Homemade dinghy design

[skylark]

I am looking for a simple dinghy design that will fit on the foredeck of my boat. 

I have an Optimist type pram with centerboard slot, but it is extremely heavy, too heavy for me to lift out of the water on my own.  I would like to make a stitch and glue type dinghy, as simple as possible.  I would use a light plywood and not cover it with fiberglass, just paint.  I am thinking just a center seat with foam inside of it for flotation. 

Here is the pram:



A little smaller so I can get around it easily would be nice. 

Has such a dinghy been designed?  Or should I try to design one?

[CharlieJ]

B and B Yacht Designs

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/cpaw.htm

6 foot 6 inch Minipaw I could hold the dinghy without seats over my head with one hand.

[skylark]

Here is another interesting one:

http://www.atkinboatplans.com/Dinks/TinyRipple.html

[Captain Smollett]

Thought about a nester?  B and B's 9 footer nests to 4.5 ft.  Good for storage on the deck, and you can raise/lower half at a time.

Downside is of course the need for assembly, but I understand that only takes a moment.

[Godot]

I built a Chuck Merrell Apple Pie Dinghy (7'x3.5').  The plans are free.  It's light weight, tows well, and rows ok.  Better than ok with only one aboard and a calm anchorage; although it works adequately with a little wind and chop, just not quite as dry.  With two big full grown men she does bog down a bit; but she's a small dinghy, so that is expected.  Care must be taken getting in and out as she is a bit tippy until seated.  I've rowed her as far as half a mile or so at one time without excessive effort.  

Almost all the materials were pulled from scrap stock at home (even the fiberglass and epoxy, which is left over from a project from years ago) so it cost me hardly anything to build.  All non-marine wood, though, so we'll see if fiberglass and epoxy (and eventually paint, which I'm, sadly, actually going to have to spend money on) is enough to keep her alive.

I recently got back from a two week Chesapeake cruise towing the Apple Pie, and I can not believe I didn't build her earlier.  It does make life so much easier (my inflatable, without outboard and prone to leaks, was really no fun to use).  I received a lot of compliments, which, honestly, made me cringe as I did not use excessive care or craftmanship in construction, looking instead to throw something together that I could beat up and abuse without guilt.  LOTS of men came to look at the boat.  Female boaters were uninterested in the boat; but quickly fell in love with my cat, who was along for the trip.


 

The one comment I'd make for anyone contemplating building an Apple Pie, don't be tempted to put foam under the aft seat.  I've seen a few examples online of people doing this and can only assume they didn't try the boat on for size before doing it.  My feet tend to want to go under the aft seat, and sort of lock in there which really attaches me to the boat.  Not a bad thing on something this small.  While I didn't, I don't see any real problem with putting foam under the center seat.

I think I could have raised the towing eye.

I didn't try putting in on the foredeck of my 24 footer.  I think she would fit; but it would be tight and make working the foredeck tricky.  The pains of small boats.

[Captain Smollett]

That IS a nice looking boat!

Craftsmanship, smashmanship...you built it with your own hands and THAT alone makes it valuable...and worthy of the respect of others.

[brucedart]

Two other nesting dinghy designs you might want to check out are Danny Greene's Chameleon.
Plans are available at: www.duckworksmagazine.com/04/s/designs/greene/cham/index.cfm 
Danny is a naval architect living in Bermuda.  In addition to the regular plans, he can also provide full-size templates.

Dave Gerr also has an interesting design you can see at
http://www.gerrmarine.com/small.html
His method of connecting the two halves of the dinghy are worth a look.

Cheers,
Bruce Dart
Late of SV Winds O' Morning
Cape Dory 25

[skylark]

keel


chines transom pram


plan view


profile


sections

http://cruisenews.net/dinghy/pram/6 Foot Flat Bottom Pram Dinghy.pdf
cut out coordinates

This dinghy is a 6 foot long flat bottom dinghy which has not yet been built.  Feel free to use the "plans" at no charge.

