A schooner is a type of sailing ship with two or more tall masts, where the rear mast is the same height or taller than the front ones. This design made schooners faster and easier to handle than many other sailing vessels, requiring fewer crew members to operate.

Schooners became enormously popular in America during the 1700s and 1800s. They carried cargo up and down the coast, transported fish from the Grand Banks, and served as merchant vessels in coastal trade. Their speed made them favorites for everything from fishing to trading goods quickly over long distances.

Their distinctive profile, with tall, raked-back masts and multiple triangular sails, made them icons of the Age of Sail. The largest schooner ever built, the Thomas W. Lawson, had seven masts and stretched over 400 feet.

Today, you'll still see schooners sailing in coastal waters, though now mostly for tourism, education, or recreation. Many harbor towns offer schooner cruises where you can experience what sailing was like in the days before engines.