Schooner-7 THOMAS W. LAWSON riding high under full sail

Schooner-7 THOMAS W. LAWSON riding high under full sail

Schooner-7 THOMAS W. LAWSON riding high under full sail Lost on Friday the 13th, Dec. 13, 1907 THOMAS W. LAWSON, Schooner Maine developed the economical 4, 5, and 6 masted schooners, coal and lumber carriers which sailed up and down the East Coast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But these were not big enough for some. The 395-foot steel-hulled THOMAS W. LAWSON was the only schooner in the world ever to have seven masts, and the largest unpowered sailing vessel ever constructed. She's sailing here on her maiden voyage with every one of her 25 sails set. Built in 1902, she broke up only five years later after grounding off the English coast and spilling 58,000 barrels of oil. These vessels were ill suited for ocean voyaging.