Help finding Small sloop- 30 feet or less keel -1850 or earlier)

Hi,
I’m looking for designs/models/ ANY information on 30’ or smaller sloops. Single mast - ideally with a rudder (as opposed to helm) cutters are fine, too…I’d love to find a small Bermuda sloop design, but I’m not picky. Really interested in ANY small, old, sloops. I just can’t seem to find info on smaller Age of Sail vessels ANYWHERE using ordinary Internet searches. But this website looks like it might just be full of knowledgeable people with information. Thank you in advance for any info!

Welcome to SoS Drockncrisso
Have you searched the Royal Museum Greenwich collections site? https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections While the below is a 57 foot Bermuda, they may have plans for smaller versions as well. They also have basic lines plans for cutters that you might find helpful. There are also about 25 cutter drawings from RMG on the Wiki Commons site on page 7, some of which are in high resolution. Not sure if they have any sloops. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ship_plans_of_the_Royal_Museums_Greenwich
Allan

In maritime terminology the term “sloop” can mean two different things. It can mean a vessel with a single masted sail rig or a small warship. Since you mention 30 ft or smaller I assume that you mean the former. 30 ft craft, are usually referred to as “boats,” so what you are looking for is information about Sloop Rigged Boats.

Sloop rigged boats were used throughout the western world, for fishing and short haul cargo carrying. The late Naval Architect William A. Baker describes the development of these boats in his book Sloops and Shallops. Another very useful reference is The Fore and Aft Rig in America by E.P. Morris. This is an old book published in the 1920’s or 30’s but his historical analysis is very interesting

Sloop rigged boats were also carried aboard sailing warships as tenders. In the 1700’s they were called Longboats. You can find several examples of sloop rigged longboats using the Royal Museum Greenwich website that Allan has posted above.

And last but not least here is a photo of a model of one of these sloop rigged longboats that I built from these British Admiralty plans.

Roger