MASTS
THE MAST'S OF A SQUARE RIGGED SAILING SHIP
THE MAST'S OF A SQUARE RIGGED SAILING SHIP
THE MASTS:
THE MASTS:
The large ocean going square rigged merchant sailing ship usually had four or more masts. The mast's (highighted in blue) were given names so they could be individually identified, the mast nearest to the bow was called the FOREMAST followed by MAINMAST, MIZZENMAST, JIGGERMAST and SPANKERMAST.
The masts were up to 200 feet tall, so had to be made up of three separate sections. Some sailing ships had all three sections made from wood and some ships used steel for the lower sections. These three sectins were called LOWER MAST, TOP MAST and TOPGALLANT MAST and this is relevant to the yards and sails that were attached to them.