddymuggle]

Do you feel a yawl does those things better than a ketch? And if so, is it because of mizzen size or placement? Or a combination of the two?

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

Dad claimed that the mizzen could power to the dock comfortably iifc

[@javiercorreapr9977]

excelente explicacion !

[@williamreymond2669]

All kidding aside, there are two significant reasons why a cruising sailor might wish to consider a yawl rig particularly or a ketch generally. The proper way to think of the mizzen sail on a yawl is as a 'balancing sail,' a sail that allows you to balance the trim of the boat at minimal expense of windage. Even though the mizzen on a yawl is very small, typically about 15% of sail area, because it is placed so far aft it has a great deal of mechanical advantage. Thus under any heading other than to windward the mizzen keeps the helm balanced so that you don't need much helm input to stay on course, very advantageous over long voyages. For a cruising sailor this can be a significant advantage because allows you to install a smaller and less expensive auto-pilot, and generally saves wear and tear on your self-steering gear especially if you are using a servo-pendulum type of self-steering gear. Also, like a cutter rig, running 'jig and jigger' [foresail and mizzen only] keeps the center-of-effort of the rig low to the deck and centered near the center-of-lateral-resistance of the hull. Jony Pearce puts it like this, "Much as we enjoy the prettiness and practical aspects of our ketch, the ability to sail ‘jib and jigger’ outweighs all other benefits. For those lazy days when we can’t be bothered with the mainsail or when the wind is higher than for comfort we love to sail with just a foresail and mizzen sail. It does away with the big heavy flappy mainsail attached to a heavy boom crashing from side to side and leaves us with a beautifully balanced sail plan that we can easily control without leaving the cockpit..." For free I'll also mention that the mizzen mast can also serve as a more convenient alternative to the mainmast for mounting things like: radar, antennas, and wind generators, and can serve as an handy crane for your dinghy.

[@cybereye2]

I own an F &C 44 ketch. It's a very useful sailing layout because I often drop the main if the wind gets up and the boat will self steer if set up and trimmed properly withe wind on or fwd of the beam.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Ketches are amazingly resilient sail plans.

[@alexwild4350]

There is always one isn't there... So here I am ;) I have a Macwester Wight, just 27 feet long. I'm told its a Ketch. But when I check the Mizzen mast, its way aft of the rudder post. So its properly a Yawl. Thanks for the definitive note that if it has the Tri-attic rigging, then it most certainly is a Ketch. I've checked and I do indeed have the Tri-attic steel rigging between both mast heads. So it definitely is a Ketch. Another 'give away' between the Yawl and Ketch is that a Yawl rig is completely independent of the main mast rigging. If it were a Ketch the back stay would be the Tri-attic stay and then down the back stays of the Mizzen. So I've checked and both masts have their own back stays - not one each, but one pair each !. So its definitely a Yawl. I rush off to find the nearest brick wall and bang my head several times against it. There, that feels better now. I think its a Yawl, All the literature on the Internet says its a Ketch rig, Oh I must add that your commentary on the necessity of 'clean air' for Cutter rigs misses the point. I'd always thought the Cutter rig was better to windward than one Jib or Genoa. The reason is the Slot Effect between the two sails, as indeed the Slot Effect is important between the Jib and Main Sail. Therefore the Cutter rig has two Slot Effect area's, that between the two fore sails, and the second between the rear most Jib and the Main Sail. The Slot further accelerates the air between the sails thus improving the low pressure side [if I remember right] of the main sail.

[@akathesquid5794]

Y'all did a good job 'splaining the Yawl sorry, someone had to do it...

[@danajohnson3799]

I've been Mizzen these videos. Ketch ya latter.

