hokiefan
11-02-2006, 06:25 PM
The reference in the thread on types indigenous to SC to Rusty Fleetwood's "Tidecraft" reminded me of a question I've had for quite awhile. In Parker's "Sharpie Book" he lays out the history of the sharpie on the East Coast with the exception of the SC low-country and Georgia. It basically skips from NC to Florida. In his book, Fleetwood describes the history of the boats in that area, but never mentions sharpies. They strike me as suited for the area, and there was significant oystering in the area. Does anyone know why they didn't seem to be used here?
Fleetwood describes several workboats similar to the sharpie, the bateux and the SC oyster sloop. The bateux was a flatiron type, but my memory says it was typically beamier than the sharpies and usually rowed when oystering. The oyster sloop was definitely beamier and was basically a transport to bring the oyster back to the oyster houses. He described the oystering as a man and a boy taking the sloop up into the marshes for up to a week towing the bateux(es). The sloops were slow and burdensome, and moved with the tides as much as sailed. The oysters were gathered when exposed at low tide (7-9 foot tides in the Savannah area) and piled on the sloops deck. When full they made their way back to the oyster house.
My guess is that the sharpies were used to oyster in areas where the trips were day trips and speed with a load was a real factor. The beamier, more burdensome oyster sloops make sense when you are just trying to carry a lot of pounds in relatively sheltered areas. Anyway, thats my guess, anyone have any real knowledge about this.
Hopefully, I remembered this stuff right. My copies of both books are at home in Savannah and I'm at work in Jacksonville. Take care.
Bobby
Fleetwood describes several workboats similar to the sharpie, the bateux and the SC oyster sloop. The bateux was a flatiron type, but my memory says it was typically beamier than the sharpies and usually rowed when oystering. The oyster sloop was definitely beamier and was basically a transport to bring the oyster back to the oyster houses. He described the oystering as a man and a boy taking the sloop up into the marshes for up to a week towing the bateux(es). The sloops were slow and burdensome, and moved with the tides as much as sailed. The oysters were gathered when exposed at low tide (7-9 foot tides in the Savannah area) and piled on the sloops deck. When full they made their way back to the oyster house.
My guess is that the sharpies were used to oyster in areas where the trips were day trips and speed with a load was a real factor. The beamier, more burdensome oyster sloops make sense when you are just trying to carry a lot of pounds in relatively sheltered areas. Anyway, thats my guess, anyone have any real knowledge about this.
Hopefully, I remembered this stuff right. My copies of both books are at home in Savannah and I'm at work in Jacksonville. Take care.
Bobby