This is a flat-bottomed, rounded-bilged leeboard sharpie designed by Phil Bolger for couples and small families. You camp inside the boat with sleeping bags and stove and cooler as in a tent. The forward half of the boat has an arched cabin-top, or raised deck, with storage bins and sleeping space under, and the rest is open cockpit which can be covered by a tent. There are two hatches in the top, one forward of the raked mast for anchor work, and one aft of the mast for raising the sail and setting the sprit-boom.
This boat has both hard and soft hatch covers and a dodger which is part of a complete tent system which encloses the cockpit with screens, windows, and zippered closures all around, sides and back, with sitting headroom on the cockpit seats. You might be camping where you can step out in 6” of water and wade ashore, or at anchor in a cozy bay, or among the grasses and bird of a wild marsh.
The boat sails fast and well with its large single leg-o’-mutton sail (tanbark). It tracks as if on rails with its large second-generation leeboards (this is a fully upgraded model) which are raised and lowered by locking levers from inside. A small bow centerboard raised and lowered from the cockpit aids in windward sailing.
This one comes with Edie and Duff’s motor mount even though it was Peter Duff’s and Bolger’s idea that we would row the boat when auxiliary power is necessary. Oar ports are provided, a seat fits between the storage bins, one’s head pops up in the main hatch, and you can row at about 2 mph. Shaw and Tenney 9’ spruce oars are carried in loops under the top. A 2-horse motor does well and a 55 pound thrust electric does too.
The porta potty can be placed aft between the cockpit seats or way forward under the raised deck.
This individual boat went back to Edey and Duff for complete refurbishment before the present owner came long. Its black gelcoat is fine, bottom white fine, the hard hatch covers (for the road) good, the canvas hatch covers brand new. Spars have been newly varnished, rigging and sails are fine, trailer original and specific to boat, with a wide roller at the stern for easy launching.
