page_title: Sharpie (boat)
section_title: Further development and variations
hierarchical_section_title: Sharpie (boat) / Traditional sharpies / Further development and variations
caption_attribution_description: English: The Barnacle Historic State Park's 2-masted sharpie "Egret"
context_page_description: Sharpies are a type of hard chined sailboat with a flat bottom, extremely shallow draft, centreboards and straight, flaring sides. They are believed to have originated in the New Haven, Connecticut region of Long Island Sound, United States. They were traditional fishing boats used for oystering, and later appeared in other areas. With centerboards and shallow balanced rudders they are well suited to sailing in shallow tidal waters.
context_section_description: Sharpies were introduced to Florida in 1881, when Commodore Ralph Munroe brought the 33-foot New Haven style sharpie, of his own design, Kingfish to the Miami area of Florida. Perhaps the most famous of sharpies was the Commodore's Egret design, now immortalized in plans available from WoodenBoat magazine. Commodore Monroe designed Egret in 1886 and had her built on Staten Island and delivered to Key West.
  Egret was unique in that she had higher, flaring sides than the typical sharpie and was double-ended. This meant more stability as she was loaded and the ability to run before a following sea without waves breaking over the stern. These attributes contributed to behavior that led the Commodore to call the Egret a "sharpie-lifeboat".
  Throughout the late 19th century, the Commodore and others helped to evolve the type. Various sharpie yachts were designed by those who found the lines of working sharpies appealing. Thomas Clapham used a v-bottom in his "Nonpareil sharpies", and Larry Huntington introduced a rounded, arc bottom that has been used by modern designers like Bruce Kirby and Reuel Parker. Some believe the Chesapeake Bay skipjack with its v-bottom may have evolved from the early sharpies. Whatever the case, Chesapeake sharpie skiffs were common, especially in the smaller sizes, because of their easy and cheap construction.
  Howard I. Chapelle, a naval architect and curator of maritime history, wrote several books on traditional work boats and boat building, some of which include sharpie design and construction. He was a particular advocate of pleasure boats based on work boat models and designed many sharpie sailboats, cruisers and yachts. For a typical example of his work, see the article on a 14-foot sharpie.
caption: Egret replica at The Barnacle Historic State Park, Miami, Florida
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