[@tomharrell1954]

Dana Johnson ha ha ha ha ha

[@tomharrell1954]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@randystrand908]

@@danajohnson3799 Nice... :)

[@edspetka5694]

Took me til about 2:18 to notice the bird. Completely caught me by surprise! Great info thanks for the video! 🤣

[@paulhayes8218]

I have a 1981 Pacific Seacraft 37 Yawl. I look forward to trying the racing sail setup you described and which I have never seen. I agree with your points about the use and value of the mizzen sail and would add the following: - Mizzen sail does actively power boat when sailing single handed with only the foresail and mizzen sail, and both are easy to handle - Mizzen mast is a great place to hang electronics, etc - When standing and active at the wheel in active waterways like NYC, the mizzen mast is nice to lean back into especially if padded - Mizzen sail expands the ability to confidently sail into a tight slip or mooring without an engine

[@RiggingDoctor]

Very cool insight on the mizzen! Your boat is timeless and beautiful :)

[@cvanscho]

This might have been mentioned already, but an important feature of a yawl mizzen sail is that it not only keeps a boat head to wind at anchor, but also when no anchor is deployed. One can heave to with just the mizzen set, and there will just be a small drift straight downwind. Very useful for the old fishermen to do their thing with nets and catches (in fact, I always thought that was why mizzens were "invented" in the first place?). A further use is you can actually use the drift and reverse a sailboat under mizzen only. Steering is quite effective on the rudder in that mode, just that it's reversed (port = starboard and vice versa)..

[@RiggingDoctor]

Very cool historical info. Everything on a boat serves a purpose, just sometimes the purpose is glossed over by blue blazers with gold buttons.

[@darnelljohnson5313]

I to love schooner's Because it's a schooner. I learned the difference between ketches and yawls from old sail magazines and books. Your the first person I've HEARD explain the difference. Thanx

[@RiggingDoctor]

+Darnell Johnson 👍

[@isaiah30v8]

Checkout this video of a 266ft Schooner being launched last week. I would like to see it when under sail.. . kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4WchKyVq5h9epY . .

[@edwardfinn4141]

Re Schooners , the famous Schooner Bluenose out of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Capt. Angus Walters was part owner and Captain. He said “ a schooner was the most beautiful thing ever invented by man that has a utilitarian purpose!”

[@willweaver5024]

Thanks for an excellent piece on Ketches and Yawls. Yawls are beautiful. I sailed a ketch rigged Nautical Development 56 from Connecticut to St Lucia many years ago. We got caught in a gale northeast of Bermuda and had to heave to. We backed a reefed foresail using the roller furling (it looked like the hood on a sweatshirt when we rolled it back out!) and flew a reefed mizzen to keep her stabilized just off the wind, just the way you described for stable anchoring in a yawl. The mizzen ripped at one point. It was much easier to bring everything back under control with the mizzen boom over the deck then it would have been with a yawl. We also flew a mizzen staysail on that trip. Wow!

[@RiggingDoctor]

That was a very educational trip! You got to do a bit of everything 😎

[@edwardfinn4141]

The classic yawl sail, regardless of its name, does contribute to boat speed a little, and mostly because it takes the strain off of the rudder, and allows the rudder to not be cutting such a wide path thru the water, thus reducing the underwater resistance of the rudder... So it reduces ‘weather helm’ .... And I have often considered fitting/ using the entire mast boom and sail from a “laser” dingy as a yawl mast and sail......

[@foggypatchfarm6048]

That's really neat! I'm totally new to sailing, and just sailed my buddy's small Ketch last weekend. The rudder pressed on me fairly hard at times.

[@gerrys6265]

That is strange...my ketch's mizzen increases weather helm if anything because it pushes the back of the boat downwind more.

[@luisadriandelgado5343]

Good job clearly explaining the differences... 2 thumbs up...

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks!

[@HansQuistorff]

Very interesting; The boat I grew up with had a mast aft of the rudder post. so maybe it was a yawl instead of a ketch. It did have a boom at the stern but we did not have a name for it. It was designed to be a single handed around the world sailor. It was made of Pacific Coast gray fir in the 1930's. The deck was less that 2 feet above the waterline so there wer splash boards continuing back from the cabin to aft of the cockpit. My father the carpenter altered it later for a day sailor by removing the splash boards and doubling the size of the cockpit. A great innovation was available at that time, plastic plumbing, so he replaced the 1/2 inch copper cockpit drains with sink drains. P. S. The deck and cabin roof were painted canvas.

