nis 23 sailboat

50th Anniversary Collectors Issue - September/October Issue No. 300 Preview Now

March / April 2024

The norwalk islands sharpies.

PAUL ATKINS On the Derwent River near Hobart, Tasmania, Geoff Heriot’s Norwalk Islands Sharpie (NIS) 23, SCHERZO, leads Rob Ballard’s NIS 23, ROUTE 66. Bruce Kirby designed the original NIS fleet, in lengths of 18’, 23’, 26’, 29’, 31’ and 43’, inspired by the Connecticut River oyster fishing sharpies of the late 19th century.

My son Jacob will tell you he was more than skeptical about the little plywood boat. He was pretty sure his older brother, Noah, and I were in the midst of another nautical impulse buy—flurries of infatuation that have not always turned out well for us.

The Norwalk Islands Sharpie 23 that Noah and I found on Craigslist was in New Orleans, where Jacob, 25, is a professional saxophonist. With both Noah and me far away in New England, we encouraged Jacob to “just go have a look.” This boat could be a gem. The Norwalk Islands Sharpies have a reputation for being extremely fast and able boats.

When Jacob saw POULE D’EAU, his skepticism began melting away. He liked the sleek, hard-chined hull and the raked, unstayed, cat-ketch rig. What truly blew him away, however, was his first sail with her seller, Dr. Peter Sawyer. “It was fast as all hell,” he gushed. Sawyer had written two articles for Small Boats Magazine about adventure cruising in the sharpie along the Gulf Coast and into the bayous. His enthusiasm was catching.

The rest, as they say, is history. After nearly a year of sailing POULE D’EAU, Jacob has become a zealous sharpie skipper. He sails five days a week and has become an active member of the Norwalk Islands Sharpies Facebook group. Like so many sharpie owners before him, Jacob has sailed “down the rabbit hole,” or more accurately, “over the rainbow.” He is far from alone. 

While Norwalk Islands Sharpies have gained a global following, they are especially popular in Australia. There are more than a few sailors there who claim that what they call “NIS boats” are as addicting as the taste of a Vegemite sandwich. The Aussies say that for many seafarers and dreamers, it takes only one sail (as it did for Jacob) in these largely home-built “little busters” to make you want to join a throng of Norwalk Islands Sharpie “mates.”

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NIS 23 SOLD!!!

Without a doubt the most capable and well know plywood trailer sailer to date. Designed by Bruce Kirby, these boats are very easy to sail and are a proven seaworthy design.

This one was owned by my father who passed away in August, dad had good intentions of restoring it back to her former glory, although there’s not really much that needs doing! Either put the fittings on and go sailing or give her a lick of paint and she’ll be as good as new. She was sailed on a weekly basis down in Goolwa SA up until 2016.

She comes on a nice tandem trailer, brand new 6hp Tohatsu outboard, good set of sails.

Given the circumstances she is priced to sell.

Available for inspection anytime during business hours at our workshop in Mt Barker SA.

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• Sailboat Guide

1996 Norwalk Island Sharpie NIS 23

• Description

Seller's Description

Norwalk Island Sharpies were designed by Bruce Kirby of Laser fame. He thought of them as a laser for grown-ups. They certainly deliver.

I have owned this NIS 23 for the past 4 years and am sad to sell as I am moving across the country to California.

This boat has been featured twice in Small Boat Magazine, a publication of Wooden Boat Magazine. She was first highlighted in the May 2021 issue for a nine day voyage along the north Gulf Coast where she thrived in 30 kts of wind, and reached 10.7 knots on a thrilling broad reach at 5am. The boat was then reviewed in the July 2022 issue. I can facilitate access to these articles on request.

As you will read, I have pushed this boat very hard and she delivers. She holds her own in high winds and a tight chop. Her flat bottom and centerboard permit access to shallow marsh creeks and easy beaching. Her unique cat ketch rig is flexible, and even allows for sailing into the dock. The cabin is suitable for overnight trips for two in camp cruising style.

