- Friendship Sloop
The Friendship sloop is a style of gaff-rigged
sloop that originated inFriendship, Maine around 1880. Fishermen in Friendship and neighboring Bremen collectively originated the design, one influenced by the fishing sailboats ofGloucester, Massachusetts , particularly the schooner "Fredonia" of 1889. The Friendship sloop was the dominant style of fishing boat, especially for lobstering, off the coast ofMaine until the introduction of thegasoline engine early in the 20th century. Friendship-area boat builder Wilbur A. Morse produced many examples from the 1880s to the 1910s. Modern reproductions, bothwood en andfiberglass , remain popular among enthusiasts.Friendship sloops are not identical in size or shape, but they share a common design and appear similar. All are gaff-rigged, with a
mainsail , astaysail and normally ajib . They may additionally have atopmast with a maintopsail and jibtopsail (flying jib ). They all have a fullkeel , an ellipticalstern and abowsprit . They can range from 21' to 50' but most are between 25' and 31' in length (on deck).External links
* [http://www.fss.org/ Friendship Sloop Society]
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