Sharpie Sterns

[qm]

TKS for the "round" stern pics. I am tempted to build a 28 foot sharpie with the old barrel stave stern someday. Does anyone know about the so called "sharpie skiffs"(about 16' or 18') of the 1920s. I have a photo somewhere of them sitting on the Old Mill beach in Westport getting ready to race. Bob

[ahp]

I will make a subjective comment. The working sharpies with round barrel stave sterns look good. They look good because thay need to have a lot of rocker and the stern came out "thin", the distance from bottom to deck.

The yachting sharpies didn't need nearly as much rocker since they were never loaded down, so the round stern becomes thick, and I think it is unattractive, clumsy.

Not all working sharpies had fantail sterns, and most yachting sharpies didn't. Are you planning to tong for oysters? Put a nice raking transom on it. It will look better.

[Thad Van Gilder]

I made a 17 foot sharpie with the damn round staved transom. The staves were shaped from 8/4 cedar to finish at 3/4. (could have been 6/4 but that's all I had) It took for ever. but it looked real good. I made the center stave out of mahaghany and varnished it. Lots of oohs and ahhs.

Thad
S/V IVY