"Jeanne" lifted the trapdoor, peered
around and wrote:


Trying to find a true definition of a cutter as opposed to a sloop

A cutter has two fore-sails.

A Sloop is also know as a "Bermudan rig"

Most Single-mast yachts could be Cutter rigged or Bermudan rigged.

Yachts and sailing ships nomenclature is quite complicated. Basically, take any boat and add or remove a sail (i.e., change the way
the sails are rigged) and now the boats definition has changed. E.g., Adding a headsail changes a sloop into a cutter. I.e., It
becomes "Cutter rigged." Whether a sailboat is a cutter or a sloop depends on how it is rigged. Take a sloop and add a second
head sail and it becomes a cutter. Take a sloop, add a small mast abaft the sternpost and it becomes a yawl. Take a sloop and add
a small mast forward of the sternpost and it becomes a ketch.

Sloop-A single-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with a single headsail set from the forestay.

Cutter-A single-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with two headsails.

Ketch-Two-masted boats, the after mast shorter, but with a ketch the after mast is forward of the sternpost

Yawl-A sailboat with two masts, the after mast shorter, and set abaft the sternpost.

Schooner-A sailing ship with at least 2 masts (foremast and mainmast) with the mainmast being the taller.

Topsail Schooner- A schooner with a square rigged sail on forward mast

Here are some pictures of different rigs:

http://www.givemeweb.com/bwmw/library/yachtrigs.html



"Jeanne" wrote in message ...

Hi Guys.......

Trying to find a true definition of a cutter as opposed to a sloop. As I
have always understood it, a sloop has its mast stepped at 2/5ths of the
distance from the waterline of the bow to the waterline of the stern -
waterline being the key. And a cutter has its mast halfway between the
waterline of the bow to the waterline of the stern. But the other
definition I find is that a sloop is 2/5ths of the overall length while a
cutter is 1/2 that distance including the usual bow sprint. Who's correct
here?
Thanks,
Bruce

You are truly ignorant of all things nautical.


"JAXAshby" wrote in message ...
Take a sloop and add a second
head sail and it becomes a cutter.

Actually, it is still a sloop, though a twin-headsail sloop.

The definition of "cutter" has become more of "twin headsails" through common
usage but still to this day a cutter has a main mast placed aft of the main
mast of a sloop.

there are no 2 head sail sloops . I do not know who you have been
talking to but they are blowing a lot of smoke .
the 2nd jib on a cutter adds greater pulling power to the sails that is
why it is used and was popular back in the days when there was nothing
but sail.
;o)

JAXAshby wrote:

Take a sloop and add a second
head sail and it becomes a cutter.



Actually, it is still a sloop, though a twin-headsail sloop.

The definition of "cutter" has become more of "twin headsails" through common
usage but still to this day a cutter has a main mast placed aft of the main
mast of a sloop.



--


ooooO Allan
( )
\ ( the Netherlands
(__)

Thanks Guys......

Not a big concern for my lists of morphemes. But I was challenged lately by
a lady who "knew all" about boats and I was embarrassed without a response -
while I maneuvered my "cutter". The 2/5 and 1/2 things came from
Encyclopedia of Sailing by the editors of Yacht Racing/Cruising (Harper &
Row). Anyhow, this has been enlightening and shows different approaches to
the same problem - huh?

Cheers,
Bruce



"Jeanne" wrote in message
...

Hi Guys.......

Trying to find a true definition of a cutter as opposed to a sloop. As I
have always understood it, a sloop has its mast stepped at 2/5ths of the
distance from the waterline of the bow to the waterline of the stern -
waterline being the key. And a cutter has its mast halfway between the
waterline of the bow to the waterline of the stern. But the other
definition I find is that a sloop is 2/5ths of the overall length while a
cutter is 1/2 that distance including the usual bow sprint. Who's correct
here?
Thanks,
Bruce

"steveb" wrote in message

"Jeanne" lifted the trapdoor, peered
around and wrote:


Trying to find a true definition of a cutter as opposed to a sloop

A cutter has two fore-sails.

A Sloop is also know as a "Bermudan rig"

Don't think so.

"Bermudan" refers to the triangular masthead mainsail, as opposed to a
quadrilateral gaff-rigged main.

snip

John

Hey einstein, your defintion suggests that any boat at port with no sails
rigged has no classification. You are the ignorant man.

By definition: "The cutter is a single-masted boat whose mast is stepped
almost near the center of the boat. Cutters often carry two relatively
small jibs rather than one big one."
-Annapolis Book of Seamanship

note the word "often"


"jlrogers" wrote in message
. ..
You are truly ignorant of all things nautical.


"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
Take a sloop and add a second
head sail and it becomes a cutter.

Actually, it is still a sloop, though a twin-headsail sloop.

The definition of "cutter" has become more of "twin headsails" through
common
usage but still to this day a cutter has a main mast placed aft of the
main
mast of a sloop.

If you have two foresails attached to two stays, it is not a sloop.


nope.

there are no 2 head sail sloops

sure there are

the 2nd jib on a cutter adds greater pulling power

not usually, but yes under some limited conditions.

Unless one believes word meanings are divinely ordained, both answers are
correct.




language continues to change. Up until very recently a sloop with two head
sails was called a "twin head sail" sloop, though through usage (and lack of
understanding on the part of many users), people are begining to use the turm
cutter for any boat with twin head sails. I don't know that I have head any
naval architect use the terms in any but the traditional way.

probably, ten or twenty years from now cutter and twin head sails will be the
same.