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18-foot Chesapeake Bay Modified Sharpie Skiff
This excellent small craft represents the highest stage of evolution
of the sharpie into the deadrise, or V-bottom, skiff. The type is very
close to the forms developed by Thomas Clapham in Long Island, which he
called “nonpareil” sharpies, and to the modified sharpies designed and
built by Larry Huntington, also in Long Island, in the late 19th century.
The type just prior to this is represented by the “flattie,” which had
deadrise in the stern only. The types that followed are the “skipjack”
and “batteau.” A good example of a modern boat of this type is the “Lightning”
class. The model shown is moderate, neither a burdensome work boat nor
flat-out racer. A removable cuddy might be made for this boat to fit around
the coaming, and canvas bunks (or a plywood platform) could be laced to
strap-eyes in the hull and centerboard trunk, thus converting her into
a “micro-cruiser.”
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