Reuel Parker's 39' "Snowy Egret"

[LakeErieSailor]

Hello, everyone;

I'm not sure that I'm in the right part of the forum, but I'll plunge ahead anyway. I'm looking to build a boat as a part-time liveaboard for Alaskan waters for two people, to be used primarily in the Inside Passage, but also in Cook Inlet, the Gulf of Alaska, and possibly in other Alaskan waters. I've considered several designs: Atkins, George Buehler, Colin Archer, Bruce Kirby and others. I realize that the designs I've mentioned divide into two radically different categories: beamy, heavily constructed and heavily ballasted deep-draft keel boats, and relatively light, flat-bottomed or arc-bottomed centerboarders.

I know that the sharpies of the Egret type are considered to be exceptionally seaworthy, and Reuel Parker contends that, properly ballasted, the sharpies are equal to or superior in seaworthiness to the deep-draft, keel types.

All comments are welcome, but I'd like to hear particularly from those who've had experience with both types.

I'm going to pose the same question to Mr. Parker, of course, but it never hurts to have opinions from others.

[Tom Robb]

Alaskan waters regularly kill fishing boats and those who go down to the sea in them. I'd go with the most seaworthy design available and brush up on my seasmanship skills.

[paladin]

I guess I am a bit predjudiced, but I would look at a 41 foot Harrison Butler/Lyle Hess type boat......and this after two years in Alaskan waters....

[Tanbark Spanker]

I seem to remember seeing some 25-28' sailing dories in Alaska. Alaska! Sitka Spruce!

However, wood is murder. Make your boats of stone.

[paladin]

stone boats sink!:D

[Brumenschenkel]

Check out the arhives for a modified Bolger AS29 sailing Alaskan waters. Her name is "LUNA" I fine and affordable liveaboard.

[Uncle Duke]

Just for reference on seaworthiness, one of the older issues of WB has a nice article on Spaulding Dunbar's designs. Shallow, not really a sharpie, more "chesapeake deadrise", but apparently very well tested in the real world and considered very seaworthy. Based on that, and Parker's experience, I'd think that draft would not be the issue for this decision.
However, from what little I know about Inside Passage (and experts should indeed weigh in here) I would suspect that displacement would matter some - the extra mass helping to maintain progress through those areas of severe tidal rips.
Just a thought, I could be wrong...:)