Description

The term sailing ship is now used to refer toany large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was asailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, squarerigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. Inpopular usage "ship" became associated with all large sailingvessels and when steam power came along the adjective becamenecessary. Large sailing vessels which are not ship rigged may bemore appropriately called boats.