This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/sailing by /u/mike8111 on 2025-06-29 03:43:17+00:00.
I was at the Maritime Museum in St. Michael's Maryland this week, looking through their old boats.
I'd always sort of associated sailing with Moby Dick and pirates and all of that, but reading about skipjacks and the like I realize those are the real ancestors of my boat. I bet there are all kinds of sub 30ft working boats all around the world that have a lot in common with what I do.
Both skipjacks and my catalina have a sloop rig, both about 30 feet long. Both sailed single hand or with one or two crew. Skipjacks spent their days sailing in circles on the Chesapeake, much like I do. They had simple sails, and were very common, just like a catalina is very common.
Big exploring vessels, like I used to look up to, aren't really like my boat at all. Square sails, dozens of crew, long boats to row them up the channels, yardarms and internal ballast.
I don't know, this felt sort of significant to me when I realized it. Those big exploring boats were as close to me as big gray navy warships are today. Sort of the same kingdom (boat), but different phylum, class, nowhere near the same family.