The two-masted schooner was the most popular and most common of all rigs. First introduced in the early part of the 18th century the rig has remained almost unchanged for over two hundred years. Many variations in size and hull line, however, can be found.
The schooner was used extensively for coastal work around the provinces as well as in the American and West Indies trade. Schooners ranged in size from twenty to several hundred tons. Their main advantage was their speed, ease of handling, manoeuvreability, and small crew requirement. Long after the last of the square-rigged vessels passed into history, schooners continued to be made and manned by Maritimers for use in the coastal trade and fisheries.
The David Lynch was built in 1894 at Saint John, N.B. by David Lynch and was operated as a pilot boat in Saint John Harbour for many years. This water colour is by Edward Russell, a well-known artist of Saint John, New Brunswick.
