Sbft. 13, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



185 



<£?^ez? tt&JV/y/l V/L. 



THE MODERN SHARPIE. 



SHARPIES, in general, are a very old story, revamped time and 

 again, whenever local pride wings itself for an extra (light of 

 fancy, fondly imagining that it has been left to some little clam 

 town along the Sound to "create a revolution" in all the world 

 has leamt and acquired in naval architecture through many cen- 

 turies. The modifications made upon the original sharpie of late 

 by Mr. Thos. Ctapham, of Hoslyn, Long Island, and the systematic 

 study that gentleman has given to this peculiar style of boat, 

 have been rewarded with so much success that Forest and Stream, 

 always in the van in such matters, seeks, this week, to meet the grow- 

 ing demand for the latest information concerning the improved 

 sharpie, or "Nonpareil'' as she is now technically termed. A great 

 deal has been communicated to these columns as to the real, original 

 inventor of sharpies, and more or less evidence had been proffered. 

 But we are inclined to the belief that sharpies, like the chair, 

 simply "grew." 



When the logs gave out along the Connecticut shore, and suitable 

 material for the prehistoric dugout became scarce in consequence, 

 what more natural than that the oystermen and longshore people 

 should have cast about for some substitute? And what more natu- 

 ral than that they should have applied lo the nearest sawmill for 

 plank from which to nail up a box in imitation of the more costly and 

 complicated round-ribbed compositions of the regular boat braider' 

 The box was run to a point at one end, and a single wide plank on 

 the bottom was rounded up aft, as the nearest approach to regular 

 boat form three planks could be induced to assume. Simple and 

 cheap, every man became his own builder during the sawmill era. 

 rip and cross cut supplanting the axe and burning process of the 

 days when biglogs were common. Ii required little time to discover 

 the perfeci adaptability nf the sharpie to the end in view. With fiat 

 bottom she could lay on the mud without injury, was easily beached, 

 was stiff, and carried a good load on small draft of water, and being 

 light and buoyant, she rose readily to the sea, and carried crew and 

 cargo with safety through bad weather. No one could ask for more, 

 and so the sharpie fast came into general use wherever the succulent 

 bivalve was hunted. 



The general introduction of such boats along the coast and in other 

 climes was for a long time neglected, because the owners along the 

 Connecticut shore did not con ider themselves shouldered with any 

 special mission to go proselyting among heathens, and were content 

 to let their light shine under a bushel, as long as the bushel was full 

 of the game they most coveted. So it was that until quite recent li- 

 the sharpie remained a tool known to local fame only. Within the 

 last few years, however, the interest-; of the oysterman have expanded 

 and the sharpie, as part and parcel of a regular outfit for the trade, 

 lias found her way into Southern waters, and bids fair to receive very 

 wide recognition. In a limited degree, working upon the svmpal hies 

 of those taking pride in local productions, she likewise found a foot- 

 ing among boats used for pleasure sailing, more particularlv where 

 sailing was pursued along shore in connection with hunting and hsh- 



AFIO\BODY FORE BODY 



PLANS OF SIXTY-FEET NONPAREIL, 



