8 foot ply on frame design suitable for tender?

[Soundman67]

Hi everyone. I have been looking for a while for a simple ply on frame design that would make a suitable tender for my 63 year old converted fishing troller. I only really have 8 feet of space to store it. I would like to be able to move 2 people with the groceries and stuff and run it with a small electric trolling motor and have oars as a backup. I am thinking Pram because it gives me more load capacity for the length. What have others built that fits those criteria?

[sailoar]

The two which come quickly to mind are the Sabotina: http://glen-l.com/designs/hankinson/sabotina.html and the El Toro: http://www.eltoroyra.org/contact.htm#Order Nearly identical hull shape. Both sail, and both can be built for rowing only.

Have fun!

[JimD]

Electric power would be a lot of extra weight for a pram to carry along with two bodies and groceries. Selway Fisher Simplicity 8 comes either framed or S&G. I have one and it seems to behave as well as any, rowing, motoring, or sailing.

[Arizona Bay]

Bolger's Elegant punt would work...
http://www.smallboats.com/bolger.htm

and here is the Sprite pram at 8' from Jordan boats
I'm building the 10' version called Scamp
http://www.jordanwoodboats.com/

[Soundman67]

the Sabotina looks very good. Thanks.

[Soundman67]

Lots of great ideas. I have some reading ahead of me. What would be the advantage of the vee bottom vs. a flat bottom on these designs? I imagine the flat bottom is simpler to build and has a lower draft but both of those things dont bother me one way or the other.
Jim yea the electric is kinda heavy. My battery is 85lbs and about 15 for the motor itself. and then weight wise I will add in another 225lbs so I guess I should be looking for something that is happy carrying about 600lbs.

[David G]

Maybe a Welsford 'Tender Behind'?

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/jw...hind/index.htm

[JimConlin]

An 8' pram is not hard to row. Forget the trolling motor.

I have several favorite prams.

John Brooks' Compass Harbor Pram is 8'8". The Plans are extraordinarily complete.


The smaller Nutshell is a very capable pram and there's lots of how-to information available. All from our hosts.


Another favorite is the L Francis Herreshoff 'Istalena' pram (Plans are in one of the Gardner books).

[JimD]

Jim yea the electric is kinda heavy. My battery is 85lbs and about 15 for the motor itself. and then weight wise I will add in another 225lbs so I guess I should be looking for something that is happy carrying about 600lbs.

You might have to look at something a bit longer. John Welsford's Sherpa is sort of a big sister to Tender Behind and might handle the loads you need. Its nine feet. If you read the write up to it on John's website you can see it was designed with this in mind

I had an enquiry from a liveaboard couple who needed to cover the two hundred yards or so from the town jetty to their forty footer, two ‘mature adults” who described themselves as a little under exercised and not as agile as they once were, two fat Labrador dogs that had to be dry when thy went aboard as nosepegs are only partly effective in blocking the smell, and groceries to transport as well. I asked as to the maximum accommodation aboard and was told that they had three doubles, and I know that after a congenial dinner ashore the prospect of making two or three trips to ferry everyone out there is not attractive, and yet the little boat had to stow in a limited space aboard. Designing the tiny tenders that service the big boats is an exacting task, the requirements don’t stop with the late night ferry operations, they include being the getaway vehicle when moored in an anchorage, a play toy for the kids, a private space for a skipper or crewmember too long confined aboard and a service platform for looking after the parent vessel. So I took the space available on the deck, and the construction and style of the fat little “Tender Behind “ I drew for my maths teacher years ago, the need for six people and stability enough to account for a drink or two. I rigged her with enough sail to make good progress, a nice simple rig that will only take a couple of minutes to set up and with short spars to make stowage easy. I made a cutaway in the transom for the ubiquitous little outboard motor, but added a proper pair of rowlocks so she can be rowed effectively when needed. Construction is as simple as I could devise, she has a flat panel bottom for stability, the frames are cut from plywood and are set up over a central spine which aligns them and also forms one side of the centrecase. Stringers wrap around the frames from bow to stern and ply planking is fitted over those. The seat tops form buoyancy tanks at each end, tanks that contribute to the stiffness as well as providing good seating. She is very strong, light enough to manhandle, and has enough stability to be a really fun sailor, as well as being steady enough for the times when you are trying to heave a box of provisions up over the rail, you can stand up in this boat, you can get your six people aboard in calm weather ( and still row) and with her usual load she is as capable in a wind over tide dark night chop as anything that you will find of this size. Sherpa? A hardy race of people native to Nepal, small in stature, but who can carry heavy loads in mountainous conditions. NZ $140 US $105 Australia $105 Euro €60 Sherpa Plans Note: All credit card sales are in New Zealand Dollars. Local taxes are not included. Economy postage is included in the prices quoted but if priority mail or courier is preferred there will be an additional charge. Email: jwboatdesigns@xtra.co.nz for more information. If you pay by check, you may use the price in your prefered currency as above. Note that we sell sails and are pleased to quote a freight inclusive price to anywhere in the world, we have tan or white, the sails come with sailbag, one reef and are completely ready to go. Prices fluctuate slightly so we prefer to quote each sail as the demand arises but you can bet that we are competitive even with the freight included.

[Arizona Bay]

Glued clinker would open up lots of possibilities...

Not a quick build, but but Sherpa is one of my favorites
Sherpa surfing

[Rich Jones]

I built a couple of dinks to the Glen-L design many, many years ago. Back then, it was called the Eight-Ball, but looks identical to the Sabotina. Easy to build and can carry a load. They're not pretty, but they got the job done. Mine was always used as a dink to get back and forth to my big boat on a mooring. It was left chained up on the beach all summer, but because it was a cheap build, if it got stolen, it was no big loss. Never was stolen and still in great shape when I sold it (and the big boat) years later.

[Soundman67]

I know it would be easy to row a pram and I shouldnt need the trolling motor. But I like to just putt putt around sometimes.
I need to do this ply on frame because I just dont have the space to build any other way. It will probably get built on my back deck on the boat. So with ply on frame I can knock most of it out in a single day. Finishing it wont take much more either as I am using 3/8"MDO and fir framing. Nothing fancy. Just a basic boat to putt around and also to get to and from the pub when I am up the coast. I use PL Premium Advanced and epoxy coated deck screws. It will last a good long time painted in oil. Just really looking for plans to make sure I dont build a bad boat.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Very interesting how much alike they are at the same time they are sooo different.

[Soundman67]

Thanks Jim, I was looking at Sherpa before. A real good looking boat.

[jimkeen]

Check this out. Simple and free
http://www.boatdesign.com/applepie/index.htm
Jim

[Soundman67]

Apple pie is a nice looking boat but its stitch and glue and I wont be using any epoxy.
Thats why the ply on frame requirement.

[David G]

Yeah... to bad you aren't interested in S&G. There are multiple options.

One little-known example - which I've seen in use and was impressed with - is the Tree Frog:

http://www.applegateboatworks.com/treefrog.html


You won't likely be disappointed with a Sherpa, though... if you're willing to go that big. You said 8' max, though, which is why I suggested Tender Behind.

[DGentry]

John Gardner's "Pram of surprising ability" is a ply on frame design that is capacious, tows well and works just fine with a small motor. She has a plain and unattractive (to my eye) sheerline, but still works . . . surprisingly well. There are free plans, in his books, for both an 8' and a 10' version.


Bill Thomas also has a new 8' "Family Pram" of ply on frame construction. It's a nice little boat. http://www.billthomaswoodworking.com/