[@jackrabbit5047]

On small boats like Drascombe Luggers the mizzen actually helps balance the boat and does contribute to drive in strong breezes when you are just under jib and mizzen - adds a lot of versatility for reducing sail when reefing the main isn't enough. I imagine the same might apply to some larger boats?

[@bryanmarch4185]

My 31 ft ketch has both a triatic stay and another backstay on the main in case we lose the mizzen. There is a single line that comes from the top of the main, then about a 1/3 of the way down splits and goes down to chainplates on either side of the cockpit. Also the stays on the mizzen are far enough forward it will freestand without the triatic. The triatic actually controls mizzen rake more than anything.

[@captjohn5298]

Check out the Gulfstar 50' Ketch, I have one and there is no Triadic. I thought your explanations were great. I enjoyed the video and thought it pretty darn educational.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Good to know! It’s not a hard rule, but it helps out most of the time :)

[@alistairrobinson7450]

I've got a gaff ketch, no triatic as the gaff would run foul of it. Best thing about the mizzen, is it's a pole to hang the mizzen staysail on. What a sail that is, pulls like nothing else. Will out perform the main sail. Enjoyable watch, thank you.

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s really awesome! Ketch rigs really are the most versatile setups.

[@bobcornwell403]

The definition Phil Bolger had for a yawl is that it has a mizzen that is intended for control reasons rather than propulsion ones. With my habit of trying to design mini ocean voyagers, I usually end up with a yawl. This is because I don't want a mast intruding into the cramped living area, which is in the middle of the boat, so I need some sort of mizzen to get decent balance. A large mizzen, such as for a ketch, would intrude into the aft end of the living space. So the yawl rig is chosen by default.

[@sailingspark9748]

Many designers use that definition. John Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft, wrote an article on it in Small Craft Advisor where he too went with propulsion vs position. The problem I have with using mizzen position is that by that strict definition, any boat with a transom mounted rudder can never be a yawl.

[@bobcornwell403]

@sailingspark9748 I agree completely. The mizzen on my Lola design is to be of very heavy cloth and is to be both flat cut and flat setting, even though it is big enough to classify my rig as a ketch rather than a yawl. The main purpose of this sail (despite its relatively large size) is balance rather than propulsion.

[@rex8255]

Y'all enlightened me on yawls!

[@Thenewkidsonthedock]

Loved this video, got all the information I needed. Clear, engaging and enjoyable! Cheers mate

[@karelundberg9523]

It was really fun to hear your description of schooner vs yawl. Here in Scandinavia there used to be schooners with two or three equally high masts. These were called eleven or one hundred and eleven schooners. These boats were gaff-rigged and somewhat jokingly called lean or oblique sailers because these boats leaned into the wind, where larger full-rigged ones sailed proudly upright in the wind.

[@RiggingDoctor]

I love the description of 11 or 111 schooners!

[@sd3693]

The reason why we have a ketch is because there are no production schooners in sizes between the Lazy Jack 32 and around 58 feet or so. I commissioned a custom schooner design from a noted designer, but he passed away before finishing the commission. (And if I ever do wind up with another schooner -- we had a small one that I built for some years -- I solemnly swear never to complain about her upwind performance. :-) )

[@victoriafullerton1214]

perfect video for getting right to the topic with nice attractive relevant setting.

[@060388gm]

Nice series on sail plans of boats. But as for identifying a ketch over a yawl, the fiji ketch in 40 to 50 ft range have no triatic as do most Alden designed ketches. And that is just off the top of my head. I know there are a lot more

[@journeymanadventure]

I have an old ketch and I think it's the bees knees. With Miz, main, stay, job and reefing I have seven gears to choose from which means plenty of opportunity to tweek. On most points Journeyman will steer herself. My masts are heavily raked which is fun going aloft but to go up wind I was go fore and aft as this worked better than main and jib as the main is forward of where it probably would be if it was a sloop so fore and aft gives me clean air on both jib and Miz and I can point to within 5deg but not at speed but in a blow I can't point high and in control. Fore and aft are also very good with light airs because of the clean air. Bean to aft quarter is all up. The heavy rake helps here as it will spill air when hit with gusts but the brown side is she want to round up so I can loose a lot of speed with the rudder trying to act as a trim tab as I hold course. Down wind is jib and stay which slightly lifts the bow when running. Ketches were a thing because back in the day masts were timber and they could only handle so much canvass so an extra stick means shorter masts but still good sail area which made for a better sea and foul weather boat "and no winches. Journeyman has a triatic to hold the mizzen up because there is no room for a jib stay because of the boom on the main and running stays to hold it back but my main still has a backstay, and running stays so lots of strings and things.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Journeyman is a gorgeous ketch! I love the tanbark sails 😎

[@Kingfiish]

Thanks. I'm researching what I want to get and was interested in a Ketch. This helped me understand what it entails exactly.

