x Kestrel 15

The "Kestrel" was fitted with three sliding keels, a large one amidships and two smaller ones fore and aft, that could be used individually or in combination. They were raised or lowered by small crank-style winches on deck. For their displacement, cutters were sharp-ended and very heavily sparred and ballasted. The cutter was a single-masted vessel similar to a sloop. The long bowsprit was a "running" spar that could be "housed", that is pulled back into the ship. This, along with the straight stem, distinguished the cutter from a sloop. The cutter carried a gaff mainsail, spread at its foot by a long boom. A large square sail, or crossjack, was carried before the mast. Other sails were the save-all topsail, a swallow-tailed topsail, a topgallant sail, a foresail, a jib, a flying jib, a gaff topsail, studdingsails, a ring-tail-sail, a water-sail, and, sometimes, royals. This enormous spread of sail was made possible by the large crews carried by cutters.