The schooner is a sailboat with at least two masts, with the foremast being shorter than the other masts. Schooners are classified as a divided rig sailboat and have fore-and-aft rigged sails. The article describes the Zodiac, a two-masted gaff-rigged topsail schooner built using traditional shipbuilding techniques. It also discusses the history of schooners, including their origins and role in coastal trade, as well as the notable La Amistad schooner involved in a prominent 19th century civil rights case.