pram bow sailboat

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Description

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The Pram is a durable, self-bailing dinghy that is a perfect training boat for beginner sailors. The simple design is very low maintenance, and offers a platform very similar to an Optimist for kids to get excited about sailing. Fed up with expensive fiberglass repairs? The Pram's polyethylene hull is nearly indestructible and will withstand the tough use that a beginner program boat takes. With no air bags or sail ties to worry about, and a nearly dry boat after capsize recovery, programs and individuals will love the ease of use with these pram trainers. 

 CONSTRUCTION

• Rotomolded polyethylene hull
• Self bailing with built in flotation
• Durable, replaceable mast partners
• Foils made of superior marine plywood

SAIL & RIGGING

• Durable sleeve sail with window and battens and reinforced webbing tack and clew
• Blocks, sheets, and halyard included
• Mast, sprit, and boom made of high grade aluminum
• Many Optiparts fittings including spars and blades can be used

*Boat price doesn't include freight from Zim Sailing to Customer

Product Reviews (1)

Posted by Samson Vasquez on 4th Oct 2021

We purchased nine of them and the kids just love them! Perfect to learn to sail in before the optimist.

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Messing about in boats since 1975.  Online Since 1997.

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FOUR PRAMS THE ULTIMATE YACHT TENDER Three Views of the Pram   Why The Pram...? A pram will make an excellent tender for any yacht, having the most carrying capacity within the least length compared with any other shore boat type. We have developed four basic pram designs at 8 feet, 10 feet, 12 feet and 14 feet. Each of them share the same features and general shape. The ten foot pram is shown in the drawing above. Intended for construction in welded aluminum, these little boats are easy to assemble. They are light and extremely tough. As a further advantage of welded aluminum, these prams have built in flotation compartments for unsinkable safety. A longitudinal WT compartment is along each side, plus the aft seat and forward seat also are WT compartments. Check out the following photos of the 10 foot pram built in Port Townsend, Washington. These photos were taken on the pram's launching day in Port Townsend Bay. (I'm the guinea pig in the yellow life vest..!). Being rigged Sailing Side view Forward view Sail & rig  

The Pram In Use

Sailing: These prams are all "Cat" rigged. They make use of leeboards in order to keep the interior clear. The presence of the leeboards on each side is the very reason for the topsides to have a generous tumblehome – so the leeboards will naturally have the correct angle to the water on the leeward side when heeled.

You can see from the photos in the above links that we did not have a blistering sailing wind that day...! Sail we did however, plus we had oars...

Rowing: Just the right amount of rocker has been given to the bottom to allow easy rowing. Due to the bottom rocker it is not an ideal craft for planing speeds or high power. Sailing and rowing however are excellent!

Motoring: The aft transom rakes aft a bit and is designed to easily take a rudder for sailing. We have created an outboard bracket (detailed on the plans) that mounts right onto the rudder gudgeons. The outboard bracket is very strong and will take a low power "trolling" outboard of around 3 to 5 hp on the 10' pram, and up to 8 or 10 hp on the 14 footer. This will provide very adequate displacement speeds.

Convenience: The forward transom allows one to step right into the bow and the pram is still stable. This is really quite convenient: The combination of the flat bottom and the forward transom ordinarily allows the pram to be driven right up on the beach where one can step off the forward end and not get thoroughly doused whilst going ashore.

Camping: The fully welded all aluminum hull is extremely strong, in particular with the floatation chambers along each side. Thus the prams do not require the added strength of a center thwart, and the center rowing thwart is arranged to be removable. The use of leeboards and making the rowing thwart removable were choices we made primarily in order to allow a completely clear and unobstructed interior for day sailing.

However this combination also allows the 10' to 14' prams to be used for camping while at anchor or while beached. The bottom is flat athwartships. Thus, with a sleeping mat laid on the bottom you can stretch right out in there using the boom and sail as your tent. With a good sleeping mat, a friendly couple can sleep there quite comfortably.

Stowing: As can be seen in the drawing below, towing and stowing are also optimum. What makes these prams so easy to stow? It is primarily due to having a transom at both ends. Because of this, for a given carrying capacity the pram is able to be shorter than a similar craft with one or more pointy ends.

Capacity: In addition to its own weight, the maximum carrying capacity of the 8' pram is around 350 lbs. The larger prams have proportionately larger carrying abilities. For example, the 10 foot pram can carry 25% more weight, or around 435 pounds. The 12' pram can carry 50% more, or around 525 pounds. The 14' pram can carry 75% more, or around 612 pounds.

Due to its relatively square-shaped ends, a pram can carry more weight per foot of overall length than any other type of shore boat, with the possible exception of an inflatable. However an inflatable can not be properly rowed... nor does an inflatable offer the fun of sailing !  

Dimensions & Weights...

The 10 footer is 10 feet end to end at the top of the transom, and the other sizes are also as long as their nominal length, from bow transom top to stern transom top. All the prams are the same width at 4' - 4" to the outside of the knuckle. Bottom width is 3' - 4" for all of them. Maximum height from transom top to skeg bottom is 1' - 11" for all the prams.