There is no rot in the boat.

She is currently in a wet slip with a bone dry bilge at Bucktown Marina in New Orleans, LA.

The carbon fiber masts are lightweight and can be stepped by two people without too much hassle.

She has a 6hp Yamaha with about 30 hours on it.

She comes with a single axle trailer and a spare tire.

Equipment: Two suits of sails in good condition (one tanbark and one white) Two Danforth anchors Lighted compass VHF radio Cabin lights Custom cushions for forward v-berth

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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Article Tag: sharpie

Norwalk islands sharpie 23.

I first got interested in sharpies after building an Arch Davis-designed Laughing Gull and sailing it for some 10 years. I became enamored with its speed and shallow draft. When I moved from Miami to New Orleans, I found that the best sailing here is during the cooler months, but it was hard to find crew willing to take spray on that 16′ open boat on chilly days. I needed a bigger boat, and I wanted it to be a sharpie.

When I discovered the Norwalk Islands Sharpie 23 (NIS 23), I knew that it was the one for me. The NIS class ranges from 18′ to 31′ and was designed by the late Bruce Kirby, who is best known for creating the globally popular Laser. He deemed his Sharpie-class boats “cruising Lasers for grown-ups.” Kirby’s sharpies are flat-bottomed, centerboard cat-ketches with unstayed masts. Prior to getting my hands on a Norwalk Islands Sharpie 23 for myself, I read an article by Robert Ayliffe, arguably the world’s foremost advocate for the class, in Australian Amateur Boat Builder in which he described crossing the treacherous Bass Strait in his NIS 23 and reaching 17.5 knots surfing down swells. The NIS 23 seemed like an affordable way to have a high-performance cruising boat, and I wanted to experience this speed for myself.

The mainsheet is anchored to a traveler forward of the mizzenmast, and the mizzen’s sheet leads forward to the base of its mast. Both are within easy reach of the helm.

My NIS 23 was built in 1996 at Sea Island Boat Works in South Carolina, though many have built their Norwalk Islands Sharpies at home. The single-chine plywood hull is built over plywood frames and sheathed in one layer of epoxied fiberglass. Ballast is supplied by 2″ of lead that surrounds the centerboard slot on the bottom of the boat, reportedly weighing about 600 lbs. The centerboard is made of aluminum. The construction is solid, and I have felt secure in all conditions.

I keep my NIS 23 in the water, but it is easily trailered. Since it has a centerboard and flat bottom, it comes up on the bunks with no trouble at all. I have towed mine with a Honda Pilot, but I feel much safer on the road when it is behind a pickup truck.

Early versions of the Norwalk Islands Sharpies had aluminum masts; later ones, like mine, carry carbon-fiber ones. They’re stepped in tubes just as you would drop in a mast on a Laser. There are no stays. The mainmast can be stepped by just two people, who are always relieved when it is in—and not lying fractured on the pavement. Ayliffe has designed an optional tabernacle system that would greatly reduce the stress associated with getting the masts into place. Maintenance has been easy—with its simple cat-ketch rig, there is not much to keep up. Varnished wood is at a minimum. Getting the boat from highway and ready for sailing from the dock takes about an hour and a half.

The boat is tender at the dock. When welcoming guests on board, I always stand on the opposite side of the boat so their side does not settle in the water so much when they step in.

The cockpit is generous for a boat of this size, and four adults can sit comfortably forward of the tiller. When out for a sunset cruise carrying a conservative amount of sail, the cockpit remains comfortable even while heeling. If I’m looking to maximize speed, I release the lifelines and sit on the gunwales. A short hiking stick is needed. Visibility from the cockpit is excellent.

The custom forward V-berth for two, here with cushions in place, is spacious and frees up the aft part of the cabin for storage. The berths  flanking the centerboard trunk e have had the cushions of third and fourth berths removed to reveal the plywood panels that cover the footwells either side of the trunk.

