in having a fore-gripe, or bow skeg, as well as a skeg 

 aft. As a result they were very steady on the helm. 

 When a fi.sherman was taking up his gear he often 

 had to attend this rather than the helm, so the fore- 

 gripe proved useful in these boats. 



The model shows an open skifT-like sharpie having 

 a fiat bottom and straight, flaring sides, the flare very 

 great at stern, strong camber fore-and-aft with 

 moderate round forward and more aft, strong 

 sheer, large centerboard, a nearly vertical straight 

 stem, a raking transom of marked width, the rudder 

 hung outboard, a bow (or breast) thwart, a wide mast 

 thwart, one thwart aft of the centerboard case, and 

 stern sheets. There is a skeg at stern, and a 

 smaller skeg, or fore-gripe, at stem; the bow is long 

 and sharp with a short but rising and flat run. These 

 boats were characterized by the marked twist in their 

 side planks; the flare of the sides gradually increasing 

 as the stern was approached. 



The rig consists of a loose-footed sprit-mainsail and 

 jib, the latter tacked to the stemhead. The model is 

 fitted to row; a pair of oars and a steering sweep are 

 stowed. 



Scale of model is 1 inch to the foot, producing a 

 boat 20 feet 9 inches on the gunwale, 5 feet 7 inches 

 beam, 22}^ inches depth, mast 14 feet 8 inches above 

 gunwales, sprit 18 feet 6 inches, and oars 12 feet 2 

 inches. 



Given by U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 



CEDAR KEYS SEINE SKIFF, about 1890 

 Rigged Model, usnm 76270 



This model is of a wide, shoal, sharpie skiff of the 

 "flat iron" model that was once employed in the 

 alongshore seine fishery at Cedar Keys, Florida. 

 These boats were commonly fitted to row only, two 

 oars to a side, using double thole pins at each oar. 



As illustrated by the model, the skiff had its greatest 

 beam well aft, abaft the second thwart from the 

 stem, and carried the seine at the stern, on a net 

 deck a few inches below the gunwale. The stem 

 was straight and nearly upright; the sides flared, the 

 amount increasing from bow to stern. The sheer 

 was slight and the rocker of the bottom moderate, 

 coming from the heel of the stem in a straight line 

 for about a fourth the bottom length and then ciu'ving 

 very gently amidships to well aft, where the short 

 run was formed. The entrance was rather sharp, 

 considering the great beam. The boat was arranged 

 with a foredeck at thwart height, two rowing thwarts, 

 and a net deck about 4 feet long about 3 inches 

 below the gunwale. The bottom was cross-planked 

 and there was a very shallow skeg, or fore-gripe, at 

 the stem and a small skeg at the stern. The transom 

 was wide and set at a moderate rake. Floor boards 

 were fitted inside to protect the bottom. 



Scale of the model is 1 inch to the foot, for a skifl' 

 20 feet 7 inches long overall, 8 feet 3 inches beam, about 

 18 inches deep, stern 6 feet 4 inches wide at gunwale 

 with a vertical depth of about 13 inches, foredeck 

 reaching aft 4 feet 6 inches from face of stem, and 

 net deck carried forward 4 feet 3 inches from top 

 of transom. Oars sho^\■n lashed to thwarts, 12 feet 

 long. 



Given by U. S. Fish Commission. 



FLORIDA GILL-NET ROWING SKIFF, 1893 

 Rigged Model, usnm 76271 



This type of rowing skiff was once used at Cedar 

 Keys, Florida, for gill-net mullet fishing. These 

 boats were burdensome and did not have to be 

 rowed long distances or maneu\'ered quickly. 



This model shows a large, open, flat-bottomed 

 sharpie rowing skiff having strong sheer; a short. 



Bvilf of Timpm f/«n^o 



fa-f 

 1 ui- 





Lines of a Florid.a Sharpie Schoo.ner, Built at Tampa, Florida, about 1891-92. Taken ofl" builder's halt- 

 model USNM 76292. 



288 



