A tall ship is a large, traditionally- rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Ol ...

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

s and

barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are Square rig, rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-maste ...

s. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival.

History

Traditional rigging may include

square rig Square rig is a generic type of sail plan, sail and rigging arrangement in which a sailing ship, sailing vessel's primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spar (sailing), spars that are perpendicular (or wikt:square#Adjective, square) to t ...

s and

gaff rig Gaff rig is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the ''gaff''. Because of the size and sh ...

s, usually with separate topmasts and

topsail A topsail ("tops'l") is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails. Square rig On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a typically trapezoidal shaped sail rigged above the course sail and ...

s. It is generally more complex than modern rigging, which utilizes newer materials such as

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

and

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

to construct taller, lightweight masts with fewer, more versatile sails. Most smaller, modern vessels use the

Bermuda rig Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a type of sailing rig that uses a triangular sail set abaft (behind) the mast. It is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. Whilst commonly seen in sloop-rigged vessels, Bermuda rig is ...

. Author and

master mariner A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of licensed seafarer qualification; namely, a master's license. A master mariner is therefore allowed to serve as the captain (nautical), master of a merchant ship for which natio ...

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

(who spent 1874 to 1894 at sea in tall ships and was quite particular about naval terminology) used the term "tall ship" in his works; for example, in ''The Mirror of the Sea'' in 1906.

Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading Transcendentalism, transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon sim ...

also references the term "tall ship" in his first work, '' A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers'', quoting "Down out at its mouth, the dark inky main blending with the blue above. Plum Island, its sand ridges scolloping along the horizon like the sea-serpent, and the distant outline broken by many a tall ship, leaning, still, against the sky." He does not cite this quotation, but the work was written in 1849. While

Sail Training International Sail Training International (STI) is a non-profit international sail training organisation, with members in 29 countries. Its main aim is the "development and education of young people of all nations, cultures, and social backgrounds through the ex ...

(STI) has extended the definition of ''tall ship'' for the purpose of its races to embrace any sailing vessel with more than

waterline length A vessel's length at the waterline (abbreviated to L.W.L) is the length of a ship or boat at the level where it sits in the water (the ''waterline''). The LWL will be shorter than the length of the boat overall (''length overall'' or LOA) as mos ...

and on which at least half the people on board are aged 15 to 25.

Sail Training International

In the 21st century, "tall ship" is often used generically for large, classic, sailing vessels, but is also a technically defined term by Sail Training International for its purposes and STI helped popularize the term. The exact definitions have changed somewhat over time, and are subject to various technicalities, but by 2011 there were 4 classes (A, B, C, and D). There are only two size classes, A is over 40 m LOA, and B/C/D are 9.14 m to under 40 m LOA. The definitions have to do with rigging: class A is for square sail rigged ships, class B is for "traditionally rigged" ships, class C is for "modern rigged" vessels with no "

spinnaker A spinnaker is a sail designed specifically for sailing off the wind on courses between a Point of sail#Reaching, reach (wind at 90° to the course) to Point of sail#Running downwind, downwind (course in the same direction as the wind). Spinna ...

-like sails", and class D is the same as class C but carrying a spinnaker-like sail.

Class A

All square-rigged vessels (barque, barquentine, brig, brigantine or ship rigged) and all other vessels more than 40 metres length overall (LOA), regardless of rig. STI classifies its A Class as "all square-rigged vessels and all other vessels over

length overall Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, and is also ...

(LOA)", in this case STI LOA excludes

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar (sailing), spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestay, forestays. The bowsprit’s purpose is to create ...

and aft spar. STI defines LOA as "Length overall measured from the fore side of stem post to aft side of stern post, counter or transom".

Class B

Traditionally rigged vessels (i.e. gaff rigged sloops,

ketch A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch f ...

es,

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast ...

s and

s) with an LOA of less than 40 metres and with a waterline length (LWL) of at least 9.14 metres, one good example is ''

Spirit of Bermuda ''Spirit of Bermuda'' is a modern-built Bermuda sloop. She is a replica of a Royal Navy sloop-of-war, depicted in a well-known 1831 painting. History of the Bermuda sloop The Bermuda sloop was a type of small sailing ship built in Bermuda be ...

''.

Class C

Modern rigged vessels (i.e. Bermudan rigged sloops, ketches, yawls and schooners) with an LOA of less than 40 metres and with a waterline length (LWL) of at least 9.14 metres not carrying spinnaker-like sails.

Class D

Modern rigged vessels (i.e. Bermudan-rigged sloops, ketches, yawls and schooners) with an LOA of less than 40 metres and with a waterline length (LWL) of at least 9.14 metres carrying spinnaker-like sails. There are also a variety of other rules and regulations for the crew, such as ages, and also for a rating rule. There are other sail festivals and races with their own standards, the STI is just one set of standards for their purposes.