O nce underway, the NIS 23 is simple to sail. Being a cat-ketch, it does not carry a jib, but rather a main and mizzen. Both sheets can be managed by the skipper. Tacking involves merely pushing the tiller to the lee side of the boat. With no jib, no handling of sheets is required. I’ve had difficulty making it through irons only in winds above 20 knots and with a steep chop.

The NIS 23 carries plenty of sail, and I am quick to put in a reef if upwind sailing is required. I have two reefing points on the main and one on the mizzen. When the windward chine lifts from the water, it is time to reef. Most NIS have a reefing system that can be controlled from the cockpit. I’ve not taken the time to set it up on mine, but should.

The boat does not love to go upwind—it points to about 55 degrees off true wind and, in a chop, it needs another 10 degrees or so off to maintain boat speed. That said, the NIS 23 will make 5.5 to 6 knots on a closehaul in as little as 12 knots of wind.

The NIS 23 carries a 150-sq-ft mainsail and a 64-sq-ft mizzen.

The boat shines on a beam reach to broad reach when it maintains 6.5 knots boat speed in about 12 knots of wind. It can carry considerably more sail downwind. Its maximum speed I’ve seen was 10.7 knots running a broad reach in 20 to 25 knots of wind with full sails up. It becomes easier to control the boat after coming up on plane, though she only stays on plane while surfing down a wave. When not on plane, the boat’s weather helm is an annoyance. This can be reduced by dropping the mizzen and reefing the main, though the thrill of getting on plane means I don’t use this option much downwind. However, in 30 knots of wind, I’ve made 10.4 knots with the mizzen alone (though the carbon-fiber mizzenmast was bent like a parenthesis).

If the wind is more than 15 knots, the NIS 23 likes being on a run, too; the cat-ketch sail plan makes running wing-on-wing straightforward. If the wind is less than 15 knots, trading broad reaches is faster and more enjoyable. I keep the centerboard down for stability while running downwind.

I’ve sailed the boat extensively on the north Gulf Coast, particularly in Mississippi Sound, in winds up to 40 knots. With two on board, it can continue sailing on all points of sail up to about 20 knots with a double-reefed main and single-reefed mizzen. Upwind, I drop the mizzen at 25 knots and sail with just the double-reefed main. Caught in a squall, alone, I had to go to bare masts when the winds pushed over 35 to 40 knots.

With its flat bottom and centerboard, the boat’s motion in heavier seas is surprisingly comfortable. There is none of the laborious lumbering that’s felt on keel boats.

The sharpie is stable under sail, and I’ve never worried about a capsize. However, it is quick to heel, making early reefing important. The carbon-fiber masts mitigate gusts by flexing and thus dumping excess wind, reducing heel. Crew can move about while underway, but not without being alert. This is particularly the case when sailing upwind.

Despite their flat bottoms and relatively high-placed ballast, the Norwalk Islands Sharpies are claimed to be self-righting. I have never felt remotely close to a knockdown in mine, even while carrying too much sail in high winds.

The mizzen is an excellent sail for maneuvering in the marina. After getting comfortable with how far the boat drifts, I rarely use the engine for anything but backing out of my slip. When returning, I drop the powerful main about 100 yards from the dock and then amble toward the slip under mizzen alone. The mizzen is easily doused while holding the tiller, and I do this about 10 to 40 yards from the slip, depending on the wind. We then glide into the dock, and I arrest the remaining motion by placing a hand on a piling.

The aluminum centerboard and 600 lbs of interior lead ballast help the NIS 23 stand up in a breeze.

O verall, I rate the NIS23’s sailing performance as nothing short of thrilling on a beam reach or broad reach. She is fair upwind and strong on a run—as long as you have a stiff breeze. My favorite characteristics of the boat are its speed and the shallow draft that enables the exploration of marshes and flats.

I have a 6-hp outboard on a bracket off the stern, which is more than adequate. The boat doesn’t need more than half-throttle to reach hull speed, which is around 5.5 knots.

