Editing Cutter (boat) (section)

==Decked cutters of 18th and 19th centuries==
[[File:The Nimble cutter.jpg|thumb|The Royal Navy cutter ''Nimble'' in chase of a French cutter]]
The term cutter appeared in the early 18th century as a description of a hull type. These vessels were designed for speed and the name was used in a similar way to [[clipper]] in the next century. The concept of hull type was perpetuated by the term "cutter brig" which was used over the period ''circa'' 1781–1807 for those rigged as brigs. "Cutter built" was a description applied to a hull of this type and designed for speed. More generally, the unmodified word "cutter" soon became associated with a single-masted rig.<ref name="MacGregor 1988">{{cite book |last1=MacGregor |first1=David R. |title=Fast Sailing Ships, their design and construction, 1775-1875 |date=1988 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-87021895-6 |edition=Second}}</ref>{{rp|26–30}}

Fast vessels were often used for illegal purposes, such as smuggling, or by the authorities trying to prevent this illegality. Therefore, cutters were used for both. The Royal Navy bought and had built a large number for use in controlling smuggling, as "advice boats" (carrying dispatches), or against [[privateer]]s.<ref name="Bennett 2005">{{cite book |last1=Bennett |first1=Jenny |title=Sailing Rigs, an Illustrated Guide |date=2005 |publisher=Chatham Publishing |location=London |isbn=1-86176-243-7}}</ref>{{rp|56}}

The characteristic cutter hull shape was wide; many had a length to breadth ratio of 3 to 1. It had a lot of deadrise and fine lines. A huge amount of sail could be set on these [[Beam (nautical)|beamy]] hulls. The rig became standardised as having one mast, a [[Gaff rig|gaff-rigged]] [[mainsail]], square sails and several headsails{{snd}}together with a full range of extra light weather sails. The mainsail had a boom that extended beyond the stern.  Square sails consisted of a [[Course (sail)|course]], [[topsail]] and [[Topgallant sail|topgallant]]. In earlier examples (before 1800) the topsail's foot had a large amount of [[Roach (sail)|roach]] and was sheeted to a separate yard that was set below the main yard (which carried the course).{{efn|The roach in a sail is a curve cut into an edge. In this instance, it is a concave curve in the foot, or lower edge, of the square topsail. This allows the sail to set clear of the forestays, yet still have a large vertical extent along the leeches (the vertical edges of a square sail).<ref name="Mayne 2000">{{cite book |last1=Mayne |first1=Richard |title=The language of sailing |date=2000 |publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn |location=Chicago, Illinois |isbn=978-1-579-58278-4}}</ref>{{rp|238}}}} The headsails were a [[staysail]], set on the [[forestay]] (which fastened to the stemhead), a [[jib]], set flying to a traveller on the [[bowsprit]] and, in most cases, a [[flying jib]] (alternatively termed a jib-topsail) also set flying, but to a higher point on the mast. A cutter has a running bowsprit, which can be brought inboard when not needed, such as in rough weather or in harbour. The bowsprit was usually of great length, sometimes longer than the hull. The standard fair weather sails consisted of a [[Ringtail (sail)|ringtail]] to the mainsail and [[studding sail]]s to the square sails. It was not unknown for cutters to use a removable mizzen mast for use when [[Reaching (sailing)|reaching]], setting a [[lugsail]]. Since the boom of the mainsail overhung the stern, the mast would have to be removed to [[Tack (sailing)|tack]] or gybe.{{r|MacGregor 1988|p=26–30}}

The dimensions of an 18th-century cutter purchased by the Royal Navy in 1763, and roughly in the middle of the size range of the batch of 30 bought that year ({{HMS|Fly|1763|6}}) are: length on deck {{convert|47|ft|6|in}}, beam {{convert|20|ft|10.25|in}}, measuring just over 78 tons [[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]]. Smuggling cutters ranged from 30 tons (captured in 1747) to 140 tons. The Revenue cutters increased in size to match the vessels they attempted to catch{{snd}}''Repulse'', of 210 tons was built in 1778. A determining factor on size was the number of crew needed to handle the large gaff mainsail with its long boom. Larger cutters purchased by the Royal Navy were sometimes converted to brigs to make them easier to handle, but still utilising the fast hull.{{r|MacGregor 1988|p=26–29}}{{r|Leather 1970|p=120–123}}<ref name="Winfield 2007">{{cite book |last1=Winfield |first1=Rif |title=British warships in the age of sail, 1714–1792: design, construction, careers and fates |date=2007 |publisher=Seaforth / MBI |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |isbn=9781-844157006}}</ref>{{rp|ch 9}}