HC SKIFF, SAILING SKIFF, 18' X 5', 450 POUNDS EMPTY

HC Skiff is a rework of the "typical sharpie skiff" that appears on page 101 o Howard Chapelle's great book AMERICAN SMALL SAILING CRAFT. I can almost say that if you own only one book about small sailing boats that this is the one to have. The lines of my version are straight from Howard's offset table. I found it all very interesting. For one thing it is, by today's standards, a long narrow hull, 18' long and only about 4' wide on the bottom. The stem (which is not quite vertical) rides an inch or so over the water, then the bottom goes more or less straight down to the deepest and widest point of the hull which is at about half the length of the hull. Then the bottom sweeps way up above the waterline for a very small transom indeed. There were working hulls. Heavy loads could be carried without immersing the transom, always harmful to a boat with no motor. You just put everything toward the stern and kept the stem just clear of the water. The fact that the widest and deepest point of the hull is at the halfway point shuld produce an all around better handling boat than one which has most of its beam towards the stern. I think the hull shape has a lot to admire and is little improved upon by any modern flattie skiff thinking. Chapelle says the shape was very common al along the East Coast from 1860 untill 1900.

I used more modern plywood construction on HC Skiff. The old ones were nailed together from 1" boards. Then they were left outside in the water until they died. They must have been very heavy both in their construction and soakage, not to mention the payloads of clams and oysters. My version uses five sheets of 1/4" plywood and five sheets of 1/2" plywood and will weight a lot less than the original. It's done with prefab parts and glue and nails, no jigs or lofting required.

I had to tinker with the sail rig which was of the same style shown here but at least 50% larger. On the old heavy boats that might have been OK but I'm sure it would be way too much for the lighter ply version. I kept the centerboard, large and effective. I added hull air boxes front and stern for a chance at self rescue after a swamping. I kept the large deadwood aft and barndoor rudder. Also added some seats (the originals had simply three thwarts and stern seating).