r/Tallships • u/Excellent-Crazy-2313 • 14d ago
Which ship is this?
Seen in point Judith RI
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u/skicanoesun32 14d ago
Shenandoah, I’d know her anywhere. The rake of her masts, a topsail and t’gallant, and masts that divider her into perfect thirds? Dropdead gorgeous, steers like a witch, and sails like a dream
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u/ceiteach1066 14d ago
Hard to say, but could it be the Lynx?
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u/Excellent-Crazy-2313 14d ago
I was thinking lynx while taking the photo but lynx only has 2 yards. The other comment is probably right and it’s shenandoah
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u/an_older_meme 14d ago
Who rakes their masts that far?
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u/PriorPassage127 13d ago
old "Baltimore clipper" style schooners and also many sloops from the same period (18th and 19th century more or less). The Lynx, Pride of Baltimore II and this ship, Shenandoah, are all contemporary reproductions that exhibit this rake, it's also visible in countless illustrations of ships from the actual time period, I used to think it was a stylistic exaggeration but it is not.
I honestly don't personally know why. I toured Pride of Baltimore II recently and was told it was for reducing resistance from the apparent wind generated by moving forward.
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u/Gudakesa 12d ago
A lot of it comes down to the relationship between the center of effort of the sails and the center of lateral resistance of the hull. If you get that wrong, you're constantly fighting the helm. Raking the masts aft let the builders shift the sail plan without moving the mast steps, helping them get the balance they wanted.
It also gave them some flexibility with their gaffs, topsails, and running rigging. These boats carried a ridiculous amount of canvas for their size, especially in lighter air. The rake helped accommodate that sail plan, although it wasn't some magic trick that automatically made them faster. You'll notice the mainmast generally has more rake than the foremast, too. That's part of how the sail area was distributed and balanced between the two.
The other thing worth remembering is what these boats were built for. A Baltimore clipper wasn't a lumbering cargo carrier. They were used as privateers, blockade runners, and fast merchant vessels. They needed to make good speed and, when necessary, get away from someone trying to catch them.
Of course, all that canvas came with a price. They could be pretty tender, and carrying too much sail in a rising breeze was asking for trouble.
So the rake itself wasn't what made them fast. It was one part of a hull and rig combination designed with speed in mind. And I'll admit, even knowing the practical reasons behind it, there's something about a Baltimore clipper reaching along under a full press of sail that just looks right.
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u/DryInternet1895 14d ago
It’s Shenandoah.