[@klausjensen9150]

Awesome guys ..... you have just made my explanation to the mrs. easier now that she has accepted sailing as part of our life . Keep up the good work fair winds always .

[@DavidPaulNewtonScott]

Schooners are beautiful one day soon I am building a 50 foot wooden schooner two dipping lug sails. If you break up your sails you can have a bigger boat and unstayed masts. I like skipjack masts the first Americas cup boat America was a schooner by the way and gorgeous. A boat with both mast the same height also qualifies as a schooner. Take a look at Micheal Kasten's design Redpath, nice boat.

[@emilybh6255]

Agreed. Yawls like the one you showed are gorgeous looking. You are very young to have such good taste in boats. It would be interesting to see a video on what the stereo-typical well designed pretty boats look like vs just functional (ugly/modern)production boats. I think there are so many newbies to sailing, they have no idea what to look for.

[@joemamaurmama]

Well done. I've been sailing for a while now. When I think of a fast ketch, I think of Sir Peter on his amazing SteinLager2. Extremely fast and versatile. Although it didn't have the triatic stay, they knew how to pile on the sail area. When I think yawl, I think of my US Navy days when I got to sail on a Luder's 44' yawl. Splendid video. Thanks.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Those Luders are gorgeous!

[@markwentland3147]

Thx for doing these Herb !! they have illuminated the grey areas for me for sure , I am a big fan of double enders

[@mikepeck9321]

Best explanation I've seen yet. Great job!

[@mikepowell2776]

Just discovered this brilliant channel! Really good to see correct definitions of rigs with enjoyable and clear explanations. I’ve been sailing on and off for over half a century but have only sailed a yawl (not on my own) a couple of times. We tried steering with the mizzen. Disaster! Might have been easier if the rudder had actually fallen off. Incidentally, I was told that yawl rig was developed in certain types of fishing craft, principally drifters, as it provided a steadying force whilst the mast was out of the way of the working area.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks you, and thanks for historical info as well

[@StemtoSternSailing]

Thanks it yawl make sense now, ketche you next time..... Just couldn't help myself. Great video,,,

[@jwebster5840]

One of the best channels on KZbin! Thanks for all you do! 😎👌

[@RiggingDoctor]

Wow, thanks! 😊

[@RagtimeBillyPeaches]

I've been sailing for 62 years, and it's always been 'boomkin'. Ketch Yawl later.

[@mountainmandale1587]

I've only got 59 years experience. Let's play together sometime. What do you say?

[@petermurphy5138]

Yawl mizzen is also good for 'mounting a radar' :-)

[@ant2011]

Wow, you really lived up to your name with this video!

[@TheVillainOfTheYear]

Do they ever make yawl mizzens thay go all the way down to yhe rudder skeg? Would such a design be helpful in the age of orcas attacking rudders?

[@captainandthelady]

One explanation for a yawl mizzen was to counter balance a large genoa. Your explanation makes a lot of sense though.

[@wisenber]

The Core Sounds are cat-ketches with no stays and no jib. They're self tacking only requiring the helm to be pulled. Beautiful modern implementation of a classic East Coast style working boat, and fast too.

[@RiggingDoctor]

I’ll have to check them out!

[@wisenber]

@@RiggingDoctor They Bandy Yachts from North Carolina designed the Core Sound 15, 17 and 20. Wonderful shallow drafting boats. Even their 20 has oar stations. They're somewhat of a coastal expedition boat.

