What is the purpose of the sail on the Amber and John? Is to help power the boat or does it have some other purpose? I would love to know. Thank you.
AMBER AND JOHN FISHING BOAT WITH SAIL?
Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns
Published by Kimsmithdesigns
Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden." View all posts by Kimsmithdesigns
Good Morning Gloucester 
Funny….I just asked the same question a couple of weeks ago when I saw a boat very similar hauling traps in Rockport. I think it is called a Riding Sail. I think it keeps the bow in the wind while the lobstermen are hauling their gear. But…..I am no expert. I’d be interested in hearing what other people have to say for sure!!
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I’m told it’s for keeping your bow into the wind facing oncoming waves.
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I had one on my somewhat similar lobster boat mainly because the windage of the high bow tended to make the bow fall off downwind when I stopped to haul traps. It also decreases roll to some extent but mainly indeed keeps the wind on the bow from turning the boat downwind.
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Both comments are true. Also, if motoring parallel to the waves and the wind is more or less at a 90 degree angle to the waves, it helps keep the boat from rolling in the waves. These sails do not provide propulsion under normal circumstances. It is all about boat control and nausea control.
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It’s called a steadying sail that keeps the boat naturally headed into the wind when fishing/lobstering… hence more or less geaded into tge waves creating less roll so it’s easier to work or go to the head…
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Small keyboards. . Sorry about the typo
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It’s called a steadying sail that keeps the boat naturally headed into the wind when fishing/lobstering… hence more or less geaded into tge waves creating less roll so it’s easier to work or go to the head…
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy® Note 4.
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These riding sails used to be much more common than they seem to be these days. But especially with a high bow they help to keep the head into the wind and the vessel more or less stationary when tending traps.
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Of course, a riding sail was used long ago in the days when fishing schooners would anchor on Georges Bank to fish over the rail with hand lines. See https://thalsted1.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/handlining-on-georges/ for a Fitz Lane painting of how they did it.
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Great posts and answered above well done! 🙂 Dave & Kim 🙂
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Great information! Thank you so much to Nichole, Ellen, Damon, Bob, Peter, and Tom, very much appreciated.
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😏
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