Possibility of homebuilt plywood modern dinghy

[jheyland]

I built the CLC Passagemaker Take-Apart (https://clcboats.com/shop/boats/wood...-boat-kit.html) two winters ago. With the take apart option, the main part of the dinghy fits underneath my boom. Note that it doesn't nest, so the smaller part does not fit inside the larger part when said part is upside down behind the mast.

It was a really fun project and I am happy with it, both as a tender as well as a daysailor (did my own mast/sail configuration). It was my first project, so having the pieces pre-cut by CLC and the instruction book were great.
It's not as good a sailboat as the PT11, but rows well and is easily driven by an engine (I've used both a 3.3hp outboard and an electric trolling engine, mostly use the latter now).
No affiliation with CLC

[DavidM]

Here is a couple more pictures. Upside down? Sorry.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by DavidM

Attachment 293925
I built a 10’ fast tender with similar dimensions to a rib. I’ll attach photo

With the 9.9 on there how fast is it? And with how much load?

[DavidM]

Loaded with gear a two people. Planing speeds.

[barnakiel]

Any form can be built. The curved parts can be made in foam and glassed over together with the plywood "box".


Mind a simple pram form performs 90% of any "advaced" hull, 90% of the time. So those 'advanced' hull forms are basically USP, not true assets to the user.


Unless you are a Louis Vuitton contestant.


b.

[Jammer]

I have previously posted about my homebuilt Chameleon, a nesting 10'4" dinghy designed primarily for oars but also capable of being sailed or motored with a 3hp outboard. The two hull pieces plus the seat weigh 100 pounds. While the main hull panels are plywood, I used foam for some of the interior portions to save a little weight. I added the rubber fendering used by the PT-11. I probably spent $2500. I used two-part primers, paints, and varnish; paint and related supplies was about $1000.

I upgraded the towing eye, added hardpoints for navigation lights, added a very small amount of kevlar reinforcement, and added MDS-filled nylon skids to the backs of the skegs. This all cost about 4 pounds.

I am pleased with my choices.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Something like this might be a viable option: https://boatplans.cc/bateau/garvey-11/

Evan Gatehouse designed that. There are variations both shorter and longer.

Gatehouse's 10 and 11 foot "Fast Garvey" designs are some of the few short boats that are really designed to go fast with a big outboard. I'm tempted to build one, but have too many boats.

[tdunlap]

Originally Posted by DavidM

Attachment 293925
I built a 10’ fast tender with similar dimensions to a rib. I’ll attach photo

I love it, but won't you fall out of it? Maybe it's only for the southern hemisphere where it will be the other way around.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Trente your thoughts are often very good, but, some stitch and glue building methods do NOT require a backbone.

The Spindrift design is one of many.

You cut the panels. Sew them together at the center line and brace them with temporary or permanent braces of defined length apart to spread them out.

No need for a backbone the panel outline automatically gives the desired keel line when spread apart.

Or, do I misunderstood your posting?

A tradeoff of stitch-and-glue is that some precision and control is sacrificed. I've built boats both ways.

[Jeffrey1950]

Here’s one I made from plans. Hartley 16. The wide hull and steel deep lifting keel makes this boat a load carrier. I sheathed the ply in two layers of glass.

[Phil_Fr17]

Following

[Kettlewell]

Here's a shot of our 10-foot plywood skiff now 31 years old and going strong. She's about 10 feet long, framed with cyprus, flat plywood bottom and sides. Currently using a 4HP Yammy 4-stroke, but for most of its life we used an 8HP 2-stroke Johnson that really scooted her along. We routinely carry four adults and gear ashore with no fuss. Super easy to fix stuff using epoxy if you manage to damage her, but incredibly durable. Try keeping an inflatable going for 30 years of hard use!

[NormanMartin]

My two cents: CLC Boats. We bought the 15 ft Skerry design and it was so much fun to build and the row/sail.
The kit was delivered first week of January and we were sailing on Memorial Day weekend. It took about four hours a day because drying time is a factor. Built in basement and it fit out the door (we checked that first!)
With my dad, I built plywood dinghies from scraatch. This was better and way more fun.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by DavidM

Attachment 293925
I built a 10’ fast tender with similar dimensions to a rib. I’ll attach photo

I see your boat has a Big Johnson.

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by tdunlap

Your prayers have been answered. See -

https://cernyyachtdesign.com/project/727/

It is a shameful copy of the OC Tender.

The design is available in a few different sizes. You can buy plans, or a kit with CNC cut plywood.

You could build this out of Okoume plywood and it wouldn't be much heavier than built in foam core. A foam core build would still be pretty easy, but would be more expensive. If you wanted to cut the cost a bit you could use S-glass instead of carbon in the build. S-glass is remarkable in it's strength as compared to e-glass. It is also as strong or stronger than carbon, depending on how it's employed, but not as stiff as carbon. S-glass is certainly suitable for a tender. I think the reason you don't see s-glass too much is it's harder to source.

I think this is a very easy build, depending on your experience.

The challenge with designing a yacht tender, isn't making a light strong boat, it's making it tough enough to drag up a rocky beach, hence the aluminum plate OC Tender puts on the bottom of their boat. How you treat your tender can mitigate this problem somewhat.

I hope you build one, and have fun doing so. Grab a copy of West Systems book on epoxy construction, and watch a few YouTube vids covering this type of construction. You'll have no trouble figuring out what you're doing.

Incidentally, I own the very fist carbon version that OC Tender built. Back when I bought it they were way cheaper. Today, I would probably build this guys design. OC is really pricy, but it was an idea that was way overdue. It checks a lot of boxes as an ideal tender. I like how inflatables preform, but my OC is lighter and with a bit of care and maintenance can last forever. If it gets damaged, I can repair it easily. Not so with inflatables. I think the OC will also hold it value better than an inflatable as well.

This is exactly what I was hoping to find. Thank you!