At anchor, the NIS23 is pleasant. I have so far spent about 45 nights on board and, while many have criticized sharpies for pounding at anchor, that has not been my experience. Its extremely shallow draft of just 8″ allows access to very protected anchorages inaccessible to deeper-draft boats. In my cruising grounds, marshes are abundant. My approach is to anchor just 50′ or so off the windward marshland or even in a narrow marsh creek.

One night while anchored off Cat Island, Mississippi, a large storm brought 45-knot winds. Despite my taking cover in a marsh creek, the winds whipped the boat back and forth at anchor all night, making sleep all but impossible. Around 3 a.m., I awoke, and while the wind roared, my berth was paradoxically motionless. Fearing that the anchor had dragged and the boat had been driven into the marsh, I peered out of the hatch. My headlamp illuminated black mud all around me. The wind had driven about 3′ of water out of the marsh and the boat was resting contentedly on its flat bottom. I slept well the rest of the night, and then had to wait about 8 hours for the water to come back.

Accommodations in the cabin are limited; I liken the experience of time spent in the cabin to a spacious, floating tent rather than a yacht. If your NIS 23 don’t have the curved-hatch option, which provides 5′ 11″ of headroom, don’t count on standing up. In the after part of the cabin, there are two full-length single berths; I removed part of the cabin’s forward bulkhead to allow for a V-berth for two more crewmembers. Kirby’s drawings have options for a similar arrangement of four berths as well as sleeping accommodations for two with open space for a galley and a head. I have three overhead lights and a ventilation fan powered by a solar panel/battery. For cooking, I bring along a Coleman stove and place it in front of the cabin hatch in the cockpit, which is a good arrangement even when it is raining. Even for a nine-day Gulf Coast cruise , there was plenty of space for provisions and enough sleeping area for two.

Peter Sawyer is a general surgery resident in New Orleans, Louisiana. He learned to sail when he was 11 years old at Camp Sea Gull, a seafaring summer camp on the North Carolina coast. He has been at it ever since. 

Norwalk Islands Sharpie 23 Particulars

Load waterline/18′ 9″

Draft, board up /8″

Draft, board down/4′ 6″

Weight/1,540 lbs approx.

Sail area, main/150 sq ft

Sail area, mizzen/64 sq ft

Sail area, total/214 sq ft

Power, outboard/ 2 to 3.5 hp

Plans for various arrangements for the NIS23 are available from Norwalk Islands Sharpie. Options include plans  for a “from scratch” build, a precut “plywood only” kit, and an “everything you will ever need, including trailer” kit.

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Magazine readers would enjoy? Please email us!

T he diminutive yacht OYSTER, a Milford 20, is a modern take on the early New Haven sharpies that worked the oyster beds along Long Island Sound’s Connecticut shores. Inspired by Mark Fitzgerald’s FLORIDAYS in Reuel B. Parker’s The Sharpie Book , the 20′ 6″ OYSTER was designed and built by Neville Watkinson of Milford Boats in Christchurch, New Zealand, and carries either a cat-ketch or a cat-schooner rig.

The sharpie design is well known, but the elements setting the Milford 20’s classic design apart are the counter stern and the cabin with its elliptical port-lights and trim, details that would usually be found on a much larger yacht. OYSTER has been greatly admired at recent classic and traditional boat events in our area of New Zealand. Its classic lines, beautiful counter stern, and immaculate finish readily show the careful thought that has been given to the integrity of the design and the quality of craftsmanship.

The 52-page build manual is comprehensive, with full sequential notes on the whole process enhanced with clear photographs and detailed drawings. The documentation would put the boat within the range of an amateur builder with good woodworking skills and access to a reasonable range of tools and workshop facilities. On OYSTER, the time and care that went into building the coach roof, coamings, lazarette, bulkheads, portlights, rails, and moldings were well rewarded. OYSTER took approximately 1,000 hours to build and outfit.

OYSTER, the first Milford 20, had sapele chine logs, sheer clamps, frames floors, and keelson. Any durable straight-grained wood may be used.

