20160901

Not having found a second-hand clinker-ply Ilur, I decided to design and build my own dinghy. As an Ilur was too complex, I played with the idea of a sharpie. So I bought The Sharpie Book by Reuel Parker.

Compared to dories, sharpies have a flat wide bottom, have bigger rigs and are more stable. Sharpies are easy to build and fast. The smallest sharpies are 15 to 18 foot, but most are upwards of 20'. Flatiron skiffs are small sharpies. They are generally sailed with a single leg-o-mutton sail.

Upwind they should be heeled with the chine pressed into the water. In this state, the sides and flat bottom form a 'V', which means there is less slamming. The long overhangs now create a longer waterline, all good for upwind performance.

But are they good for dinghy cruising?

With their long overhangs, small sharpies are going to be cramped. Big sharpies are just too much of a handful. Upwind they must be heeled to sail well. This means that you must maintain a delicate balance for long hours on end.

A cruising dinghy must be stable, and more or less sail itself, especially when you are tired. I will continue my search.