Considering a Haven 12.5

[Erick Singleman]

I built Joel Whites Pooduck Skiff 4 yrs ago, and I love it. I built the Pooduck because it is a good boat to learn to sail on, and makes a great rowboat for fishing. However, I am considering building the Haven because I'd like to have a boat that is more comfortable to sit in with another person aboard (sailing), and would like to take some friends out sailing with me on occasion. The Haven looks like it will fit the bill well size wise. The question for me is in carvel planking this boat. I am a traditionalist in many of my endeavors, so I cannot justify in my head cold molding or strip planking. But I have no experience with carvel planked boats. For example I would plan to keep this boat moored on a lake most of the time, however, I'd like to trailer it on occasion to the shore once or twice during the season (which would be about a 3 hour ride). Will a carvel boat be up for trailering and hauling in and out. My suspision is that the planks will not see very much change in gap during the season, and that most of the concern with carvel boats is when you launch it in the spring. So, am I out of line in thinking that a carvel planked Haven will be able to withstand a little trailering, as long as I am not hauling it out for great lengths of time or beating it up too much on the roadways?

[Buddy]

while my Joel White Marshcat is coldmolded for precisely the reason of storing on a trailer, not in the water, I would think a three hour road `trip would be perfectly OK. Or three days, even three weeks. Why not check with Eric Dow, who builds lots of these. He'd be the best advisor.

[Dan Nielsen]

I built a POF Haven. I haul it once or twice a year. It sits in the driveway uncovered for three weeks while I do maintainence than goes back in and remains tight. A good, sound, protective paint job helps a lot here. With a float off/on trailer there is not much stress loading and unloading the boat.

Consider visiting www.havenbuilders.com if you haven't yet.