Skipjack 48

The Skipjack 48 Class was established on the Chesapeake Bay to honor and preserve the heritage of the oyster dredging skipjacks on the Bay.  The models are built to a common plan, prepared by Pepper Langley, to create a scale representation of a “typical” working skipjack.  Craftsmanship is encouraged and recognized.  Performance and skill are tested in racing programs that are held regularly at museums on the Bay and also at more distant venues.  The model Skipjack 48 is 48 in on deck and has a 50-in mast.  There is a  “leg-of-mutton” main and club-footed jib. The hull is fitted with toe rails, side or rub rails, a bowsprit and longhead, and a 10-pound lead keel cast in the shape of a centerboard.  The cabin and hatch details follow those of the prototype closely but leave some room for expression to the individual modeler. Radios control the onboard servos which position the sails and the rudder for proper points of sailing.