A yawl carries two masts. The mainmast is the tall one forward; the mizzen is the shorter one stepped aft of the rudderpost. That placement is what makes it a yawl and not a ketch (where the mizzen is forward of the rudderpost). Crew new to a yawl sometimes treat the mizzen as an afterthought. That is a mistake — the mizzen changes how the boat balances, steers, and behaves at anchor or hove-to.
The mizzen's jobs
In light air the mizzen adds sail area aft and helps push the bow off when coming off the dock or setting up a tack. In heavier air it trims weather helm — a yawl will often sail more comfortably with the main shortened and the mizzen driving, rather than overpowering the main and fighting the rudder. On a reach the mizzen is often furled entirely; its sheeting angles put it in the mainsail's backwind too easily.
Hoisting order
On a classic yawl the sequence at departure matters. A common order: main halyard tensioned, then headsail up and cleated, then mizzen. Reversing this without good reason can lead to the bow paying off in the wrong direction before you want it to. If the captain gives a specific order, follow it — every boat has habits.
Mizzen staysail
Some yawls carry a mizzen staysail, a large reaching sail set between the masts. It is rarely used on a charter vessel unless the crew is experienced; it fills the cockpit space and requires both mast areas to be clear. On a classic boat built before modern running rigging hardware, the sheets and guys for a mizzen staysail can add real complexity. If the vessel you are sailing carries one, ask the captain before you touch anything.
Sheet leads on older hardware
Classic yawls built in the 1930s and 1940s use hardware that predates modern deck hardware standards. Sheet leads may run through blocks bolted to the deck with original through-bolts; cleats may be old-style horn cleats that take a specific figure-eight pattern, not a cam cleat flip. Learn the vessel's rigging before departure. Yanking a sheet through an undersized block on an old deck fitting can damage it — and that fitting may not have a modern replacement.
Furling
Depending on the vessel, headsails may be roller-furling (common modern addition) or hanked-on (traditional, common on boats of this era). If the boat uses hanked-on sails, know how to douse and bag them, not just roll them. Guests on the bow watching a crew member struggle with a hanked jib is avoidable.
JADA is a 1938 65-foot yawl chartering from Harbor Island, San Diego Bay. We are looking for mates, deckhands, and licensed captains for weekend charter sails.
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