Large sharpie for the Adriatic

Hi all!
After reading the Sharpie book i got the itch to build myself one of those big sharpies as I *think it could suit my needs almost perfectly. I also dig the looks.

Even though it is quite straightforward project it is also a big one. I am also aware that the for just the price of material I could get me an used boat with proper space below deck, loaded with gear too.

My sailing would be mostly daysailing with friends, some beach cruising and sometimes a short (couple days to one week) island hopping cruise with my girlfriend along the coast.

The Croatian coast is beautiful sailing ground with predictable weather patterns. During the summer (when i plan to use the boat) winds are mostly moderate to steady W to NW 10-15kt in the afternoon with dead calms in the mornings most of the time. The fresh Westerly can sometimes raise an annoying short chop though (3-5ft average). Mind you, sometimes the deppresion which forms in bay of Genoa arrives to Adriatic and causes storms that would be handful even for the most expirienced skippers in proper blue water boats. Such storm systems are quite predictable and no way I would be going out to sea knowing that one is brewing. In the worst case scenario, distances between islands average <10 miles so it would be easy to run for shelter if I was out unprepared.

The goals that have to be met are:

-fun and fast reaching and runing back and forth to the islands in moderate breeze, pointing high is not as important.

- easily driven with 8hp outboard in a well, up to hull speed 8kt(?), This is very important because dead calms sometimes stretch for days on July and August.
Plus, I would rather motor than sail to that annoying 3ft chop too.

-good speed sailing in gentle breeze

-stiff somewhat with stabilty curve at least to 80°

Oh, the boat I am considering is New Haven 35ft sharpie and I would love to get advice from someone expirienced with such almost radical boats. (I have never seen one in person, let alone sailed)

Cheers, Igor

 

Do you have specific New Haven sharpie plans in mind?

 

You are considering the Ruel Parker 35' New Haven?
Neat boat. Keeping it simple and light should yield a fast boat for your needs!
You brought up motoring in chop. As you know sharpies can pound in chop so motor sailing (heeling) in those conditions will make life easier IMO.
Keep us posted!!!

 

Parker's 35 foot New Haven sharpie from the Sharpie book, low and lean.

 

Yes, that is the one. I know that the flat fore foot would slap to windward, general consensus is that heeling it a bit would sort out the worst of it but i do not know how well that works in practice.
I could live with that if it is fun and fast on other points of sail.

 

This model also looks promising, 33 ft North Carolina sharpie, it is a bit beamier than the New Haven model (l/b 5:1 vs true 6:1 for New haven model) with a bit shorter rig is better geared for cruising but I do not know how such wide flat bottom hull would behave in light wind and under motor.

 

In the plans shown above, you really do not have much headroom in the cabin - are you sure that you and your girlfriend will be happy with this when cruising?

Sharpies were designed for very shallow ('skinny') water - do you have a requirement for this in Croatia? you could certainly beach a sharpie easily - but how often will you realistically be doing this? If you are cruising, would you typically be at anchor overnight in deeper water, or beached?

 

Yes, the headroom is really low. It could be built with large sliding hatch to open the space up a bit.
The designer states that the boat would not make a good long term liveaboard as the headroom is just 3 feet 6. In Croatia cruising season is during the hot summer months with fine weather and the most time is spent in the cockpit, the interior is used for sleeping, cooking and as a (hopefully) dry storage.

Shallow draft is not an utter neccessity but sure is welcome, not having to worry about slamming the bulb keel into the rock is a bonus.

There is not much skinny water here, average depth is 50m, goes down to 200 further from the coast.

Overnighting would be done anchored in protected coves, would never do that on the open water, rogue power boaters everywhere.

 

I can see the appeal of sharpies - but I am thinking that maybe something more like a Norwalk Island sharpie might be more suitable for cruising than the 35' New Haven sharpie?
nisboats : Norwalk Islands Sharpies : plans kits building sailing rigging & lots of boat stuff : Bruce Kirby Designs & Straydog Boatworks http://www.nisboats.com/mainpages/catalogue.html

They do not appear to sell plans though, only kits.
A kit would save you a lot of hassle though, while you would still have the fun and enjoyment (and the headaches.....) of building your own boat.

 

bajansailor makes some important points.
Did you arrive at a sharpie by following a *SOR or by falling in love?

*statement of requirements

 

NIS sharpie is definitely better choice, it is also twice the boat by all accounts. Been checking them out, it is much more boat than i need!

 

Bit of both actually.
Coming from the need for stylish, fast and simple daysailer that I can build myself for knocking about with friends for an afternoon in a good breeze and the one which can double duty as a fast minimalistic cruiser for a couple.

I also need a reality check as I have never been on a flat bottomed boat bigger than 15ft and would like to know how such long, slender and low freeboard hull behaves in a seaway.

 

Where will you be keeping the boat when she is not in use - ashore on a trailer, perhaps towing it home with you, or afloat, perhaps berthed in a marina?
If afloat, then a shorter vessel like a NIS sharpie would have as much accommodation (if not more) than a 35' New Haven sharpie, and the berthing fees would be much less.

 

I have a berth in a marina, that is one of the reasons why I am considering such large boat.

 

OK, so you already have a berth arranged for a 10 or 11 metre long vessel?
Would it cost less if you had a shorter, fatter sharpie with the same amount of accommodation, while still having good sailing ability?