Dinghy Kits

[m1taylor]

I was thinking of building one of those kit form wooden pram boats (Merryman Boats) as a tender as a winter project - has anyone build one of these kits? Does a pram dinghy need flat calm to progress - to an amateur the flat front end looks like you would take a bashing and lots of water when going through wash/waves?

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[wrr]

I have built a barrowboat, which may be similar. Pram dinghys are light and the forward transom should rise above the slop when sailing, rowing or motoring. When towing, use an eyebolt low in the forward transom so as to ensure that the bows are lifted.


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[richardandtracy]

I haven't made one of the kits you mention, but I can answer the bit about a Pram.

They can be used in rougher water than dead calm. They probably require more effort/power than would be needed if they had a fine bow, but then the length would be greater for very little useable extra space. They are a compromise - but generally a fairly good one, unless you want to race.

Regards

Richard.


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[Talbot]

towed a mirror in some fairly nasty weather without any problems. As has already been said, towing eye well down on the front , and well reinforced inside - not just across the front, but also on the join to the sides, cause there can be quite high loads here, and have seen older mirrors having their front pulled off when being towed!

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[fishermantwo]

I have built several prams over the years. V bottomed and flat bottom. The big advantage is of course the simplicity of construction. The more practical advantage is their carrying capacity for their lenght. Flat bottom prams have more stability which is an advantage when trying to board the mother ship. The dinghy I use at the moment with my fishing vessel is a simple stitch and glue pram I built in an afternoon. It was meant to be a flat bottom pram but as I stitched it up, the botton went concave. I proceeded with the glass work anyway. As it turned out the concave bottom worked fine, the pram planes easily behind my old displacement fishing vessel.

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