parham waddell | what’s new

Owing to the winter doldrums, I’ve been stoking a lifelong obsession with small sailing vessels, albeit through books, the internet, and visits to the Smithsonian. The focus of this particular love affair is the beautiful Melonseed Skiff. These lttle wonders are a modern adaptation of the duck hunting boats that plied the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays in the late 1800’s. Today, they are typically constructed of fiberglass, or wood sealed with fiberglass cloth and marine epoxy. The nicer builds are traditional lapstrake, with brass hardware and lots of other goodies. The Melonseed is a versatile design that sails in winds light or heavy, and is even rowable when a breeze is non-existent. The simple sprit sail and a pair of oars stow inside the boat, making a tidy trailering package. There might be one in the garage soon.

[Photo: Pete Roth’s Lapstrake Melonseed via A.A. Cozzi]