Herreshoff Meadowlark Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Herreshoff Meadowlark, specifically Design No. 82 by L. Francis Herreshoff, represents a masterclass in "thin water" cruising philosophy. Originally conceived in the late 1940s, this 33-foot sharpie-style ketch was designed to navigate the shoals of the Florida Keys and the Chesapeake Bay, areas where deeper-draft vessels are strictly forbidden. The design is a radical departure from the heavy-displacement cruisers of its era, utilizing a flat-bottomed hull, narrow beam, and twin leeboards instead of a traditional weighted keel or centerboard. This configuration allows the Meadowlark to draw a mere 15 inches with its boards up, making it one of the few legitimate cruising yachts capable of being beached or tucked into tidal creeks. While traditionally constructed of wood—often cedar over oak or marine plywood—the Meadowlark’s legacy is defined by its efficiency and the "Sensible Cruising" ethos championed by Herreshoff in his writings for The Rudder magazine.