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20' Wooden Sandbagger (a replica).

Impress your friends with this one.

What's up with the bowsprit? Is it supposed to be like that?

Ever seen the Cornish Crabber (24) and/or Pilot Cutter 30? Somewhat similar looking boats. Very cool.

http://www.crabbers.co.uk/html/homeframe.htm

Dan

The bowsprit is a natural arc, not straight. I believe that if you were viewing the boat in profile, it would look appropriate and natural with the gracefully curved bowsprit arcing out from the strong sheer at the bow; if the sprit was straight, given the angle of the foredeck, it would jut weirdly into the sky.

Sandbagger: the real thing.

Here's a vintage photo of a "real" sandbagger. Look at that ridiculous expanse of canvas! Note also the arc to the bowsprit.

More visual proof that "they just don't make 'em like they used to..."! They sure had some swingin' boats during the first few decades of the 1900s. Wow.

Sandbaggers got their name because they were so overcanvassed that a series of sand-filled bags were piled on the windward side during races that, of course, had to be shifted with each tack. The lore says that the ballast could be dumped overboard at the windward mark.

I've also heard lore that capsizings were frequent, and that the crew required to shift that ballast was usually most economically obtained by recruiting longshoremen, who were not adverse to settling race protests by brawling at the scene of the incident.