Another very popular rig in the Maritimes was the brigantine, used extensively for coastal and West Indies trade as well as the European trade. While this rig had undergone several changes since the 18th and early 19th century, this painting represents the brigantine as it appeared during the last half of the 19th century.
This two masted vessel might be described as a cross between a brig and a schooner. The fore mast is square rigged, as in a brig, but the main mast is fore and aft rigged as in a schooner. They ranged in size from fifty to several hundred tons.
The Sarah B was built at St. Mary's, Guysborough Co., Nova Scotia in 1873 by Alexander McDonald. It was owned by a group of merchants of Halifax but several people in Sherbrook also had shares in the vessel. The Sarah B was abandoned at sea on December 9, 1882.
The water colour shows the Sarah B entering the Bay of Naples July 27, 1874. Mount Vesuvius can be seen on the left. This view from the weather side of the vessel shows the rigging detail very clearly. Note the four stay-sails between the two masts.
Courtesy: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, Halifax, N.S.
