They were a solution for navigating the shallow fishing grounds and replaced the center keel to correct lateral drift.
Some boats are for looks.
Others actually sail. Bermuda Sloops could be recognized by a long bowsprit on a relatively short hulled boat. As pond racers they were popular in the roaring thirties. A weighted keel, a relatively waterproof hull and hardware to trim sails and masts are all there. A rudder quadrant controls steering to some extent.