Maryland
Catalog of Models in the Edward R. Thieler Collection at CBMM
A catalog of Chesapeake workboat models in the Edward R. Thieler III Collection at CBMM. Each entry links the model to museum records, research files, and related ESSW articles where available.
Brogan Plans - Shamrock and Katie D
Plans for the brogans Shamrock and Katie D preserve two modern interpretations of a once-common Chesapeake type. Related photographs and records connect the drawings to museum collections and surviving evidence.
Writing About Brogans
A review of what historians have written about brogans, coasting canoes, and cabin skiffs. The article examines uncertain terminology and the evolutionary links among these Chesapeake workboats.
Historic Photos of Brogans
Historic photographs trace the Chesapeake brogan between the earlier log canoe and later bugeye. The images document hull forms, rigs, crews, and working conditions that written sources only partly describe.
Everything Written About the Miles River Cabin Skiff
A consolidated guide to published descriptions, plans, and historical evidence for the Miles River cabin skiff. It compares the accounts of Chapelle, Brewington, and other sources.
Modified Sharpies and Deadrise Skiffs - the Clapham Connection
Thomas Clapham's modified sharpies help explain the development of later deadrise skiffs. A historic photograph of Nonpareil provides a starting point for tracing the design connection.
Howard I. Chapelle: Maritime Scholar and His Contribution to Maritime Preservation - J. King PhD Dissertation
JoAnn Jeanelle King's dissertation examines Howard I. Chapelle's career as a maritime scholar and preservationist. This page makes the study available as a research resource for readers of his work.
New Haven Sharpie on Chester River, 1936. Designed by Chapelle.
A Chapelle-designed New Haven sharpie photographed on Maryland's Chester River in 1936 shows a New England type in Chesapeake waters. The surviving image links Chapelle's design work to local sailing history.
Sweepstakes – Chapelle’s own Crabbing Bateau
Howard Chapelle adapted the traditional crab-scrape bateau into his own cruising boat, Sweepstakes, built by James B. Richardson in 1964. Thieler's model and research help document its design and construction.
Said to have been an oyster pirate.
The story of the skipjack Champion Girl and her reputed connection to oyster piracy is reconstructed from scattered evidence. The article preserves a colorful episode that was otherwise difficult to find online.
If it looks like a “mini Skipjack”, that's a Crabbing Bateau
A broad introduction to the crab-scrape bateau, once common between Tilghman and Tangier Islands. The article distinguishes these small workboats from skipjacks and follows their influence on later cruising designs.
"Blue Crab" - Crabbing Bateau Cruiser Designed by Chapelle
Howard Chapelle designed Blue Crab in 1952 by adapting the traditional Chesapeake crabbing bateau into a cruiser. Built at Hartge's yard, the surviving boat preserves that link between workboat and yacht.