The northern fleet consisted of different types of vessels comprising sloops, small schooners and ketches.
The ketches and the sloops often managed to make two voyages in a season.
Both the ketch and the yawl differ from the two-masted schooner, whose aft mainmast is taller than the foremast.
With sloops, ketches and schooners the starboard yardarm or spreader of the highest or main mast is the second most honoured position.
The distinguishing characteristic of a ketch is that the forward of the two masts (the mainmast) is larger than the after mast (the mizzen).
On older, larger ketches the main mast may in addition carry one or more square rigged topsails.
Many of the smaller ports were visited only by coastal ketches and schooners.
The three masts are rigged as a wishbone ketch.
