Schooners are the sexiest of boats.

In our northern european waters with unpredictable winds (I’ve won anchor in a force 3/4 and two minutes later been hooning along gunwales under in a force eight) we prefer ketches (the Wikipedia page is pretty poor). You can dump your mainsail in an emergency, lose a lot of sail area and still have a balanced rig that handles well. I like ketches, but a schooner under full sail is one of the most lovely sights on the water (a fantailed topsail cutter with topsail set and all jibs flying runs it a very close second).  Unless, of course they are being sailed by Germans, in which case my advice is stay well clear.

Schooner swag - tshirts, mouse mats and stuff - available here.

Schooners in literature - just finished a Patrick O’Brian binge, the later books. In The Commodore Captain Jack Aubrey wins the schooner Ringle from his friend Heneage Dundas in a game of backgammon (why don’t I ever get into games like that?). She acts as his tender and scouting vessel with Master’s Mate William Reade (who lost an arm in the battle with the Dyaks in Nutmeg of Consolation) in delighted command for the rest of the series. She is a Baltimore Clipper-hulled vessel, right fast and weatherly, and according to her crew - Sethians much given to smuggling in a previous nautical life, with names like Mould (’a weazened sinner’) and Vaggers - every bit as fast as the ‘Flying Childers’, a smuggling vessel of uncommon speed - especially when the skipper was ‘driving the barky right zealous’. If you haven’t read the Aubrey Maturin series, what have you been doing with your literary life?