12 Ft Sailing Dinghy "Riff", Design #136

Construction: Strip planked, glassed inside and out.

A very simple small daysailer perfect for kids or adults. Generous beam and built-in buoyancy tanks fore and aft make this an ideal boat for learning to sail. Construction is 9/16in. western red cedar strip planking with a layer of 6oz/sq yd glass cloth and epoxy inside and out. A straightforward building method and well detailed plans make this one well suited to the beginning boat builder.

Sailing photographs are in "Riff's" custom building pages.

13 ft Centerboard Sailing Dinghy, Design #90

Construction: Plywood

14 ft Lapstrake Sailing Dinghy "Skylark", Design #107

Construction: Lapstrake on bent frames

This handsome dinghy has proved to be an ideal family daysailer. It is stable, will carry up to four people, and sails well. It is offered with either a standing lug rig or a gunter jib and main. Construction is absolutely traditional, with clinker planking over bent frames. The centerboard is galvanized steel.

The lug rigged version was built in our shop. Additional photos, construction and sailing, may be seen on "Skylark's" pages.

Yaquina Bay One-Design "Swansong", Design #146

Construction: Lapstrake on bent frames

"Swansong" was built for the customer who commissioned "Skylark", and is essentially a souped-up version of that design. She retains traditional clinker construction but the hull lines are much finer with slacker sections and more reserve buoyancy. She is half-decked for added seaworthiness. This is a fast, well-balanced little boat and an ideal singlehander.

Sailing pictures are in "Swansong's" custom building pages.

15 ft Rowing/Sailing Skiff Design #147

Construction:Strip planked, glassed inside and out.

A boat that will row and sail well is a common request that this little double ender is designed to fill. It has enough beam and power in its sections to carry a rig to windward with some hiking out in stronger breezes. It is also light and fine enough on the waterline to row reasonably well.

Construction is dead simple, materials easily obtained and plans very fully detailed. A good first time building project.

15 ft Sailing Dinghy Design #148

Construction:Clinker on bent frames

This recent design fills a gap in our family of daysailers. It is a performance boat similar in many ways to #113 "Jessie", but of much simpler construction, lighter displacement and better off-wind speed. The building method is traditional clinker on bent frames, centreboard is wood and the boat is open without side decks.

Skill level is high as are all our clinker designs but this is not a difficult shape to plank and frame. It would make an excellent project for those interested in practicing traditional building methods.

Silva Bay Shipyard School recently built this design. Rick Corless, one of the students on the building team, recorded their progress on his web site. See Building a 15 ft Gartside Day Sailer.

Tomales Bay One-Design "Jessie", Design #113

Construction: Double skin on bent frames

This is another design that was built in our shop. Because she was designed for California conditions, we planked her double skin on bent frames, to ensure stability of the wood, while preserving a traditional feel. Planking is red cedar. The inner skin is about 1/8 inch and runs on a 45 degree diagonal. The outer layer is about 1/4 inch thick and is laid fore and aft in epoxy glue. Decks are similar construction, double skin cedar with a 4oz glass skin.

This is an intricate piece of work and a good deal more time-consuming than single skin construction, but the result is very pleasing and should stand up well without a burden of maintenance.

See Custom Building Projects for construction and sailing photos.