N' Slower

I found I was in need of a dinghy that needed little maintenance, so I shopped around and found that everything available was either sprayed fiberglass or press formed plastic. The cheap plastic and over priced fiberglass models just weren’t my cup of tea so I decided to design one myself. I figured if I was going to have to build it I should get everything I can out of it, I mean, this is not just going to be a service dingy. It was also a good excuse to involve my teen son who was fourteen at the time. So with a pad and pencil I sketched it, then outlined the full size shape with my finger in the nape of the living room rug. It wasn’t the most professional way to do it but I needed to see if I could fit in my design before I decided to build it! After all that’s logical, how else would one decide it to be big enough to meet the needs. I created this one off design that day, and immediately went to work building it. It carries three adults in comfort and the mast stores with its furled sail in a port side storage cradle. The mast and sail is self contained and steps without the need of stays. The mast and sail is step-able at sea in the event the motor fails, thus the design name, “Get Me Home Sailor”. This sweetie-pie’s name is “n’ slower” it was built to tend my sons 1968 Columbia 26′ sloop “Slowpoke” also acts as a sailing tender if sailing is preferred fun of the day. It is all cedar construction encapsulated in glass. All stainless steel screwed and bonged. Not a stitch and glue construction. The mass is cedar as is the tiller, rudder and the center board. The keel and motor mount are white oak.