In the beginnings, the umiak was both a hunting and traveling craft. Brought by Inuit cultures from Alaska and Canada, it disappeared around 1970. In hunting, the umiak was used for whaling. For traveling, it was used by family members and rowed by the older children or the women. It was a traveling vessel mostly for people without a kayak. The umiak could be paddled but in a favorable wind, it could also be propelled by a square sail. [source] This boat, made traditionally from a … [Read more...]
Cutter, a Word with More Senses, Designates Several Types of Boats
The cutter is usually one that cuts, but here, is about boats that cut the waves faster than others. There are three types of cutters: the normal ship's boat for carrying stores or passengers, the single-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel, and the small armed vessel in government service. All these three are called cutter. On Wikipedia, we find more than three types. Anyway, we have to remember that any cutter is a boat designed for speed. The Sailing Cutter This vessel is one of … [Read more...]
Schooner – A Two Masted Sailing Vessel of Dutch Origins
The schooner is a type of sailing vessel having a foremast and mainmast, with or without other masts, and having fore-and-aft sails on all lower masts. While the schooner was originally gaff-rigged, modern schooners typically carry a Bermuda rig. [source: pinterest] The Bermuda rig consists of a triangular sail set aft of the mast with its head raised to the top of the mast; its luff runs down the mast and is normally attached to it for its entire length; its tack is attached at the base … [Read more...]