"Once the departure is made from the true sharpie hull configuration and concept, one is beginning to gild the lily. Costs soar and the result is seldom an improvement."In my mind, the only possible exception for a boat that just might pull off the VolkCruiser concept/budget that you can build yourself is the sharpie and then only if you keep true to concept and simplicity to the Nth degree.
- Tom Colvin
We're talking serious Zen simplicity...
Tom Colvin is a smart guy and his short notes on sharpies are really a must read for anyone considering building one. Or, for that matter, anyone building a boat of any kind...
The advantages of sharpies are varied and many... Short build time, low cost, and a turn of performance that will shock many. Throw in the fact that shoal draft in the sharpie world is something that multihulls can only dream of and you have the makings of a pretty interesting cruising boat.
Having cruised in our Bolger-designed Loose Moose and Loose Moose 2 which only drew 12 & 14 inches respectively, I have to say that drawing 4 1/2 feet in our current boat sometimes seems problematic.
Next we'll be looking at some sharpie design stuff...
