Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Schooner
SCHOONER, a vessel of two, three, or
more masts and fore-and-aft-sails — i. e.,
extended on boom and gaff. The
masts have but one splice, the topgallant,
if any, forming part of the topmast stick.
When a schooner has none but fore-and-aft
sails, she is termed a fore-and-aft
schooner; if carrying a square foretopsail
and fore-topgallant sail, a topsail
schooner. This latter rig, formerly
common, has now become rare. Square-rigged
vessels have also lower fore-and-aft
sails, denominated spencers or trysails,
but these are small and are brailed
up to the gaff when furled, instead of
being lowered like those of a schooner.