by J. A. Emmett
Tangier Man is no new type but a true Bay skipjack. Her hull lines are exactly those of the larger dredge boats which work all winter long down on the Chesapeake, in weather good and bad, dredging oysters under sail, power not being permitted for this work. Aside from the true sharpies this deadrise type with its cross-planked bottom is perhaps the cheapest and easiest kind of boat for its size not only to build but to maintain. Low cost materials can be used in her construction but to have her look well care must be taken with the building: she will be shippy looking and in keeping with her type if joints are carefully fitted and fastenings correctly driven. She is not a small boat by any means, and heavier than ordinary materials are used in her construction, but this has been laid out with home building in mind. She is a little large to be tackled as one's first attempt at boat building but is an excellent proposition for the man who wants something larger than his present craft and who has some idea of boat building procedure. If he has previously constructed one or two small boats, so much the better. And best of all is the fact that most of her fittings and gear can be homemade, making her completed cost perhaps half that of a yacht-type boat her size. Skipjack hulls are very shoal draft—Tangier Man draws only 2½' with her board up—and they are low-sided. This limits headroom in the cabin to 4', but aside from this there is exceptional accommodation aboard with more than usual deck and cockpit space. This headroom is not so bad—anything between this and enough to really stand erect is apt to be a nuisance in that you're as likely to bump your head with 5 foot headroom as with 4. As it is, there is good sitting-up space over the settee and berths and the large companionway hatch will be appreciated by the cook. The bridge deck and cockpit give ample room for outdoor living—and that's where a crew spends most of its time aboard, especially in warm weather, whether it's sailing or merely lounging. Do not attempt to gain more headroom by raising the sides of the hull or house—too many deadrise boats have already been spoiled both as to appearance and sailing qualities by doing this.
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