The earliest fore-and-aft rigs appeared in the form of
spritsails in Greco-Roman navigation. Here a
Roman merchant ship with spritsail (3rd c. AD).
A
fore-and-aft rig is a
sailing rig consisting mainly of
sails that are set along the line of the
keel rather than perpendicular to it. Such
sails are described as
fore-and-aft rigged.
Fore-and-aft rigged sails include
Staysails,
Bermuda rigged sails,
Gaff rigged sails,
Gaff sails,
Gunter rig,
Lateen sails,
Lugsails and the
spanker sail on a
square rig.
Fore-and-aft rigs include:
- Rigs with two or more masts: the schooner
Barques and
barquentines are partially
square rigged and partially fore-and-aft rigged.
Similar phrases in other languages
"Fore and Aft" is distinctly English maritime phraseology, but the Dutch (or Afrikaans) equivalent is 'voor en achter', with a similar meaning.
Uniform
"Fore and Aft Rig" is a nickname for a kind of
Royal Navy uniform with a conventional jacket, shirt and tie and
peaked cap rather than jumper, bell bottom trousers and round hat (known as
square rig). Fore and Aft Rig is worn by all
officers,
warrant officers,
chief petty officers and
petty officers. It was once also worn by junior ratings who did not belong to seaman or engine room branches (e.g. artificer apprentices, medical personnel, administrative personnel,
cooks,
stewards etc), although they too have now worn square rig for many years.
