Which term describes a two-masted boat with its mizzen (after) mast shorter than its mainmast and located forward of the rudder post?

Which term describes a two-masted boat with its mizzen (after) mast shorter than its mainmast and located forward of the rudder post?

• A. Sloop
• B. Cutter
• C. Ketch
• D. Schooner

Answer: (C)

A two-masted vessel with a shorter aft or mizzen mast placed ahead of the rudder post is described as a ketch. The key feature is the mizzen mast being shorter than the mainmast and being forward of the rudder post, which distinguishes it from a yawl (where the mizzen sits behind the rudder post). Sloops and cutters have only one mast, and a schooner has two masts with a different height arrangement, so the combination of two masts, a shorter mizzen, and its position forward of the rudder post points to a ketch.

A two-masted vessel with a shorter aft or mizzen mast placed ahead of the rudder post is described as a ketch. The key feature is the mizzen mast being shorter than the mainmast and being forward of the rudder post, which distinguishes it from a yawl (where the mizzen sits behind the rudder post). Sloops and cutters have only one mast, and a schooner has two masts with a different height arrangement, so the combination of two masts, a shorter mizzen, and its position forward of the rudder post points to a ketch.