[@usspaul9422]

U r an informative & articulate genious. Prais u !!!! Now i know about yawl & ketch & benefits & detriments without question. Coincidentally in a few says im about to inspect a ketch for purchase !😂❤👏👏👍👍👍👍

[@helenbrennercoaching]

I wish I could either remember or figure out what style my parents’ 42’ boat was. They’ve since passed. Going off photos, there is no triadic stay, so I’m going with yawl. They cruised from Virginia to Florida and then from Florida down to the Caribbean and lived off various islands for 5 years. They sailed as far as Venezuela and back. What an adventure.

[@mynextketchfrontier6351]

Dude that's crazy how much knowledge you got and understanding about this old boats ..I'm into simple and practice when it comes to boats. I'm learning this old technology I have a ketch..It's very interesting ...Can't have enough of it ..Thank you I'm learning the rigs and all..I can't otjt cuz of covid bit reading as much as I can..Thank you for the very well done clips..tc

[@RiggingDoctor]

It’s smart of you to spend this time away from your boat doing research! You’ll be a very informed sailor.

[@CaptMarkSVAlcina]

Have you ever sailed on a tall ship, the one I was on had only three masts all F/A with Squares on the foremast. We used the mizzen to help us tack by bringing the mizzen into the wind which this helps to bring the stern around. You can do this on a ketch and a yawl. I think a yawl would work better and tack fast as it has the sail out the back more watch would give it more pressure on the back of the yacht .

[@sunlovesailing]

Ya I agree with you, the only way to call a yawl vs a ketch is by the rudder post. Somethings time will never change the definition of.... I feel. We have a yawl, a Crealock 37, and to top it off, she's a tiller too!! :) Thanks for the vid! Peace

[@robertlee8042]

Also helps with weather helm off wind. A bumpkin is from Nebraska.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks!

[@redbird1824]

Great video!!Thank you!Love it!

[@stevenplancich6449]

I was watching Following the Boat & they prefer a Ketch for “Blue Water” sailing, especially the setup “Jib & Jigger”

[@allynonderdonk7577]

I love ketches despite having to deal with an extra sail. Also typically ketches have lower mast heights that are more compatible with going under high bridges on the ICW. I have always heard the definition sounding like bum kin.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Have you seen the video of an 80 foot ketch going under bridges in the ICW? He has huge sacks of water that he swings out and pull the boat over to make him heel far enough to fit under the bridges. They are aptly named “boat balls” because you need big ones to pull that stunt!

[@allynonderdonk7577]

@@RiggingDoctor I've never seen someone use a weight bag in real life, but I have seen some videos on KZbin. I would hate to have a halyard break while sporting that large a counterweight under a bridge. I'll look for the 80 ft ketch one.

[@christinec1928]

This series of videos have been the most instructional sailing videos I've seen on KZbin. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be able to tell the difference between Sloops, Cutters, Ketches & Yawls, etc. Thanks a bunch.

[@SailingFridaafWisby]

Thanks for good explanations in this video😀

[@paulolodicora4471]

Super definition, and clear out all the questions.

[@MrCh1lll]

Hi m8, just found and subscribed to your chanel 💪 your explanations are great ⚔️ I don't wanna sound smart 🤓 but,just let you know I have a Ketch" which doesn't Not" have a stay between masts, it's a Wauquiez Amphitrite 43 ⛵😍❤️ Hope u guys are well, and hope to meet some day some where 🙏 all the best m8

[@MichaelMarko]

I'm just learning this stuff and I was under the impression that ketch rigging was now preferred and was best. Now I am learning more about the different rigs (thanks to good tutorials like yours) and I am now happily confused!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Ketch rigs have long been preferred for blue water cruising, and for very good reasons!

[@captainbob406]

Pronounced "Boom Kin" in New England. Great job, nice video.

[@izaacbanks3337]

From Australia don’t know how other Aussie pronounce it but iv always called in a boom Kin

[@feshfeshsailing]

Yep, prounciation will depend on whether you're from down under, or North America, or the UK, or South Africa, ect...

[@leotard2536]

The Ketch "Aquarius" by Royal Huisman doesn't have a triatic stay. You can find lots of footage of her on KZbin. Oh wait, is that the "superyacht" you were referring to?

