Posted by mike stevens on June 12, 2001 at 21:05:19 from 195.92.67.65:
In Reply to: Re: types of bat - americanism ? posted by Adam Quinan on March 27, 2001 at 04:08:30:
The US boating magazine'Wooden Boat' published an article on 'Sharpies and skiffs' sometime in the 1980's.
Both are flat bottomed craft, simply built by nailing two boards that will form the sides to the stem. They are then bent around a former placed between them near the bow. The two planks are then slowly brought together at the stern and nailed to the transome..
the bottom consisting of planks laid across the hull rather than lengthwise is then nailed on. The other flat bottomed boat, the dory is built by bending the bottom first in its length and then adding the sides.
Both sharpies and skiffs are noted for their narrow beam. A sharpie is a sailing craft, fitted with a centre board and can vary in lenght from small dinghy to quite large yacht. A skiff is a sharpie without sailing gear, and is normally rowed.
A cat boat is characterised by its large beam, Swallow cannot be described as a cat boat because her beam is too narrow. It is also a feature of cat boats that their mast is virtually just behind the bows. Swallow, with her mast in a more normal position is a sloop.