Melonseed Skiff 13'
Description
The Melonseed Skiff is a classic, double-ended sailing dinghy with a distinctive, rounded "melon seed"-shaped hull, originally developed in the late 19th century as a lightweight gunning skiff for duck hunting in the choppy estuaries and open waters around New Jersey. Immortalized in Howard I. Chapelle's 1951 book American Small Sailing Craft, it evolved from the South Jersey Beach Skiff into a versatile, seaworthy design that's wider and flatter for stability. Today, it's prized as a fast, forgiving daysailer—easy to rig, row, or trailer single-handedly—blending traditional aesthetics with modern performance. Often called a "wooden Laser" for its simplicity and fun factor, it's ideal for coastal bays, lakes, or light offshore use, accommodating one or two adults comfortably for picnics or short sails. Modern builders like Crawford Boat Building have kept the tradition alive with fiberglass versions, while home builders craft plywood or skin-on-frame iterations. This skiff's resurgence stems from its impeccable manners: stable yet responsive, with a wineglass transom that slices through waves without pounding. It's not a racer but excels in light to moderate winds, planning easily under sail. Owners ("Melonheads") rave about its low-maintenance joy, from quick beach launches to effortless storage.
Construction Details
| Designer | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Builder | Crawford Boat Building |
| Length | 13.540 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | LUGSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 6 ft - (1829 mm) |
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 86.42 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Head | 6 ft - (1829 mm) |
| Area | * 58.38 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 84.48 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Head | 5.33 ft - (1625 mm) |
| Area | * 60.91 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 13.125 ft - (4001 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 79.71 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Head | 6.5 ft - (1981 mm) |
| Area | * 65.87 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 7.167 ft - (2185 mm) |
| Foot | 8.83 ft - (2691 mm) |
| Leech | 10.167 ft - (3099 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 77.37 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 10.083 ft - (3073 mm) |
| Head | 4.5 ft - (1372 mm) |
| Area | * 53.09 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 8.083 ft - (2464 mm) |
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 10.83 ft - (3301 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 84.44 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
| Head | 4.67 ft - (1423 mm) |
| Area | * 61.43 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 8.167 ft - (2489 mm) |
| Foot | 9.58 ft - (2920 mm) |
| Leech | 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 78.91 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 11.33 ft - (3453 mm) |
| Head | 5.33 ft - (1625 mm) |
| Area | * 67.96 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.