[@RiggingDoctor]

Yes, that one I would call “super yacht” but the triatic is not a hard and fast rule. Just that it “tends” to work. The ultimate design comes from the naval architect who decides if it needs one or not.

[@rogeranderson8763]

Sailing lore! Always a fun subject....seems I read somewhere that the Yawl rig was something designed to beat some sort of racing rule....who knows. I think the mizzen on a Ketch does more to reduce the sail size on the main that a yawl would....one man can handle 400 sq feet well enough, keeping the main under that number is a good thing. My three mast Herreshoff schooner did just that, we only had the two of us on our passages and I had no trouble single-handing on short trips. Most epic trip, one week in the Westerlies in the Gulf of Alaska.....over 8 kts going to 8.5.....very nearly made my 200mile day. -Veteran '66-68

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s amazing! Are there any pictures of your schooner online? I would love to see them.

[@matpat2981]

Le mât de pavillon, is what we call the mast used to hang national flag in France, if I got your question right. Nice video. I'll have a look at your channel then.

[@Dreancaidi]

Great info.

[@SteveBergkamp]

Thank you Herbie!!

[@alapikomamalolonui6424]

I think I need a "steering mizzen" for each end of my (yet to be built) pacific proa! ..that plus a small "positionable steering oar" should work much better than just a rather too large steering oar. Thanks bunches guys! Mahalo nui! :) 🤙

[@thomas_saetre]

I really enjoy this video series. I once read that the boom on the mizzen mast on a yawl ends aft of the transom/stern while the boom on the mizzen mast on a ketch ends before the transom/stern. Is this not always the case?

[@StemtoSternSailing]

Hei kjekt å se at det er andre som seiler på KZbin med norsk flagg på hekken. Jeg slenger meg på som abonnent på kanalen din jeg.. jeg lurte på å kjøpe en viksund goldfish 31 som er en ketch ,,, jeg tror mesanbommen stakk ca en halv meter utfobi hekken.... Tror jeg

[@camdensimon8964]

Good explanation on identifying a Catch vs Yawl. However, from having sailed boats with mizzen masts, they do drastically change the handling the boat. They are useful actually.

[@RiggingDoctor]

We got the chance to sail on an Amel for a few weeks and the mizzen was very useful! Check out our first sail on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYLJiairnpyijJo

[@markrutlidge5427]

Another way of looking at it is yawl = predominantly balancing sail and a ketch= predominantly driving sail.

[@dormanski4170]

I have a ketch that has two sets of stays , the main to mizzen does have the triatic backstay but also has a backstay like a sloop from the mast head and is split midway down and goes to the chain plates of the mizzen

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s a nice setup! Lots of adjustability and redundancy.

[@Ricovandijk]

Thanks! I didn't know there was a new definition; although, I'd say a "small" vs "large" mizzen, leaves quite some room for ambiguity. Anyways, Cheers!

[@WolfKenneth]

Can you do vid about schooners? Especially smaller ones up to 45ft (my license allows me to sail up to 59ft or 18m) they look gorgeous and I'm thinking about my future retirement-boat

[@edmilsonsilva7283]

Thank you immensely !!!!

[@AdventureTimeLoui]

This is helpful thank you!

[@tomniblick7365]

My Tahiti Ketch did not have a stay between the main mast and the mizzenmast. It was, however, a gaff rigged main. On the other hand, my Choey Lee Offshore 40 was a yawl. Of the two rigs, the ketch is far more practical in blue water. Drop the main and the boat balances perfectly with jib and mizzen when the weather gets snotty. But the yawl sure was pretty at the dock.

[@RiggingDoctor]

You summed up the main difference between a ketch and a yawl. One is useful and one is pretty.

[@daddymuggle]

I worked on finishing a superyacht which was ketch rigged with no triatic stay. Unfortunately, the boatbuilders' standard response to my "why is it like that" questions, was to mock me, so I never found out the reasoning. She's still going strong 23 years later though, so it seems to be working.

[@RiggingDoctor]

The triatic is not a hard and fast rule, it’s just something I have noticed which makes spotting a boat on the horizon and telling if it is a ketch or a yawl from a distance based on the presence or absence of the stay. Do you remember the name of the super yacht? It would be awesome to see pictures of your handiwork!

