Sails question

[Oscarvan]

Question about sails.....

On a ketch, a jib shaped sail flown from the top of the mizzen forward, between the mizzen and the main is called a mizzen stays'l......but there are also very full versions of these, little bloopers if you will, for broad reaches and running....what are they called?

[Ian McColgin]

That's the mizzen staysail. It's a down wind sail. Its tack is down at the weather rail or someplace such.

A triangular sail, still betwixt mizzen and main, set higher is the mule. It seems sort of upside down as the luff goes from ahead of the mizzen tack to main truck and the sheet is at the mizzen truck. Sometimes seen with a wishbone boom. This sail works well to weather on some boats and at least pleasingly and thrillingly heels others.

[John Bertenshaw]

Bit of a discussion on them on my coastal classic thread if its of interest. I think its page 2.

[Oscarvan]

That's the mizzen staysail. It's a down wind sail.

I've seen flatter upwind sails in the same spot, are they too mizzen stays'ls? Is there no distinction?

[Ian McColgin]

I've seen moderatly flat mizzen staysails that could go to a beam reach and even perhaps a tight reach but still made of nylon, not dacron.

I don't see how one would rig the staysail to any advantage on a beat unless you had well seperated masts and a short main boom. But the boats that do that do it to get some seperation between main and mizzen and it seems counter to that aim to then fill in the space with a staysail. Perhaps it could work like two sloop rigs?

But in a normal ketch with main and mizzen of normal aspect, the staysail is nylon and is suitable off-wind. The mule is hard to use off the wind unless boomed but is a real puller on the wind. Which is why Irving Johnson called it a "mule."