Sloop

A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast[1] typically meaning one headsail in front of the mast, and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. This is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sails fore and aft, or as a gaff-rig with triangular foresails and a gaff rigged mainsail. Sailboats can be classified according to type of rig, and so a sailboat may be a sloop, catboat, cutter, ketch, yawl, or schooner.[2] A sloop usually has only one headsail, although an exception is the Friendship sloop, which is usually gaff-rigged with a bowsprit and multiple headsails.[3] If the vessel has two or more headsails, the term cutter may be used,[4] especially if the mast is stepped further towards the back of the boat.

This article is about the type of sailing boat. For the warship, see Sloop-of-war. For the open learning project, see SLOOP Project.
Typical Bermuda-rigged sloop
Gaff-rigged sloop with a gaff topsail

The name originates from the Dutch sloep, which is related to the Old English slūpan, to glide.[5] In naval terminology, "sloop-of-war" refers to the purpose of the craft, rather than to the specific size or sail-plan, and thus a sloop should not be confused with a sloop-of-war.

After the cat rig which has only a single sail,[6] the Bermuda rig is the simplest sailing rig configurations. It is the most popular yacht rigging[7] because it is easier to sail with a smaller crew or even single-handed, it is cheaper since it has less hardware than more complex rigs, and it sails well into the wind. A limitation is that when a boat gets over 45 feet in length, the sails become so large that they are difficult to handle,[6] although modern technology is helping with this.

The headsail can be masthead-rigged or fractional-rigged. On a masthead-rigged sloop, the forestay (on which the headsail is carried) attaches at the top of the mast. On a fractional-rigged sloop, the forestay attaches to the mast at a point below the top. A sloop may use a bowsprit, a spar that projects forward from the bow.

See also
  • Mast aft rig, a single mast rig with a mast further back than a sloop or cutter.
  • Chialoup, an historical type of sloop produced in the East Indies.
  • Bermuda sloop, originally used for a type of sea-going, sloop-rigged vessel. Today used for any Bermuda-rigged sloop.
  • Bermuda Fitted Dinghy: a scaled-down sloop used for racing in Bermuda.
  • Hope: an example of a traditional sail-powered oyster-dredging sloop.

References
  1. "SLOOP | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  2. "Cutter | sailing craft". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  3. Jones, Gregory O. (2001-12-06). The American Sailboat. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 9780760310021.
  4. "Cutter | sailing craft". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  5. "Sloop". dictionary.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  6. "What's in a Rig? Cat Rig". American Sailing Association. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  7. "Sailboat Rig Types: Sloop, Cutter, Ketch, Yawl, Schooner, Cat". Jordan Yacht and Ship Co. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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