Construction largely follows that of traditional plank-on-frame boats, but uses plywood for sheathing the hull. The Milford 20 is built upside down over a ladder frame without any temporary molds; the hull is built around the permanent timber frames and longitudinal members. The bottom is 12mm plywood, the sides 9mm, and the deck 6mm. To plank the strong curve of the counter, three layers of 3mm plywood were laminated. There are three 12mm plywood bulkheads: The bulkhead in the bow is open, and the stern bulkhead, set just ahead of the rudderpost, encloses a lazarette that provides buoyancy when its watertight hatch is sealed. The addition of some foam throughout the hull would be advised to add sufficient positive buoyancy to support hull and crew in event of a capsize. The hatch on the foredeck provides access to the anchor, which stows in the bottom of the boat where it can contribute to the boat’s stability.

A double luff tackle (with a double-sheave block and a triple-sheave block) stretched out along the top of the trunk greatly eases the burden of raising the heavily weighted board. The anchor and chain have their place in a box in the bow.

The boat’s centerboard has an unusual construction. It’s a stack of thirty 1-7/8″-thick NACA foil sections, 17 of them hardwood, nine of them half wood, half lead, and four of them entirely made of lead, adding 121 pounds to the board’s weight. The stack is assembled on three 10mm stainless-steel rods with threaded ends for nuts and washers to pinch the epoxy-slathered sections together. The board then gets its sides sheathed with 6mm plywood, a leading edge of oak before a layer of epoxy and ’glass or Dynel.

The plans include a sheet devoted to the installation of an air-cooled gas engine. It is “intended as a concept guide” rather than DIY instructions. In the construction manual the designer notes: “The clutch, timing belts, and pulleys cost more than the engine! I would probably just go with electric drive if starting over.”

Although not essential, auxiliary power makes it possible to get through marinas and lulls in the wind. OYSTER has a 6-hp, air-cooled Honda GX 200 , an industrial four-stroke engine, neatly and unobtrusively mounted under the bridge deck. The engine was easy to start with a pull or two of its cord, quiet, and provided ample power for launching and hauling out as well as for a short passage in a short choppy seaway. Milford Boats reports that the inboard pushes the boat along at 4.5 to 5 knots and sips gas at the rate of about 1 gallon per sailing season.

The optional inboard engine will keep the Milford moving at up to 5 knots when there isn’t any wind.

The engine is set to port, and a belt drive turns the prop shaft that emerges from the skeg forward of the rudder. The three-bladed prop is protected by a stainless-steel plate connecting the skeg and bottom of the rudder. The prop doesn’t feather or freewheel and causes a little drag, but this is a minor concern as the auxiliary power is a major benefit. A bracket for mounting a small outboard to one side of the hull may be a more appealing option to those who are uneasy about installing a shaft log. The long, slender hull and cockpit geometry suggest that the boat could be comfortably rowed if a builder wanted to fit a thwart or two and oarlocks.

Sitting on the trailer designed for it, the Milford 20 doesn’t obscure the driver’s view to the rear. The towing weight with trailer, boat, rig, and gear is 1,320 lbs.

The build manual includes plans for a steel trailer custom-fit to the Milford 20. It was easy to use and, with the boat aboard, weighs around 1,320 lbs—an easy towing load for a small to average-sized vehicle.

At the launch ramp, two of us easily assembled the schooner rig in about 20 minutes. While the unstayed Douglas-fir masts, each weighing 30 lbs, are not heavy, they are awkward to maneuver, and best handled by two. Once the masts are stepped, the rest of the preparation is quickly accomplished. Most lines and sheets are kept in place when the masts are down for trailering, so it takes little time to rerig the boat at the ramp.

Similarly, retrieving the boat from the water and securing it on the trailer at the end of our outing took about 20 minutes. With all sailing gear packed easily in the boat and the masts resting in three crutches, one in each mast step and a third in the hollow rudder post, the Milford 20 is ready for travel. The compact and low profile of the boat on the trailer makes for easy towing and clear all-round vision on the road.

