Not for Sail,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Ian G Wright]

Opened the “round tuit” box under my bed and dug out one marked “Build tender”…
‘Bin thinking about it since I lost the last off Dungeness two years ago. Perhaps you might help trigger a few more thoughts?
Thoughts so far…
I want a 7ish foot pram, NOT designed to sail. Rather must row well and tolerate a featherweight Seagull.
So flat wide sections (?), Good skeg for tracking (?) Stable,,,,,,,,,,,, very stable, for use by fat cripple (me). Will tow well. Light is good. Strong is better. Pretty is good. Builds with minimum hand tools by said FC, so,,,,,, Simple is good.
Ideas please,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, do I hear the name Iain Oughtred,,,,,,,,?

IanW

[Chadd Hamilton]

Did you say Iain Oughtred? Well, he's got the perfect boat for you; The Feather Pram. It seems to match your criteria. A clinker pram about 6'7" LOA, it can be built using traditional or glue lap fastening technique(exellent details provided for both). I'm currently building one the traditional way (10 planks per side versus 8 for the glued lap) and having a really fun time. I'd be glad to answer any other questions you have about building this great-looking boat.

Plans available from http://www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/

[gary porter]

Ian, you might consider Joel White's Nutshell Pram. The small one is 7'something and can be built for rowing only. I saw one last year at Port Townsend with a Seagull running all over the harbor quite nicely. My wife built one and the only thing I would add is perhaps more of a skeg or keel. It sits high in the water and has a fair amount of rocker which makes it a little sensitive for rowing but would probably work much better with a heavier person or added weight, she is only about 105lbs, and like I said perhaps a bit more skeg. A very nice boat.
Gary

[NormMessinger]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid19/pb8c4d4d960f1481b50c1cde452231eb4/fdc2fb63.jpg

What more can I say?

--Norm

[Norumbega Boatworks]

I've been toying with the idea of building a nesting dinghy - Dave Gerr's - any comments?

Will

[Keith Wilson]

If you don't mind taped-seam construction, it would be hard to do better than Phil Bolger's "Rubens Nymph" (just like the regular Nymph except 12" wider). I built one as a tender several years ago and it worked great; tows well, rows easily if not fast, carries four adults with no problem, is very forgiving of inattention and clumsiness, and isn't bad looking for a sheet-plywood boat. I built it in ten very partial work days, admittedly with a pretty rough finish.

You can get plans from Dynamite Payson here. (http://www.instantboats.com/rnymph.htm)

[ 08-06-2002, 11:17 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[Jeff Robinson]

Is this a chance to get some comments on the D4 pram (free plans on the net)? Has anyone built one? What is it good for? (I need a tender for the Gaffer in the Garage.)

JR

[paladin]

what izzit Norm.......

[NormMessinger]

The photo I posted above is Iain Oughtred's Humble Bee, the next size up (??) from the afore mentioned Feather Pram. I built it, glued lapstrake, with 4 mm okoume plywood which would be a bit light for Ian's requirements. Iain specifies 3/16" or 1/4". He also includes plans for traditional lapstrake construction which may be more the Wright way to build.

Now as to handling: I don't have enough experience to judge but it seems to track very well, carry on from stroke to stroke, carries two adults easily, and didn't swamp when I got tangled up and laid on the gunwale. It'll turn easily, of course, given it is half as wide as long. Hatteras white outside, mast buff inside, bright thwarts and oiled white oak floorboards... if we'd just get rid of that ugly piece of polyeth. line on the bow it would not look out of place behind Patience--in my opinion.

--Norm

[Figment]

Will,

I know a guy that has a nesting dink similar to Gerr's design. it's quite a stable little vessel, and claims of stowability are well founded. he has more trouble stowing the oars than stowing the hull. all in all, a very sound little vessel.

the one petty-complaint was that if left in water for more than 3 or 4 days, an unbelievable amount of gunk built up between the halves, making a mess on deck when separating for stowage. the plan was to apply foam weatherstrip tape to one of the halves to prevent the gunk from seeping in, and I imagine that it probably worked, but can't say for certain because I haven't been hanging around that boatyard much this season.

[Hughman]

Ian: Take a look at John Gardiner's "More Classic Small Craft". There are a series of Prams, one of which I built out of plywood. (8') I like the result-easy and cheap to build, tows and rows well, considering the inevitable compromise inherent in short boats. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid25/p07a5168e4468bc9d09759043c69d0090/fd89060e.jpg Here's a photo-pram is in foreground

[Ian G Wright]

To Anita Mason,

Many thanks for details of "Pootzy", VERY nice little boat...
I have questions smile.gif but my e-mails to you bounce back. I'll try again, or post here, whichever you wish.
Thanks again.

IanW.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Another good tender is Bolger's Elegant Punt. I have built about five of them so far, as they tend to walk when I leave them on the shore. The punt doesn't look bad once it is in the water, and it's simple to build, (the last one took me a weekend).
I tipped one getting off my boat (6 foot 3 inches, 200 lbs), so I widened the next one by adding 6 inches to the bottom, front and rear transoms. It is fast, stable and big. The wide bottom gives good initial stability, and the rockered bottom rows well and carries a lot of weight before it drags the transom.