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Building A Sharpie.

Over the past couple of months I have had the privilege of helping build a North Carolina Sharpie right here in Ontario. The boat, Civil Disobedience, was built by Driftwood Analog Sailing Company, a local sailing charter company.

Chris Chafe, the founder of Driftwood, was the main force behind the construction. Doug Jones; boatbuilder, master craftsman and solutioneer, provided guidance and shop space for the build. The rest of the labour came from Chris’ friends and family who came as they could to work on the boat and the rig. Overall it took about 6 months to build, though that was far from a full-time process.

Howard I. Chappelle’s Boatbuilding was referenced when necessary, but a strong point  of the Sharpie design is the relative ease of the build, as they were constructed for years by less-skilled boatbuilders with little access to proper facilities. The simple elegance of these boats as well as their speed and seaworthiness made them popular for decades as workboats and yachts up and down the coast of America. For those interested in more info about these remarkable boats check out Reuel B. Parker’s The Sharpie Book.

 

Scribing the stern frame, with the plans.
Civil Disobedience at the early stages of construction. The stern frame has just been installed, and the hull is still upside down on the construction frames.
The hull after turnover, installing the centreboard trunk.
The recently glued mast, right after the clamps have been removed.
Getting the boat ready for her maiden voyage. Notice how shallow the boat is, and the sweet, sweet sheerline.

 

Keep on eye on the blog, I will be posting pictures and video of the maiden voyage soon. Check out Driftwood at: http://driftwoodsailing.tumblr.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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