She has a very stable hull with a generous beam making her ideal for the fisherman who has to stand up and she is usually powered by sweeps (shown on the drawings) which are secured by a leather strap to a thole pin

The drawings are set up for clinker/ply construction with 6 planks per side attached to a narrow flat bottom plank—the mould shapes are given full-size and we could develop the plank/panel shapes for those who want to build her using the stitch and tape technique.

Below is an example by Steve Staples and Justin Matthew built at the Lymme Regis Boat Building College

Below is a lovely example built by Graeme Clark - in the left photo, the boat behind is the 15'1" Port Pegasus design - go to Motor Cruisers up to 16'

The above example is by Pat Hobbs.

The original 14’ Skylark was drawn up as a simple extension of the Skylark 12 using the same rig and simple fit-out details as the 12. We then remodelled the hull with an additional chine to give the Mark 2 version. This version uses the same hull shape as the Mark 2  but has been drawn up with gunkholing in mind—the interior is half decked and the centre space has been kept clear to allow sleeping (perhaps under a simple boom tent).

Below is an example by Angus Beare

 The 14’ Goshawk has emerged in the same way that the 16’ Goshawk did—by someone asking for a wider and deeper Skylark. What the client wanted was a small boat which was more than the normal dinghy type which tends to have a mid hull depth around 18” (450mm). The additional hull depth (around 24” (0.610m) with it’s associated increased beam gives a craft with much higher carrying capacity which can take a cuddy or even a small cabin and which will allow someone to sleep on board perhaps under a boom tent.

  To help facilitate this, the hinged board is not in the centre but is accommodated on the side of the seating which gives a completely free area in the middle of the boat.

  Construction is simple stitch and tape and would normally use 9mm more or less throughout. 6mm ply could be used for lightness. She may be fitted out and used in a number of ways and without the pivoting board and sail rig if a pure motor boat is needed.

 The 13'4" Melonseed skiff follows the same lineage as her 16' sister (below) and in fact, you will probably find more of this length than the longer boat around the shores of New Jersey.

 This shorter example has a pierced toe rail which was quite usual on the original boats - this could also be fitted to the 16 footer. She has the same easily handled unstayed sprit rig and centreboard rather than the daggerboard that the original boats often had - this is simply for convenience when sailing in very shallow waters.

 I have gone for a curved cockpit coaming very much of the canoe type - the original boats had a smaller cockpit opening which was of a simple rectangular shape and again, this could be used rather than the shape shown on the drawings.

 Like her longer sister, a very beautiful boat with graceful strip planked hull lines to make an unusual project and a nice boat to sail.

 A client asked for a plywood stitch and tape version of the 13'4" Strip Planked  Melonseed skiff and this is it - she has 4 planks per side plus the traditional flat narrow bottom panel.

 Construction is similar to the 14' and 16' Stornoways and starts with a plywood fore and aft girder which incorporates the centreplate case. This is attached to the flat bottom panel forming a very stiff 'T' girder before the ply frames are slotted over the girder. The plywood hull panels are then stitch in place and the chine seams finished in epoxy and glass tape.

 She ues the same rig as the strip planked version and she can have either a 6mm steel centreplate controlled by lifting rod and link or the same plywood centreboard as the strip version.

 Fit out is much the same as the strip version.

Below is an example of the 13'4" Plywood Melonseed by Csaba Mezai

 The original Melonseed skiffs were gunning boats for hunting around the New Jersey area of North America. Unlike some of the other gunning skiffs and sneak boxes which were definitely inland boats, the Melonseeds were for use in more open and estuary waters which, around New Jersey, could be quite choppy.

 With their fine lines they were quick boats and easily sailed with their single boomed sprit rigs which were unstayed. They were often carvel built (clinker sometimes producing too much noise for gunning) with a lovely low profile and beautifully raked transom with wineglass aft sections. The hull has a narrow flat bottom plank which is flat from the bottom of the bow to around 2/3rds of the length aft where it swings up in a graceful curve to the transom which narrows as it goes. this makes fitting the centreboard case very easy.

 The Selway Fisher version uses a pivoted plywood centreboard for convenience in shallow waters rather than the daggerboard that the original boats often had and has a strip planked hull.

 She is a very beautiful and unusual hull type - an excellent project for the builder wanting an unusual design to construct - there are many photos on the web of the traditional type.

These photographs show a modified 16' Melonseed being built by Thomas Vochezer who has a boatyard located in Leupholz on the outskirts of Wangen, Germany. She has been stretched to17'.