A ketch is a sailingcraft with two masts: A main mast, and a mizzen mast aft of the main mast. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs are carried forward of the main mast when going to windward. On older, larger ketches the main mast may in addition carry one or more square riggedtopsails, similar to a sloop. A ketch may also carry extras, see below.
The main fore-and-aft sail on the main mast is called the mainsail, while that on the mizzen is called the mizzen sail. These may be either gaff or bermuda rigged, or less often one of each in either combination.
The ketch rig is often confused with a yawl. The difference is that the ketch has her mizzen mast forward of the rudder post thus having more sail area, which contributes significant forward propulsion, whereas the mizzen on a yawl is aft of the rudder post and is used primarily to balance the sail plan (and as a riding sail while at anchor).
The ketch is popular among long distance cruisers as the additional sail allows for a better balance, and a smaller more easily handled mainsail for the same overall sail area. It also allows sailing on mizzen and jib only without introducing excessive lee helm, and in an emergency can be quite well steered without use of the rudder.
Running before the wind or reaching across the wind, a ketch may carry extra sails such as a spinnaker on the main mast, and possibly a second smaller reaching set between the masts (mizzen staysail).
The rig type is, indeed, one that has been around for many years, and one which was greatly favored by the watermen of the East Coast before the age of power.
The rig fell out of favor not because it was inefficient, but because working sailboats became obsolete, and the recreational sailboats which have been built since, are influenced not by the need for efficiency and speed, but by an artificial rating rule.
In the cat ketchrig, jibing requires exactly the same degree of panic as the tack we just discussedÂ…you just put the helm over, pull in some excess sheet if you wish and let her slide out the other side.
The Cat ketchrig is not an aberration but the most popular and prolific sailingrig of yesteryear, evolving from the New Haven Sharpie of the 1850's.
And preferably utilized with a Cat- ketchrig which subjects each mast to far lower loads in relation to the sail area than a similar size boat with cat boat rig or free-standing slooprig.
The rig technology and hull designs have created Cat Ketchrigged yachts where each mast is, in effect, a true flex loading beam incorporated into a hull designed and constructed specifically to work with its qualities.
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