[@daddymuggle]

@@RiggingDoctor the yacht is called Mari-Cha III. I was just a very junior labourer, after she was already launched, I really can't take any credit. It was a summer job when I was a student. A fantastic experience though.

[@phaidros52]

For you, I have a Westerly Pentland ketch without a triatic stay

[@RiggingDoctor]

The nice thing with those kinds of ketches is if you drop a mast, the other one stays standing! It’s not an absolute, but just an easy way to differentiate them from a distance.

[@barrybarnes96]

I guess reinstalling even a small mizzen is really expensive...sail, sheets mast, spar, stays etc. all adds up. But I do love the look of the racing yawls from 80 years ago.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Our boat was once a yawl and I have often dreamed of putting the mizzen back on just because it looks prettier when anchored; but it’s a lot of work to look prettier when anchored!

[@MR-yp7mu]

Yawls are great. You can steer with mizzen. You have an emergency mast in case of loosing the main mast. It easy to hang a hammock. They look pretty.

[@RiggingDoctor]

They really are gorgeous!

[@SecretSquirrel809]

Camper and Nicholson 39 is a ketch rig with mizzenmast independent rigging...no triatic. They call it ketch and mizzen if in front of skeg hung rudder

[@tomharrell1954]

Good Lecture !!!!!

[@jeremymitchell995]

Many thanks for these videos...I'm learning masses of stuff....great.

[@donaldjohnson7910]

I have never heard the triatic stay argument before. My ketch doesn't have a triatic stay, or any other stays for that matter. It doesn't have a head sail either. The Sea Pearl 21 features an unstayed cat-ketch rig and I've never heard anyone suggest it might be a yawl! I've long thought the difference was a question of whether the mizzen sail's purpose was to provide power (ketch) or just to assist with control (yawl). In any case, a mizzen sale is a very handy device.. The cat-ketch rig is not as efficient as a rig with a head sail when going to weather, but it is much easier to handle, especially for single handing. Downwind, it can easily be sailed "wing and wing," with the main and mizzen sails on opposite sides of the boat so both are in undisturbed air.

[@RiggingDoctor]

It’s just a quick and dirty way to spot a ketch vs yawl from a distance. The actual rule relies on the mizzen/rudder position but that’s hard to see when the boat is in the water and sailing.

[@BigBensBoatBrokerage]

Wow, I didn't know your boat was a former Whitbread racer, that's pretty cool. I think a discussion on safety factor could be a cool idea, not many people actually know how it relates to boat design.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Ben Kaminsky Catamaran Review that’s a really good topic!

[@jamesfletcher4382]

Here's a conundrum we sail Cornish Pilot Gigs two masts main and much smaller mizzen, Lug rigged the only stay is on the main and changes sides with the lug. Mizzen mast is through the cox'n s seat stern hung rudder. Not considered a yawl.

[@filmic1]

Thank-you! That was a lot of fun.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@manwinkler]

Well done, thank you ....

[@totherepublic358]

Interestingly, one of the more famous ketch's, Eilean, the 80'ish ketch designed by William Fife and made famous in the video "Rio" by Duran Duran, does not have a triatic stay in the classic definition. i.e. it does not have a stay running to the head of the mizzen. It does have one running fractionally though. It clearly is a ketch because the rudder post is aft of the mizzen. Personally I would say anybody calling a yawl a ketch or a ketch a yawl because of the size of the mizzen is just incorrect. I mean certainly there are grey areas as you point out (transom-hung rudders etc) but the definition has always been pretty clear. Not that it really matters, these names are just things we use to describe a certain type of boat in conversation. I would be impressed personally if a normal person off the street (who was not a kind of hardcore boat enthusiast) said "hey, look at that beautiful yawl" when it was really a ketch. I would think "Hey, this guy knows roughly what a yawl is! Cool!"

