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.