This Talbot Historical Society H. Robins Hollyday Collection photo identifies this as the “William Wesley”. A google search site, R. C. Groups.com, states this is a Chesapeake Bay round bottomed oyster boat. Maybe our Facebook Skipjack experts can confirm that this is a forerunner to the Chesapeake Bay Skipjack or if it is a Skipjack?
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Larry Rovin says
Regarding the photo of the William Wesley – it all depends on how you define a Skipjack. The Rebecca Ruark, one of the best-known surviving Skipjacks, also has round bilges and no chines. The round-bilged boats often were gaff-rigged and referred to as “oyster sloops”, but put a leg-of-mutton main on and they became Skipjacks like the rest. The round-bilged hull was more expense to build and required more skill, hence was uncommon.