Kirby intended the boat to sail fast on all points. In suitable conditions, this self-righting sharpie can leave most deep-keel cruisers in its wake.
Design and Construction
The Island Sharpie 26 has a 22.5-foot waterline, a 7.92-foot beam, and a displacement of 3,700 pounds, including 1,500 pounds of ballast. Its solid-wood, flat-bottomed hull is paired with a strongly crowned housetop and deck. When the boat is inverted, those crowned surfaces act like a round bottom, aiding self-righting.
Structural weight is concentrated low. The bottom is brutally heavy, providing secure ballast and protection when grounding. Well-secured internal ballast is distributed through the bilge rather than piled against the tall centerboard trunk. A small, self-bailing cockpit and centerline hatches are part of a deliberate approach to controlling flooding.
Above the waterline, low house sides and an extreme athwartships crown reduce the house’s apparent height. A strong sheerline and dark hull sides also soften the visual effect of the boat’s substantial freeboard. The combined hull-and-house structure stands at least four feet tall for its length, a deliberate choice intended to preserve stability and reserve buoyancy.
Rig and Handling
Kirby gave the Island Sharpie 26 a handy cat-ketch rig, avoiding labor-intensive overlapping headsails and tiny mainsails. Full-length battens support considerable roach in each sail. The sails are also quiet when luffed rather than flogging wildly.
The original rig carried 302 square feet of sail. After sailing the prototype, Kirby increased the sail area to 340 square feet and changed from aluminum masts to tapered, thin-wall carbon-fiber spars. In strong winds, these masts bend to relieve tension on the upper leeches, offsetting the heeling effect of the larger sails.
Robert Ayliffe later developed a tabernacle that allows one person to raise and lower the masts. The low, light rig and substantial centerboard area help the boat go to windward as a sharpie should.
Performance
This is a shoal-draft boat that will “sail on the morning dew,” right itself after a knockdown, and handle rough water. Its self-righting character comes from a low center of gravity and the crowned surfaces that shed water when the boat is inverted.
The centerboard needs substantial area for the boat to track upwind; without it, the hull won’t go well to windward. With the board down and the easily built ketch rig driving, the Island Sharpie 26 sails fast on all points and can leave deep-keel cruisers behind in suitable conditions.
Accommodations
The plans show two interior arrangements. One is a two-berth layout; the other is a sleeps-four production layout with a double V-berth forward and two quarter berths.
Both arrangements include an “enclosed” head, although true privacy isn’t realistic aboard a 26-foot sailboat. The accommodations are reasonable for cruising rather than luxurious, in keeping with the boat’s trailerable, shoal-draft purpose.
Auxiliary Power and Trailering
Auxiliary power comes from an outboard housed out of sight in its own well aft. The motor lifts vertically when it isn’t in use.
The boat is trailerable, allowing quick access by road to shallow waters and cruising grounds blocked by bridges.
The Verdict
The Island Sharpie 26 is a distinctive Bruce Kirby design that replaces a deep keel with a practical centerboard. It combines a self-righting, flat-bottomed hull with a quiet, easily managed cat-ketch rig.
This is a fast, shoal-draft cruiser for sailors who value simplicity, trailerability, and rough-water capability over cabin luxury.
Pros
- Self-righting, shoal-draft hull that floats in roughly ten inches of water
- Fast on all points, with a quiet, low-maintenance cat-ketch rig
- Trailerable, with a concealed outboard that lifts vertically
- Strong deck and housetop crown, low ballast, and a heavy bottom promote stability and grounding protection
Cons
- The “enclosed” head offers no true privacy aboard a 26-foot boat
- Requires substantial centerboard area to sail adequately to windward
- Wood construction demands disciplined maintenance
