Beautiful Sailing Ships

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Kptlt. Neuerburg

Ah, I guess I got confussed between the differences of sloop and schooner.

Actually there is a difference in terminology between the rig and the hull, especially when dealing in naval designations.

A sloop rig has a single mast.

If it has two masts and they're fore-and-aft rigged, then it's a schooner. If both masts are square rigged then it's a brig. If the foremast is square rigged and the after mast is fore-and-aft, then it's a brigantine.

On the other hand a brig hull has the guns along the weather deck but also has raised fore and after castles. A sloop has all the guns on the weather deck and no raised decks. The vessel pictured would be described in an 18th century navy as a brig-rigged sloop. And yes, it's a sloop-of-war.