Topsail schooner sail plans and rigging

[wefalck]

I think, I have seen representations where the forecourse on the lee-side is brailed up, as it would blanket the foresails, but here it is clearly a triangular sail set (flying) to windward.

 

One thing I noticed is that we tend too framed by navy rules and regulations, where everything was supposed to be done 'by the book'. In the merchant navy the master basically could do whatever he saw fit and if it worked, the better. If something went wrong, however, he may have had to explain himself in front of a court. So in practice, one probably saw all sorts of strange arrangements.