When finished, the surface areas are as follows:

• 8' Pram: 76.5 sq ft
• 10' Pram: 90.2 sq ft
• 12' Pram: 107 sq ft
• 14' Pram: 132 sq ft

These are the total surface areas of each aluminum pram, as-fabricated.

The weight of each pram size will depend on the thickness of sheet used. For any of these prams we recommend 1/8" thickness plate, welded with a pulsed MIG. With straight spray arc MIG it is likely that 5/32" thickness will be required, however the pram will be 25% heavier as a result. The weight per sq ft of each thickness is:

• 1/8" aluminum plate: 1.75 lb / sq ft
• 5/32" aluminum plate: 2.1875 lb / sq ft

Add to that the weight of oars and center thwart (spruce oars and western red cedar thwart, so very light) for the rowing version. Say 6 or so pounds, plus bailer, nylon 3 strand painter and shackle.

Add to that the weight of leeboards, mast, headboard sail, halyard block, sheet, halyard, rudder, tiller for the sailing version. Douglas fir mast; marine plywood leeboards, rudder, headboard; oak or ash tiller; Dacron sail, Dacron line. Say 12 to 16 pounds.

You will observe that the weight of the as-fabricated aluminum for each pram size varies directly as the percentage of difference in length, adjusted per the thickness being used. The weight of the other items is fairly close to a direct percentage as well... however the painter, bailer, shackle, halyard block and similar items will not vary.  

NC Cutting Files

An NC cutting kit is available for these prams. Please see the Plans List Page for a summary of the plan and NC kit prices.

What is NC ? It simply means Numerically Controlled ... in other words, computerized cutting.

The NC cutting files allow plasma or abrasive water jet cutting of all the parts including hull plates, transoms, seats and WT compartments. The result is that a mould or building jig is not required, and construction is very quickly accomplished. Using this method, I completed all the metal fabrication on the 8' aluminum pram in 4 days, complete with welded-on fittings.

Why is it so quick to build? With NC cutting there is no time spent planning, nor lofting, nor spiling of shapes, nor cutting, nor is there any time spent worrying about any of those things!

When we built the 8 foot pram, to begin we simply placed the bottom sheet onto two saw horses, pushed the middle down, fit the side pieces and transoms to it, and tacked it all together. The basic hull plates and transoms were assembled in a matter of hours.

In plywood, the same NC files can be used for cutting the sheets via a computer driven router. The NC cut parts then simply "stitch-and-glue" together, and again a mould or building jig is not required. In plywood, the configuration would be exactly the same - i.e. there would be the same shape and the same floatation chambers.  

How Do You Get One...?

By far the most cost effective way to get one of these prams is to build it yourself. For that purpose, the use of NC cutting makes the job very easy and quick.

When pram plans and NC cutting files have been purchased we can also provide contact information for metal cutting companies for the NC cutting in order to create a boat parts kit, and we can provide contact information for aluminum boat builders who can do the hull fabrication. If desired, we can also recommend sail makers and spar makers, etc. but you might want to make the spars and rudder and leeboards yourself...!

The best way to discover building costs is to obtain the building plans and submit them to a few builders for a quote. If you intend to build one yourself, the above aluminum weights can be used to estimate the alloy cost, then just add to that the cost of sails and other items.  

In my view, 8' is about the smallest practical size for these prams if any reasonable rowing and / or sailing performance is to be had. That said, certainly they can be done in smaller sizes, but at a great compromise in terms of performance and carrying ability. At sizes under 8 feet, aluminum construction is probably not optimum due to its weight, and the better choice would be a good quality of marine plywood...

Although we have not created plans for other pram sizes, certainly we could do so, along with the NC files. In plywood, and NC router can be used to pre-cut the parts, and the pram then assembled using the "stitch and glue" method.

Please see our Plans List Page for a summary of the Pram Building Plan and NC cutting file costs and ordering information.

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Prams are a traditional design concept in which the bow of the boat is a flat panel instead of a point, which in turn allows a wide beam forward.  Imagine your regular rowing skiff with the pointy end chopped off.  You lose 15-20% of overall length but very little carrying-capacity:  This is the beauty of prams and the reason why sailors have favored them as yacht-tenders for centuries.

Bedard Yacht Design’s Ozona X Nesting Pram evolved from the hugely popular Ozona Pram and a significant demand from cruisers for a nesting dinghy, slightly larger.  A lot of thoughts went into the design of this new boat:  The seats are removable to reduce nesting size to 62″x50″x21″ with each half weighing less than 50lb; Once the pram is joined, the seats are locked in place, to avoid any risk of losing them in a capsize or while towing.

LOA: 10′, 3m

Beam: 4.1′, 1.25m

Draft: 6″, 15cm

Displacement: 565lb, 257kg

Sail area: 75sq.ft., 7sq.m.

