While
the term "sailing ship" technically refers
to a vessel with at least three masts, "sailing
ship" generally refers to any wind-powered ship. "Sail
boat" indicates a smaller vessel, often with only
one deck. Sail powered ships/boats used mainly for
the purpose of racing are commonly referred to as "yachts".
Sailing
ships tend to require a large crew and carry many various
sails. Sail boats, however, may have as little as two-person,
or even one-person, crews.The use of sailing ships
and sail boats is both historical and varied. Simple
sail boats were likely first developed by primitive
societies for fishing purposes. Many developing countries
still employ sail boats in fishing. Transportation
is another common historical use of sail boats. Sailingships
are still widely used for commerce on the Indian Ocean.
Military use of sailing ships was especially prevalent
during the discovery of lands in the Western Hemisphere.
Though
there are many types of sail boats and sailing ships,
all have basic structure in common: a hull is the buoyant
boat body; rigging includes the mast, sails, and cords;
and ballast is weight placed in the bottom of the ship,
to keep it from turning over in the wind.
