A spritsail is a four-sided, fore-and-aft sail supported by a diagonal spar called a sprit, and it holds the distinction of being the first European fore-and-aft rig, dating back to Greco-Roman navigation in the 2nd century BC. This rig, considered the ancestor of the gaff rig that emerged in 16th-century Holland, features a luff attached to the mast and a leech supported by the sprit, with the foot either attached to a boom or left loose-footed. The rig is most famously associated with the Thames sailing barge, where the sprit is angled and steadied by wire vangs, allowing for precise control of the sail's head. A major advantage of the spritsail is its safety and practicality: being boomless, it avoids the danger of a boom dragging in the water during a capsize, and it allows for high stacks of deck cargo without obstructing the cargo hatch. Crews can quickly brail the sail up against the mast for fine control in narrow channels or sheltered areas, making it highly versatile for commercial use.