
square rigger Tres Hombres
It may seem strange that I have posted a video of a "square rigged tallship" on an essentially multihull related channel, but I am always interested in alternative and traditional boats and how they sail. So in the past I've uploaded a video of sailing on the replica of the Bligh mutiny boat and racing on a Bahamas Class A sloop. The "Tres Hombres" is actually a brigantine (so has square sails only on the foremast). It is used to carry cargo between Europe and the Caribbean in the traditional way. With no engine it has to be towed in and out of port. It's seen here sailing off the west coast of Barbados and was filmed from the 100ft schooner "Ruth". It sails surprisingly well, reaching faster than Ruth (although we did have rigging issues which slowed us) and would certainly be faster downwind in the trades. The tack looks ponderous, but is actually completed in less than a minute. You can see the squaresails are left aback so the boat makes a sternboard which ensures a smooth turn. Clearly with so many sails the crew have to be experienced to sail the boat efficiently - there's a lot to be said for the "Average White Boat". More here https://fairtransport.eu/en/our-fleet/tres-hombres/