The Milford 20 has a third mast step for sailing with a single sail. A deck plate covers the hole in the forward end of the cabin roof when that step is not in use.

We sailed OYSTER on the open water of Lyttelton Harbor on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island on a late autumn day under clear skies with a breeze at 5 to 8 knots, later rising to over 10 knots. The Milford 20 is only about 4′2″ across at the widest part of the bottom, but was extremely stable under sail. It proved to be a responsive and easy to handle while underway. The thoughtful placement of the fittings and lines ensures that any adjustments can be made from a sitting position in the comfort of the main cockpit.

The low sharpie profile makes the floorboards the best seating for the crew. The mainsail sheet is led to the tiller.

The cockpit isn’t deep, so the floorboards, along with throw cushions and a broad coaming, provide comfortable, dry seating as well as a secure feeling while underway. Even as the wind strength increased soon after we got underway and both sails were reefed, it was not necessary sit out on the windward side decks to counter the heeling. If we had additional crew sitting in the cockpit forward of the bridge deck/mizzen partner, they too would have been very secure, dry, and well clear of the rigging as we sailed the boat from rear cockpit.

Both cockpits are long enough to sleep in—6′2-1/2″ forward and 5′11″ aft—but the available spaces in the forward cockpit, either side of the centerboard trunk, have maximum width of about 22” and the aft cockpit has a 4’2″ maximum width. The limited space would be rather restrictive for sleeping. It would be a much more practical proposition to carry a tent and camping equipment on board for parking the crew onshore overnight. The generous space under the fore deck and in the enclosed aft compartment provide adequate out-of-the-way stowage for cruising and camping gear.

With a hull that draws only 10″ and a forefoot right at the waterline, the Milford 20 takes well to nosing up on a sandy shore.

During our sail we raised the centerboard and ran OYSTER gently on a sandy beach, stepped ashore, and made a cup of hot coffee using a small portable stove and supplies stowed in the watertight locker under the lazarette. The hull is well protected by Dynel, providing a hard, damage-resistant surface. The Milford 20’s light weight—695 lbs for the hull, including the weighted centerboard—and its shallow 10” draft made the beach landing and relaunching a very easy exercise.

The balanced rudder is 37″ long and 13″ tall at the trailing edge, and has a shape typical of traditional sharpies but with a more modern feature: a 6″-wide horizontal bottom plate to keep water from decreasing the rudder’s effectiveness by slipping under it.

The cat-schooner rig, seen here, has 67 sq ft in the main and 76 sq ft in the foresail. The alternate cat-ketch rig has 80 sq ft in the main and 62 sq ft in the mizzen. The designer favors the cat-schooner rig.

The modest sail area performs very well in both light and brisk breezes. However, having a long and slender hull and a tall rig, the Milford 20, like most sharpies, needs to be sailed with no more than 10 or 15 degrees of heel. It did sail comfortably with the lee rail under, although it is preferable to reduce heel in a choppy sea to prevent water from entering the cockpit. In winds of 10 to 12 knots, reefing the main would be advised for stability and comfort and in 15 knots it’s recommended that both sails be reefed. Reefing either sail is easily managed from the cockpits.

The Milford 20 obviously does not sail as close to the wind as a sloop-rigged boat of similar size, but it was very secure with a desirable positive helm. It moved readily in light airs, in a rising wind, and was very comfortable both upwind and running downwind.

The structure and configuration of the boat makes it a safe and pleasurable sailing boat in a range of conditions on moderately sheltered waters. It is not an offshore or coastal cruiser but an able craft that could appeal to sailors of all ages and abilities. The dry, secure cockpit and centralized rig controls would obviously have a wide appeal for older sailors or those with limited mobility.  For the inexperienced, it is easily managed and forgiving underway.

