Eastport Pram

[NautiDuck]

The Admiral and I will be crusing in the San Juan Islands beginning this spring. We have decided that a non-inflatable dinghy is right for us. We are looking for a solid, but light weight, dinghy. I have read good things about the Eastport Pram from Chesapeake Light Craft plus it looks like a fun project to build it. Do any of you have experience towing this small dinghy behind a sailboat? How did it work out? Thanks and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

[shemandr]

Peanut Pram

I built and have used the Peanut Pram, which I heard about from Common Sense Boat Designs, in the NW. I can't compare it to the Eastport because I don't know it. The Peanut is 7' by about 4' and using good marine plywood (Okoume) it can be built in the 70 lb area. It tows extremely well being very light and sliding over waves with ease. I have towed it in relatively rough water and it hardly ever even ships a drop of water. The biggest problem I had with it was filling with water in a violent thunderstorm. We were able to pick up the bow and dump most of the water. Its that light. Once it slid down a swell and smacked into the stern ladder support rail and got a broken nose. Holed. Some fiberglass tape, epoxy and about a half hour fixed that. I was towing it too close because the painter is too short for my recently acquired Hunter 356. I painted the bottom with epoxy treated with graphite from West. No bottom paint. I clean the bottom when I do the boat, or drag it up on the beach once in a while, turn it over and scrape it with a paint scraper. With that finish you can drag it across a stoney beach or parking lot with hardly a scratch. It was a geat winter project - a lot of fun to build. I encourage you to do it. Life is too short to ride around in a mundane inflatable!

 

[Wanderer138]

How about a D4 dinghy?

I built a D4 from the free plans but the boat is small (under 8 ft) and its capacity is limited to about 250 lb. I'd suggest the D5 or one of their other boats (see link below). The D4 was very easy to build and I'm sure most of the others would be about the same.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Steve Dion]

Use the Photo Forum to post multiple pictures.

Tom:If you want to post multiple pictures you should use the Photo Forum. That is what it is designed for. They also live there forever.

 

[Tom Brown]

Thanks, Steve

Next time

 

[NautiDuck]

Thanks Tom

Tom, thanks for the response and photos! I think I will go ahead with it. It sounds like it tows well and should handle two adults. I aso agree that it is a very good looking dinghy. Nice job! Hopefully if I keep it the garage except when cruising I wont have to varnish every year. Thanks again.

 

[Wanderer138]

Eastport Pram / D4 / D5

The D4 is about the same size as the Pram, but the hull design (and construction) is simpler. I have to say that the Eastport Pram is better looking than the D4/D5.The D5 is a bit bigger than the D4. A link to the D5 photo gallery at bateau.com is provided below. Having built the D4, I'm looking hard at the V10 dinghy as my next project. PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Tom Brown]

Randy

Randy, Whatever you decide to build, how about a running progress report with construction pictures. I think a lot of people that frequent this board would enjoy it. Chesapeake Light Craft (www.clcboats.com) has lots of nice kayak, canoe and small sailboat kits. I'd love to build another one but which one. I especially like the Annapolis Wherry with the rowing seat but I don't live close enough to the water to use it regularly as excersize. A kayak would be nice but I'd have to build 3 of them for my family(or a double and a single, or a triple). I found the pram kit while looking at the kayaks. My thinking was; I'd really like a kayak but I really need a dink. As with many of you, other projects have moved to the top of the list.Keep us posted,Tom s/v Orion's Child