Is my boat properly a periauger?

Hello All,

I've just bought a Tanton 43 and am considering names for her. One possibility I'm considering is "Periauger". She's a cat ketch with two nearly equal height unstayed carbon fiber masts and wishbone or sprit booms. The main is stepped right forward in the bow and the mizzen is about amidships.

Some descriptions, like in the "Ketch" article on Wikipedia, simply equate cat ketches and periaugers. Other's specify shallow draft, lug sails and even dugout hulls.

I don't want to name my boat ignorantly so your opinions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Lee

 

Aak to Zumbra is the best reference I know of for historic boat and watercraft (not ship) terminology. For periauger it gives the following definitions:

1. Word widely used in colonial times for a variety of craft. ....
2. Term frequently applied to a boat rigged with 2 masts about the same height, sometimes raked in opposing direction, and carrying no headsails. Foremast stepped near the bow. Sails generally loose-footed or mainsail boomed; short gaffs.
3. In New York Harbor, .....
4. Periaugers continued to work during the 19th century in New Your Bay area as sailing lighter or market boats. Also reported in use on the Mississippi River. Flat bottom with no keel; probably sharp-ended; open or decked at the ends; sometimes used oval leeboards. Schooner-rigged; also employed sweeps. Reported lengths ....
5. In the souutheastern United States, a general freight boat used from Georgia north to the North Carolina sounds and the associated tributary rivers. ...... Proportions varied, with the beamier and deeper boats used in more exposed waters. Constructed of several shaped logs; ..... Two unstayed masts; sails probably sprit, leg-of-mutton, or gaff-headed. .....
Spelling variants: peeryaugo, peraugua, pereauger, periago(e), preiaugua, preiaugo, perigua, perriauger, perry-auger, petitaugre, pettiagua, pettiauguer, pettiauger, pettiaugre, petty-(y)auger, piragua, piroque, pittyauger

 

I am constantly, and appreciatively, amazed at the information that we get from our forum members. Who knew of such a resource as the one that David suggested? Not me. Thanks to David and dozens of others who hold forth on the forum.

 

Here is some information and photos of the periauger built at the NC Maritime Museum.

http://beaufortartist.blogspot.com/2007/10/periauger.html

 

Thanks for the responses

Many thanks to David and Tom. "Aak to Zumbra" looks like a great reference -- one I hadn't run across before. The mention in it of "leg of mutton" sails is encouraging. The other definitions and pictures I'd come across -- like in Tom's link -- made it look as though gaff sails were an essential part of the formula.

I'm thinking now that I might just get away with this name, not so much as a literal description of my boat but as a respectful nod to a similar boat from the past (and I do like the sound of the word...).

Cheers,

Lee

 

At the time periaugers were in use along the Carolina Coast, most working boats had free standing masts and were sprit boomed, rectangular sprit sails without boom or gaff. I suspect one of the main characteristics of periaugers is that they were hogged out of large logs and not planked up. Of course the name could have had other meanings in other areas. Local periaugers were heavy workboats and probably not used for pleasure as many of the other smaller workboats like the sprits'l skiffs and sharpies often were.

 

Based on the multiple definitions in Aak to Zumbra, periauger was used as the name of a boat type somewhat differently in different regions and also differently at various times in the same region. This is relatively common for boat type names including sloop, schooner, yawl, skipjack, sharpie, ketch, and many, many more.