Earlier description of classes

An older definition of class "A" by the STI was "all square-rigged vessels over 120′ (36.6 m)

(LOA). Fore and aft rigged vessels of 160′ (48.8 m) (LOA) and over". By LOA they meant length excluding

and aft spar. Class "B" was "all fore and aft rigged vessels between 100 and 160 feet in length, and all square rigged vessels under 120′ (36.6 m) (LOA)". See also a list of class "A" ships with lengths including bowsprit.

Lost tall ships

Tall ships are sometimes lost, such as by a storm at sea. Some examples of lost tall ships include: * ''

Asgard II ''Asgard II'' was the Republic of Ireland, Irish national sail training vessel, until she sank in the Bay of Biscay in 2008. A brigantine, she was commissioned on 7 March 1981 and purpose-built as a sail training vessel by Jack Tyrrell in Arklo ...

'', an Irish national sail training ship, commissioned in 1982, was lost in 2008 off the French coast. The two-masted brigantine is thought to have collided with a submerged object. * ''

Astrid Astrid is a given name of Scandinavian origin, a modern form of the name Ástríðr. Derived from the Old Norse Ássfriðr, a compound name composed of the elements (a god) and (beautiful, fair). Variants * * Assan (diminutive) (Swedish) ...

'' ran aground in 2013 off Ireland, and then broke up in 2014 after being salvaged * '' Bounty'', a full-rig ship lost off the North Carolina coast as

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

approached in 2012. * '' Concordia'', a triple-mast

barquentine A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts. Modern barquentine sailing ...

built in 1992 and operated by Canada as a school ship; lost at sea in 2010, in a squall. * '' Endeavour II'', built in 1968; wrecked in a 1971 gale off New Zealand * '' Fantome'', a former yacht built in 1927, then operated as a cruise ship. Was lost in

Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch was an extremely deadly and catastrophic Atlantic hurricane, which became the second-deadliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record. Mitch caused 11,374 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately ...

in 1998. * ''Lennie'', built in 1871, ran aground on

Digby Neck Digby Neck is a Canadian peninsula extending into the Bay of Fundy in Digby County, Nova Scotia. Digby Neck is the western extension of the North Mountain range from the Annapolis Valley and is made of two thick lava flows. It is separated from ...

in 1889.Lennie (+1889)
Wrecksite * '' Marques'', built in 1917; was lost in a 1984 Tall Ships Race.

Gallery

File:Alexander von Humboldt ship all sails.jpg, ''

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...

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Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci ( , ; 9 March 1454 – 22 February 1512) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Florence for whom "Naming of the Americas, America" is named. Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the A ...

'' File:Belem(02).jpg, '' Belem'' File:Bounty Greenock.jpg, ''

Bounty (1960 ship) ''Bounty'' was an enlarged reconstruction of the original 1787 Royal Navy sailing ship , built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, in 1960. She sank off the coast of North Carolina during Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012. The tall ship was often re ...

'' File:CisneBranco07.jpg, ''

Cisne Branco *''For the similarly named official march of the Brazilian Navy, see Cisne Branco (march)'' ''Cisne Branco'' is a tall ship of the Brazilian Navy, based at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, used for diplomatic and public relations operations worldwide. Th ...

'' File:Tall ship Christian Radich under sail.jpg, ''

Christian Radich ''Christian Radich'' is a Norwegian full-rigged ship, named after a Norwegian shipowner. The vessel was built at Framnæs shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway, and was delivered on 17 June 1937. The owner was The Christian Radich Sail Training Founda ...

'' File:US Navy 101021-N-7642M-317 USS Constitution returns to her pier after an underway to celebrate her 213th launching day anniversary.jpg, ''

USS Constitution USS ''Constitution'', also known as ''Old Ironsides'', is a Full-rigged ship, three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's List of oldest surviving ships, oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat ...

'' File:UAM Creoula 20071106.jpg, '' UAM Creoula'' File:Cuauhtemoc 001.jpg, '' ARM Cuauhtémoc (BE01)'' File:Denmark frigate SLV Green.jpg, '' Danmark'' File:Dar Mlodziezy2007.jpg, '' Dar Młodzieży'' File:Dewaruci.jpg, ''Dewaruci'' File:USCG Eagle.jpg, USCGC ''Eagle'' File:040731_061_earl.jpg, ''Earl of Pembroke'' File:Eendracht II.JPG, ''Eendracht'' File:Elissa-ship.jpg, '' Elissa'' File:'Europa' in Belfast Lough - Tall Ships Belfast 2009 - geograph.org.uk - 1446281.jpg,

Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliffs, Alexan ...