[Michael Homsany]

,

Two other nesting dinghy designs you might want to check out are Danny Greene's Chameleon....

I'm a Danny Greene fan as well, having built a Two Bits in 84, then a 'regular' Chameleon in 98, then when that was stolen, one out of alloy in 2003 (http://www.bebi-electronics.com/rtt.html ).

The last one is still in great shape, and used every day.  It's 'carrying capacity' has been tested with skinny li'l me, and two 300#+ Samoans in it at the same time, albeit not with a lot of freeboard left over! :)

[CharlieJ]

Howdy Michael. Haven't seen you in a while. Sure have "agented" a lota
Owls ;)

Great product.

Oh-  and congrats on the boats, from a retired wood  composite boat builder.

[phil416]

Great thread, grog to all.  My dingy is very similar to Godot's, exept I installed two bulkheads and sawed it in 1/2.  She rests above the forehatch.   I used 3mm oukme plwood and reinforced the sole with kevlar tape bedded in epoxy.  After several years use she has held up well.  For the next  one I will add more rocker, and a deeper keel as she blows around like an inflatable in a breeze.  The flat bottom slamed quite a bit in the choppy conditions on Prickly bay but she did the job.  Seating is longitudinal ala Phil Bolger's Tortise.  To launch and retrieve I use a preventer hooked up to a whisker pole and a bridle attached to the dingy.  Works great.  She weighs 37 lbs.  Fair Winds  Phil

[Michael Homsany]

Thanks for the kind words Charlie!  Everytime, I've built a dink, when I was finished I said 'never again', so this last time I didn't say it so as I didn't hex myself! :)

Re-reading the thread, as per the original 'Two Bits' design, I didn't clad the bottom with glass, and she went all wormy in a year out here.  I dried it out by sticking it in a 20' container for a few weeks during our summer, filled the worm holes with epoxy filler, than sheathed the bottom in glass the second time.

As far as I know, that dink is still going, but you'd need to ask my first wife, who got it, as well as pretty much everything else. :-(

[Monovasia]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL....

I switched from a dinghy to a Hobie Kayak...with the Mirage drive...easy to stow, perfect for getting around and I have it rigged to fish, using Monovasia as  the mothership....there is lots of room for stowage....a number of folks out here in SoCal are using paddleboards as well....

[John Bailey]

I built a CLC Eastport Pram a number of years ago.  It seem a little small for me. (But I'm definitely not a "little" small). It was a great little boat and got me around in fine shape.  One time I had 3 200+lbs.'ers in the boat and it worked, although I wouldn't have made a habit of it.

I'm going to build a B & B Two-Paw 9 this winter.  I think a nesting dinghy is the way to go for a small boat.

John

[CharlieJ]

I'm going to build a B & B Two-Paw 9 this winter.  I think a nesting dinghy is the way to go for a small boat.

John

And Graham and Carla are absolute delights to work with. I've built six boats to Grahams designs, plus had him design amas for my CLC John's Sharpie to turn it into a fantastic trimaran.

Oh- and built an CLC Eastport too :D

[skylark]

Do you have any pics of that trimaran?  I am considering doing the same with my sharpie.

[CharlieJ]

I do, but not on this laptop. Soon as I get back home (tomorrow) I'll post some.

But here's a couple of videos of it sailing- in the first one, it's reefed and making 12 + knots

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3c0nZhPI4s&feature=related

And in the second, unreefed and sailing pretty much the same speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrdEWEzOGh4&feature=related

Both videos taken during the first Texas 200.

Graham designed the amas and I designed the cross arms (akas) and connectives. He has the plans for sale for the amas at an extremely reasonable cost- under $20 I think.   

[skylark]

Looks good, thanks

[CharlieJ]

Couple of pics- Boat's name is Traveler







and one more- loaded for the Texas 200-

[skylark]

What is the width of Traveler?