"…shapely little hooker…"
I visited the Annapolis Boat Show this year – it was a good one. Just about anything your heart desires was there – from a 70′ Hinckley Sou’wester to a 13′ Melonseed Skiff. Contrary to the weather report the weather cooperated perfectly , we had a warm and a sunny day. There wasn’t that much I had to see but a new IP 370 and a Valiant 42 were on my short list. Since I’m not in the market for a new boat neither one represented what I may be buying one day, however both were good representation of capable cruising boat. IP very sophisticated with a lot to offer in a 38′ design and Valiant mean cruising machine. It was interesting to see how different those boats were and again how different they were from a Hylas 70 or a Hinckley. One thing that shocked us was that on Hylas 70 I guess about $3000000 boat, there were veneer panels screwed on with metal screws and neither panels or screws lined up, the workmanship definitely left a lot to be desired.
The other side of that coin was represented by the Melonseed Skiff – 13 feet 8 inches of great workmanship. Roger Crawford put his heart and soul into this reproduction of a nineteen century gun boat, that can be sailed or rowed. He has dedicated his life to boat building and Joe and Faye placed an order for – I think – the Melonseed number 425. She is going to be dark green with brown sail and a gold stripe. I’m looking forward to sailing it next year.
Robert Perry in his review of the Melonseed in Sailing magazine said:
“I’ll tell you what makes this boat special. It is as shapely a little hooker as you will find anywhere. From its hollow entry to its almost heart-shaped transom, this boat is a symphony of shapes. The sheerline is bold and sprung with confidence. Freeboard is minimal. The sectional shape shows a firm turn to the bilge, ensuring excellent stability and a forgiving nature. The barn-door-styled rudder and centerboard or daggerboard (you have the option) make sailing off the beach a breeze.”
Joe is going to stow his little hooker on the bow of his Mystic Charge and I’ll post a picture of it as soon as it happens.
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