What is a schooner?

Schooners were sailboats usually equipped with two or three masts, but some had as many as seven!

Schooners had many qualities, the main ones of which made them one of the most widely used boats for transporting goods:

• good maneuverability
• speed
• could navigate in shallow water

Barrels of apples and plums were transported on schooners similar to the one shown here. These small boats travelled from one village to the next, delivering goods and picking up new ones. This type of transport was known as cabotage.

Canadian 10 cent coin, 1985

You know Canada’s most famous schooner since you’ve seen it regularly even though it doesn’t sail near you.