This lightweight 12-footer is simple to build and all the materials, including the rig and sail can be found in one trip to a well-stocked home-center outlet for around $600. Despite the straightforward building steps, the boat has very quick performance. With a daggerboard and a full-length keelson to maintain steering with the daggerboard up, the boat tacks fast yet has great directional stability at speed. The Wing-Dinghy is really a 12' edition of the very fast "International 14's", with some scaled-down lines of the Lake Garda Racers thrown in. The boat features a large, fully-battened mainsail, plus jib and kick-up rudder. The stock hull weighs only 125 lbs, is naturally buoyant, and also has four flotation compartments with air-out vents. Wing-decks on each side provide comfortable, controlled seating when hiking out. More advanced builders might want to use lighter plywood, a carbon-fiber windsurfer mast, and rig a bowsprit and a third "Jibbaker" sail for extreme speed performance.
L.O.A.:12'
BEAM:HULL, 40"/ WINGS,53"
SAIL AREA: 110SQ.FT.
WEIGHT:125LBS
CREW: ONE TO TWO
Click Here for a look at the Wing Dinghy's building sequence and lines.
There is a FREE paper model of the Wing-Dinghy, and you can find it HERE!
When the editors of Family Circle had asked for a triple-purpose boat (sailing , rowing , and motoring) that was easy for beginners to build, and that could be carried on top of a car, we got to work. The 3-in-1 soon proved to be a capable little performer, outreaching our hopes as a multiuse boat. Only 10' long, the 3-in-1 sails with a surprising amount of spirit in a breeze, even with a family of four aboard. Sail balance is nice, and tacking is surefire. The rowing seat doubles as a daggerboard box, and there's a built in outboard well for small outboards or electrics. Storage fore and aft provides space for flotation foam or supplies.
L.O.A.: 10'
BEAM:4'6"
SAIL AREA: 75SQ.FT.
WEIGHT: 120LBS
CREW:ONE TO THREE
OPTIONAL POWER TO 5HP, 45 LBS ELECTRIC
Click Here to see a drawing of the 3-In-1 building sequence.
The Triad was based on the centuries-old lines of Greek sponge boats to come up with a versatile, lightweight, romantic little boat that's good for rowing, sailing, or motoring. The 12' Triad can handle engines to 5hp., although we're kind of partial to electric outboards with solar-recharge setups. The hull can handle a good load (we've rowed with five people aboard), and is a stable platform for fishing and diving. The full-length keel makes for straight rowing, as well as sailing with the board up in shallow water (or beaching with the kick-up rudder).
L.O.A.:12'
BEAM:5'2"
SAIL AREA: 66SQ.FT.
WEIGHT: 150LBS
CREW: ONE TO FOUR
OPTIONAL POWER TO 5HP, 45 LBS ELECTRIC, OARS
Click Here to see a drawing of the Triad building sequence.
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