How to Design Square Riggers

Until the rise of fuel-powered ships, square-rigged sailing ships were the backbone of international commerce. Though not as fast or maneuverable as fore-and-aft sail ships, the square riggers were much more stable. They could be manned by comparatively fewer crewmen, as well. On a fore-and-aft ship, triangular sails are mounted on a line with, as might be expected, the fore and aft plane of the ship. Square rig sails are mounted across the body of the ship. Square rig sails lack the freedom of movement of triangular sails, but can be more easily furled and unfurled.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the size of the ship you want to make. A square rigger can be made with one, two or three masts depending upon its purpose and size requirements.

    • 2

      Fit the design of the hull to the purpose of the ship. Square-rigged sailing ships do not have the steeply tapered hull of fore-and-aft ships. Some square riggers, such as galleons, actually have a hull that is wider than its deck. This gives a square rigger great stability, which was a huge advantage for merchant ships that had to cross great lengths of ocean and weather violent storms at sea. It was also an advantage for warships laden with cannons. But the increased stability comes at the price of diminished maneuverability and speed. The longer the voyages your ship will take and the more volatile the cargo, the more stability you will need.

    • 3

      Consider what type of rudder to put in. Fore-and-aft sailboats sometimes have small rudders on the sides of the boat. The maneuverability of their sales and the taper of their hulls make it easy to turn them with minimal effort, using only wind and sail position. You will need a heavy rudder, usually along the bottom center of the hull, to help overcome the maneuverability problems with a square-rigged sailing ship.

    • 4

      Determine how many sails you will need for your ship. This is dependent on the size of the ship and the number of masts. A three-mast ship often has five or more sails per mast. Old Viking ships, the original square riggers, often operated with a single mast and a single sail. Remember that each of the square sails can be furled and unfurled independently, which helps determine the speed of the ship by how many sails are unfurled. Some ships adopt a type of hybrid system, using square rig sails in the body of the ship, but equipping them with a small fore and aft sail to help improve maneuverability.