[@stonetoolcompany3649]

Self steering using the yawl mizzen, for sheet to tilller on some points, or just balance. or as an actual wind vane seems possible. Simply as an air rudder, being well aft of the center of lateral resistance, it ought to b able to be trimmed to maintain a course.... There seems to be nothing written about this. Reading Slocum’s book about sailing around the world solo, he mentions adding a jigger to Spray in South America, but never a word about how or for what he uses it.... Thoughts?

[@SpiralDiving]

Slocum emphasised the ability of Spray to sail a course with no one at the helm. That was due to mizzen trimming (yawl rig). Sir Francis Chichester also picked a yawl rig for the same reason on his solo non-stop circumnavigation. Trouble with modern self steering gears is they tend to break...

[@robevans5222]

I emphatically agree that a schooner rig is the most visually appealing. Although I'll never own one, I sure would like to sail on a classic schooner someday. Herby, I'd side with Maddie on the topic of converting Wisdom back to a yawl rig...too costly to do it right, and tough to justify on a pragmatic basis (not to mention, more stuff to maintain or fail in the long run). It would be cool if you had any actual photos of her as originally rigged, though!

[@ppm6296]

Absolutely agree...schooner is the MOST beautiful of all sailing yachts!!

[@ontiltsailingdalehudson7170]

That's a lot of explaining! I just watched the "Good Bad and Ugly" and your plack is still up at Staniel cay!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Can you send me the link? I want to see it :)

[@ontiltsailingdalehudson7170]

@@RiggingDoctor Sailing Good, Bad, and Ugly

[@RiggingDoctor]

Found it! I didn’t know if it was an older video buried deeply in their channel :P We have to go back and freshen the paint in it ;)

[@gerrys6265]

Hmmm. I have had a 39 ft canoe stern transom hung rudder mizzen mast ten feet forward of the stern for 25 years. It has no backstay, or triatic. It does of course have lower shrouds (one forward and one aft of the mast on the chainplates) but only by about 20 inches each way. Main mast is 45' and mizzen is 35'. Love it, but now not sure what i have...? What I would really like to know is why you never see running backstays on the mizzen for when you are running with the wind with the sheet and sail not acting as a backstay. Mine never fell down, but I often wondered about it. I have just replaced the old wooden (and rotten) mizzen and am now thinking of backstay options for this scenario? It would seem they are not necessary because one never sees them, but it does seem odd that the lower shrouds going only half way up the mast would take that much load safely. Any ideas on this? Thanks

[@supernova6177]

SUPER cool ass video dude

[@RiggingDoctor]

👍

[@supernova6177]

@@RiggingDoctor do you know of any boats that can safley sail around the world. Like crossing pacific, atlantic etc. And by safley i mean not easy to capsize or flip or do any crazy shit. Also i would need it to be relatively cheap.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Try looking at full keel boats from the 1960’s. The good ones are still floating today and they are really cheap by comparison to a modern boat. Alberg 30’s are usually able to be found for under $20k ready to go, or cheaper if not ready to go. The larger Alberg (35 & 37) are bigger versions, so nicer but more expensive. Another popular blue water boat is Contessa, but I don’t know how they run on price. We have met many Contessas in foreign ports and offshore, and the owners take them around the world.

[@supernova6177]

@@RiggingDoctor Thanks!

[@celticlady1430]

Who changed the definition of ketch vs yawl? Fair winds. Gil, and the crew of Celtic Lady Seawind II 68 Ketch

[@ChimeraActual]

The actual definition: The aft sail on a yawl is a balancing sail, the aft sail on a ketch is a driving sail that may also provides some balancing.

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s a good point

[@donquixote1502]

Thank you. Great video.

[@guineapigzed]

On the plans for my boat, a ketch; The Tristay is optional. Bruce Roberts Mauritius 43

[@CanyonDuncan]

You're wrong about "No one makes Schooners anymore" Gannon and Benjamin Boatyard in Martha's Vineyard still makes Schooners and Restores them too!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Wonderful news!

[@kevinmencer3782]

I wonder if you could have a cutter rig on the main, then the cheat rig on the yawl mizzen. That's a lot of sail area.

[@FranklinGray]

My Whitby 55 is clearly a ketch with the mizzen mast about 9 feet in front of the rudder post and the rudder is not stern hung, but yet the mizzen mast is not rigged with the main mast.