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20' Leathers Yawl (1880) - BARBASHELA

  • a side

  • Owner’s Description

    BARBASHELA is a Mississippi River Yawl designed and built in the 1880s by famed steamboat NATCHEZ Captain Thomas P. Leathers, as a gift to Ms. Winnie Davis for use along the coastal waters and bayous of Biloxi, MS.
    Barbashela is an English variant of the Choctaw word for friends, and the hybrid bateau incorporates several unusual design features pulled from skiffs, dories and flatties. The rowboat measures just under 20 feet and is 4 1/2 feet on the beam. The dory type stern is narrow and the sides flare out at 60 degrees amidships. The cypress hull is planked lengthwise and it has a very unique transition from a convex to concave shape from bow to stern. The hull shape is also rockered at the bow and from the last one third of the hull to the transom. There is also rocker athwartships. The internal framework consists of slender cypress knees sandwiched by two ribs that form a truss. 5 seats function as thwarts and rest on a sweeping stringer. A thick sole covers the frames.
    The bateau was partially restored in the early 20th Century and was displayed at various times at Beauvoir in Biloxi, MS. She was originally rowed by Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis at the family home during the time frame of 1883-1893 and then subsequently maintained by custodians of Beauvoir through present day. Disaster in the form of Hurricane Katrina struck the residents of the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and the rowboat was severely damaged by wind, debris and storm surge. In 2016 we restored the missing sections to seaworthy condition using a 1921 photo, a 2001 informal survey of the vessel by Russell Barnes and technical help from many sources including Maynard Bray and the team at G&B. The boat is back on display to the public at the Beauvoir Museum in Biloxi, MS.
    BARBASHELA rows like a dream and it is a treat to run her on and off the beach. Her full restoration report can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Barbashela-Restoration-Report-Winnie-Rowboat/dp/154079542X

  • Photos

    • a side 768x512
    • Barbashela
    • Audrey cleaning BArbashela 01 feb
    • risers roughed in 12 may
    • Audrey Caulking
    • Audrey Kent BARBASHELA
    • a seats
    • a stern
    • a bow
    • Audrey paddles 768x512
    • a row 768x512
    • a christmas 768x512

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  • Comments

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    4 thoughts on “20' Leathers Yawl (1880) - BARBASHELA”

    • PEPE 3 years ago

      Beautiful and lovely!

      • Skipper and Kent Post author 3 years ago

        Thank you PEPE. The curves and bevels on this skiff were never ending, plus the builders added little details like cove on the riser, chamfer, curved aft thwart and floorboards. On top of her good looks, BARBASHELA could haul a lot of gear when she needed to. We were thrilled to have had the time to study and restore her lines.
        Cheers
        Skipper Audrey and “Clark” Kent

    • Mike Smith 5 years ago

      Good job you two!

      What an inspiration.

      This is what rescuing a treasure is all about.

      Thanks, Mike from Napa

      • Skipper and Kent Post author 5 years ago

        Thanks Mike, we had the time of our lives working on BARBASHELA, and were honored to walk her through that moment in her life.
        Cheers
        Kent and Audrey