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Kaliakra Kaliakra () is a cape in the Southern Dobruja region of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, which ends with a long and narrow headland east of Kavarna, northeast of Varna, Bulgaria, Varna and southwest of Mangalia. The coast is steep with ...

'' File:Khersones Kieler Woche 2005.jpg, '' Khersones'' File:Крузенштерн 10.JPG, ''Kruzenshtern'' File:LeeuwinII.jpg, ''Leeuwin II'' File:Libertad_2.jpg, ARA ''Libertad'' Image:Ml-full-sail.jpg, ''Maple Leaf'' File:Mercator op zee.jpg, ''

Mercator __NOTOC__ Mercator (Latin for "merchant") often refers to the Mercator projection, a cartographic projection named after its inventor, Gerardus Mercator. Mercator may refer to: People * Marius Mercator (c. 390–451), a Catholic ecclesiastica ...

'' File:TallShipsRace 2003-Turku-fin Mir1.jpg, ''

Mir ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...

'' File:Tall ships antwerp 2010 Morgenster.jpg, ''Morgenster'' File:Peacemaker.jpg, '' Peacemaker'' File:PictonCastle-AnchoredOffCarriacou-March14-09.jpg, ''

Picton Castle Picton Castle () is a medieval castle near Haverfordwest in the community of Uzmaston, Boulston and Slebech, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Originally built at the end of the 13th century by a Flemish knight, it later came into the hands of Sir John W ...

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Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...

'' File:RoyalAlbatross.jpg, '' Royal Albatross'' File:Royal-clipper.jpg, ''

Royal Clipper ''Royal Clipper'' is a steel- hulled five- masted fully rigged tall ship used as a cruise ship. She was redesigned by Robert McFarlane of McFarlane ShipDesign, for Star Clippers Ltd. of Sweden, the same designer behind the cruise company's first ...

'' File:N.R.P. Sagres, navio-escola. Forças Armadas Marinha Portuguesa.jpg, N.R.P. ''Sagres'' File:Amsterdam Sail 2010 0819 Sedov 01.jpg, ''

STS Sedov STS ''Sedov'' (), formerly ''Magdalene Vinnen II'' (1921–1936) and ''Kommodore Johnsen'' (–1948), is a four-masted steel barque that for almost 80 years was the largest traditional sailing ship in operation. Originally built as a German carg ...

'' File:Rnov shabab oman under sails.jpg, '' Shabab Oman'' File:Simon Bolivar (ship) 4.jpg, ''

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

'' File:Sørlandet in Oslo 7jun2005.jpg, ''

Sørlandet Southern Norway (; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical List of regions of Norway, region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function ...

'' File:Stad Amsterdam 2009c.jpg, ''

Stad Amsterdam ''Stad Amsterdam'' (''City of Amsterdam'') is a three-masted clipper that was built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 at the Damen Shipyard. The ship was designed by Gerard Dijkstra who modelled her after the mid-19th century frigate ''Ams ...

'' File:Statsraad Lehmkuhl and Lord Nelson.jpg, ''

Statsraad Lehmkuhl ''Statsraad Lehmkuhl'' is a three-masted barque rigged sail training vessel owned and operated by the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation. It is based in Bergen (city), Bergen, Norway and contracted out for various purposes, including serving as a scho ...

'' File:StavrosNiarchosFullSailBrigMatchRace2003.JPG, ''

Stavros S Niarchos ''Stavros S Niarchos'' is a British brig-rigged tall ship, now renamed "Sunset". She was previously owned and operated by the Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT). She was primarily designed to provide young people with the opportunity to undertake v ...

'' File:INS Sudarshini.jpg, '' INS Sudarshini'' File:HMS-Surprise-overall.jpg, '' HMS Surprise'' File:Tarangini.jpg, '' INS Tarangini'' File:B.A.P. Union..jpg, ''

BAP Unión BAP ''Unión'' (BEV-161) is a training ship of the Peruvian Navy built in 2012–2015 by Shipyard Marine Industrial Services of Peru, known as SIMA. It is a four-masted, steel-hull (watercraft), hulled, class "A" barque, composed of 38 steel mo ...

'' File:Young Endeavour at FBE.jpg, ''

STS Young Endeavour Two tall ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have been named STS ''Young Endeavour''. * , a brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square ...

References

External links

American Sail Training Association

Another World Adventures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tall Ship Lists of sailing ships Sailing rigs and rigging Ship types pl:Żaglowiec

History

Sail Training International

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

Earlier description of classes

Lost tall ships

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links