Peter Braithwaite ONZM has had a career as a teacher, school principal, administrator, training manager, consultant and foreign-aid adviser in New Zealand and the Pacific islands. He now lives in Christchurch where he continues his lifetime passion for recreational sailing and building small boats from RC pond sailers to competitive racing dinghies and harbor racing yachts. For the past ten years he has been the organizer of the Canterbury Classic & Traditional Boats group that promotes and organizes regular regattas and activities for classic, restored, and replica traditional boats in the local region.

Milford 20 Particulars

Length/20′6″

Draft, board up/10″

Draft, board down/3′3″

Sail area/145 sq ft

Displacement/1,360 lbs

Hull weight (including centerboard)/695 lbs

Schooner rig

Plans for the Millford 20 are available from Milford Boats on paper for $120 and as digital files for $80.

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Sharpies, Bruce Kirby etc

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by Anatol , Jun 3, 2015 .

Anatol Senior Member

Does anyone have experience with Bruce Kirby sharpies (the NIS boats etc), and other similar hull forms? The simplicity of the three sided ply build is very attractive. Some caution that pounding is an issue. thx  

fredrosse USACE Steam

Plywood Sharpie I built my steam sidewheeler with a classic Sharpie hull form, for the reasons you mention. 5/8 marine ply bottom, 1/2 marine ply sides, frames 16 inches on centers, with 10 Oz fiberglass/epoxy over the entire hull. It took only several weeks to build the hull. It has given very satisfactory service, and pounding has not been a problem, but then the 20 foot boat weighs over a ton before passengers and stores come aboard! In a light weight sailboat pounding would be more relevant, but many have found the Sharpie a worthwhile hull.  

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rwatson Senior Member

What does 'experience' mean ?? You mean building, sailing, towing etc etc ? The simple 3 panel shape hides the huge amount of work inside with framing, interior setup etc. Review any NIS build blog to find out. Its the same with any boat - the external hull panels are just a fraction of the total construction load. Phil Bolgers designs look simple too - but they all have the 'hidden' work to cope with. If on the other hand, you mean sailing - time and time again the owners say that the heeling under sail considerable reduces the pounding that a flat bottom might otherwise create. Pounding at anchor is a potential issue, except that with a flat bottom you can get much closer to a beach or creek bank, out of the way of waves.  

phum Junior Member

I have had a NIS 23 for 15 years and it is my favourite boat to sail. The good bits, quick and easy to rig, easy and fast to sail. The bad bit, not much room below by modern standards. Can't comment on construction other than to say there is a lot of timber in it. I would think that useing more modern methods , stitch and glue and takeing full use of modern epoxies construction could be simplyfied. Mine rarely pounds,a light breeze and a big chop is the worst sea state for it but that is seldom encounted.  

PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

The sharpie hull form is an old and well loved one and like everything in yacht design, has it's good and bad points to consider. A real sharpie is skinny and shoal. This means you need at least 35' boat for standing real headroom, yet you'll still be shy on elbow room, by modern standards. You can sneak up and beach on a soft shore if you like, but ultimate stability will be an issue. This low AVS point means the hull can't tolerate a tall superstructure. There are lots of good and bad things about them, so can you refine your questions a bit?  

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thanks all rwatson " The simple 3 panel shape hides the huge amount of work inside with framing, interior setup etc." Not more than another shape though? And as phum says "useing more modern methods , stitch and glue and takeing full use of modern epoxies construction could be simplyfied." par : "you need at least 35' boat for standing real headroom, yet you'll still be shy on elbow room, by modern standards. ... This low AVS point means the hull can't tolerate a tall superstructure. ...can you refine your questions a bit? " OK. I'm actually thinking of using the design for a proa vaka. Slim and double ended. In this case it won't heel significantly, and the rig will be short as the boat will be light. I'm thinking 30', as for headroom, I was thinking about a big pop-top. Low windage when underway, headroom when moored, when you want it. The alternative is a single chine shape. Lateral resistance will be taken care of by foils, so its really a matter of whether the increased build complexity of a chine is worht the trouble. Any opinions?  

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Norwalk Islands Sharpie 18