Captain Barnacles
New member
Dear All,
I have been looking into wooden sailing dinghies for several months and have been all around the houses trying to decide which features are important and which are less so in my next boat. I am looking to build a boat, though if the right boat were to become available second-hand before I start a build I could be tempted. I have a good idea of what I want but I can’t quite nail down which design to go for. I was hoping that the collective wisdom on this forum might help with my decision making process. I have very few hard-and-fast requirements, more a list of what I’d like and what I don’t think I’d like.
She must be:
I briefly owned a Swallow Bay Raider 20 which was a wonderful boat in so many respects. A change in circumstances meant I had to part with it but looking back there were a couple of aspects that I didn’t like so much; it was too large for my needs (obviously that’s no fault of the boat) and it was tiresome to rig, the kids were bored and restless by the time we got on the water, not a good start to a day’s sailing. What I really learned from owning the BR20 was that I don’t want another plastic boat.
I have looked at the designs of Vivier, Welsford, Oughtred, Selway-Fisher and a few others. Irrespective of their construction methods or their suitability for my purposes some of the designs that I like the most are Fulmar, Haven 12½, Osea Brig, Ebihen 16, Highlander 16, Navigator, Westray 16, Northumbrian Coble. I list these to give an idea of the sort of lines that I find attractive in a boat rather than their outright suitability for my needs.
I am an experienced woodworker with a decent ensemble of quality hand tools, power tools and machinery available so the idea of a fairly complex build doesn’t worry me too much. On the other hand I don’t want something that’s so painfully slow that I may lose interest. I have a good size workshop and a covered carport area behind it with a concrete floor which is probably where I would do most of the building in the warmer months, then move the project into the workshop over the winter.
I welcome any suggestions about the suitability of any of the boats I’ve listed but I’d also love to hear any suggestions for alternatives that I have overlooked. I don’t intend to build more than one boat in my lifetime (unless I really take to it) so I’d really like to be confident that I have the right design before I start milling timber. I’d like to get started this summer but I am not going to rush into something ill-considered.
Thank you in advance for any help or guidance that you can offer, it’s all greatly appreciated.
I have been looking into wooden sailing dinghies for several months and have been all around the houses trying to decide which features are important and which are less so in my next boat. I am looking to build a boat, though if the right boat were to become available second-hand before I start a build I could be tempted. I have a good idea of what I want but I can’t quite nail down which design to go for. I was hoping that the collective wisdom on this forum might help with my decision making process. I have very few hard-and-fast requirements, more a list of what I’d like and what I don’t think I’d like.
She must be:
- a trailerable stable, safe wooden dinghy suited to coastal cruising, inland trips and general day sailing
- suitable for me to be able to sail alone or take the family (up to 4 POB)
- pretty, she must be pretty
- a half-decked design, preferably with a coaming
- clinker construction, though I will look at other methods. Not so keen on stitch and glue, don’t ask why, I just don’t fancy it
- ply or timber built though I’d probably prefer timber, I don’t much enjoy working with ply
- 14’ to 17’ is my preferred LOA but would consider others if pushed
- ideally not too heavy, it’s a tall order but perhaps water ballast
- configurable for moderately comfortable sleeping aboard
- a gaffer or a lugger, possibly a yawl or Bermudan
- provision for rowing and perhaps a small outboard (maybe electric?) on occasions
- some built-in buoyancy
- something that’s reasonably quick and easy to rig
- something seaworthy in case I get brave and decide to go further afield or if the weather really picks up in the bay etc. I’m not planning to cross the Atlantic!
- a double-ender - I love them but they look somewhat cramped
- a huge array of sails to be constantly trimming
- stitch and glue/stitch and tape construction - unless you can convince me otherwise!
- a racing dinghy
- something heavy and cumbersome to handle
- a yacht
- a motorboat!
- something that’s difficult to right if knocked down
I briefly owned a Swallow Bay Raider 20 which was a wonderful boat in so many respects. A change in circumstances meant I had to part with it but looking back there were a couple of aspects that I didn’t like so much; it was too large for my needs (obviously that’s no fault of the boat) and it was tiresome to rig, the kids were bored and restless by the time we got on the water, not a good start to a day’s sailing. What I really learned from owning the BR20 was that I don’t want another plastic boat.
I have looked at the designs of Vivier, Welsford, Oughtred, Selway-Fisher and a few others. Irrespective of their construction methods or their suitability for my purposes some of the designs that I like the most are Fulmar, Haven 12½, Osea Brig, Ebihen 16, Highlander 16, Navigator, Westray 16, Northumbrian Coble. I list these to give an idea of the sort of lines that I find attractive in a boat rather than their outright suitability for my needs.
I am an experienced woodworker with a decent ensemble of quality hand tools, power tools and machinery available so the idea of a fairly complex build doesn’t worry me too much. On the other hand I don’t want something that’s so painfully slow that I may lose interest. I have a good size workshop and a covered carport area behind it with a concrete floor which is probably where I would do most of the building in the warmer months, then move the project into the workshop over the winter.
I welcome any suggestions about the suitability of any of the boats I’ve listed but I’d also love to hear any suggestions for alternatives that I have overlooked. I don’t intend to build more than one boat in my lifetime (unless I really take to it) so I’d really like to be confident that I have the right design before I start milling timber. I’d like to get started this summer but I am not going to rush into something ill-considered.
Thank you in advance for any help or guidance that you can offer, it’s all greatly appreciated.