The four commonest type of sailing vessel to be found trading around the coast of Llyn between 1800 and the early 1900's  was the sloop, ketch, schooner and topsail schooner, they are easily recognized from these photographs.

Sloop, Single mast and the smallest of the vessels (15 to 30 tons) Easy to sail, so sometimes they were single-handed, but normally they would have a crew of two. They could creep in and out of the smallest of creeks. And so were favorite with smugglers as well.

Ketch, Two masts with the after one being shorter. Usually just two of a crew. Some would call these the "work horses" around Llyn, being widely used.

Schooner, Two masts, both the same length, or the main (after) mast was longer. Two or three crew, depending on their size. Again like the Ketch, very frequent visitors. The “Mary Goldsworthy” pictured here was at Porth Ysgo, Rhiw, unloading coal on the 10th and 22nd of July 1914.

Topsail schooner, again two masts but had two or even three yardarms on the foremast, these were usually the largest, up to 120 tons, and had about  four of a crew. Capt, mate and two deck hands. They would normally be found at Nefyn, Porthdinllaen, Abersoch, Llanbedrog and Pwllheli, being the most sheltered from the prevailing south westerly winds. As it took much longer to discharge them.

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Much larger vessels than these would trade  from Pwllheli. And the “Margaret Pugh” at 693 tons, was the largest ship ever built there in 1861.

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