Whats the difference between a Barge and a Sharpie or Dory?
There are a bunch of fuzzy thresholds distinguishing types of boat and rig (made fuzzier, no doubt, by the swilling of spirits), which boat enthusiasts take more or less seriously. While I tend to the less serious side, there are some broad differences between a barge and a dory or sharpie. My distinctions tend as follows: A BARGE tends to ‘slab-sides’ and ‘firm bilges’ (rectilinear in section), carried well forward and aft. It has a dead-flat run somewhere along its bottom, as seen in profile view. SHARPIES and DORIES, in contrast, tend to have constant rocker (bottom curvature as seen in profile view) usually considerable flare, and beam tapers away from its maximum point amidships (side curves, seen in plan view).