Construction

All stitching holes are pre-drilled and strategically placed.  The panels are marked with both ID and bulkheads and seats intersections.  The boat can easily be assembled with tie-wraps without any special tools.

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Topaz WWS Pram- World Wide Sailor

$ 2,720.00

Back in Stock!

The World Wide Sailor Pram is a durable, self-bailing dinghy that is a perfect training boat for beginner sailors. The simple design is very low maintenance, and offers a platform very similar to an Optimist for kids to get excited about sailing.  The WWS Pram’s rotomolded polyethylene Trilam hull is nearly indestructible and will withstand the tough use that a beginner program boat takes. With no air bags or sail ties to worry about, and a nearly dry boat after capsize recovery, programs and individuals will love to ease of use with these pram trainers. 

‘READY TO SAIL’ IS SUPPLIED INCLUDING:

• Self bailing with built in flotation

• Durable sleeve sail with window and battens

• Reinforced webbing tack and clew

• Blocks, sheets, and halyard included

• Dyneema rope ties for boom block and lower block

• Complete Spar set: mast, sprit, and boom made of high grade aluminum with pro Clam Cleats

• Foils  made of superior Mahogany marine plywood

• Rudder complete with tiller and extension

We have boats in almost 50 countries around the world. Who’s next?

Description

The world wide sailor is the best-selling training optimist dinghy..

Its strong yet light Trilam PE, UV-resistant hull ensures an excellent sailing performance.

The World Wide Sailor sailboat has been especially designed for training sessions, with its extra reinforcements at vital points in the hull. The optimist is easy to handle, will always stay afloat and is self-bailing. After capsizing there will be hardly any water left in the cockpit, making the dinghy extremely safe and efficient during training sessions.  chosen by Professional sailing schools & clubs as the best training dinghy for beginning youth sailors. 

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Kevin Boothby Sailing

Build a 7’7″ Nutshell Pram

I have rowed inflatable dinghies for years and I still keep my Avon Redstart lashed down on the cabin top as a backup dink, but that said I have since chosen a hard dinghy as my primary means of water transport when anchored out, which is most of the time.   And a well designed hardshell dinghy doesn’t just look nice, it has several distinct advantages.  For one they row a hell of a lot better than inflatables, at least any that I have rowed–or attempted to row.   They will have far more interior volume for size since so much of the inside of an inflatable is taken by the air tanks.  In general they tow much better, and you can sail them too.  And lastly they are not prone to perhaps the most annoying ailment which all inflatables sooner or later contract: air leaks.

As far as disadvantages go, well, they can capsize and swamp, and they are particularly unforgiving to those who try to step into them via the gunwales.  If they are wooden like the one I have built, they require a fair amount of maintenance.  And finally for those of us cruising on smaller craft, they cannot be folded up for easy stowage.   I measured very carefully before building the 7’7″ Nutshell Pram.  I finally managed to find a space for it on the foredeck when overturned.  

OK, so let’s get started.  I purchased the plans for the 7’7″ Nutshell Pram from the WoodenBoat Store ( www.woodenboatstore.com ), along with a small booklet which provides step by step instructions on how to build it.  We start off by constructing the laminated midships frame along with the forekeel.  The plans provide a full scale drawing of these frames, but before laminating we have to make a jig out of cheap plywood.  We then use 1/8″X1″ strips of Douglas fir for the actual laminates.  These are slathered with epoxy and then clamped to the jig (on the outside), as shown below:

Word to the wise: don’t try to save time by making the laminates thicker than about 1/8″. I tried this and was met with heartbreak the following morning when I found several of the strips had cracked around the chines and now it was all permanently glued in place … so anyway, once the epoxy has cured we remove the laminates from the jig (note the waxed paper to prevent it sticking to the jig) and cut out midship frame to match the plans, similarly with the forekeel.   Here are the completed items:

Notice that the midship frame still extends above the gunwale and a 1″X3″ cross piece is attached in order to hold the midship frame to the moulding jig.  The moulding jig is built like a ladder, made of generic two-by-fours, where the moulds–plywood cutouts–are attached at specified intervals.  Also the bow and stern transoms, made of 3/4″ Okoume marine plywood, are cut out and attached to the jig. 

Now we have to do some lofting–i.e., translate the plans to actual plywood cutouts of the bottom and planks.  This is done by turning the 4’X8′ sheet of plywood into a grid and measuring up from one edge to the sides of the planks and marking it with a dot. Notice I use a wooden batten held in place by small nails in order to draw a smooth curve through the dots on the plywood.

After cutting the planks and bottom out of the plywood, we are ready to start planking.  We begin with the bottom, which is 3/8″ Okoume, and is stiff enough to put up a fair bit of resistance to the gentle curve, hence the lead weight on the forward end.  The bottom is attached to the forekeel, midship frame, and stern transom with bronze wood screws and West System epoxy.

Next up the garboard planks.  We use a bevel plane on the bottom until there is a snug fit against the overlapping garboard planks.  Again the planks are attached to the bow transom, forekeel, midship frame and aft transom with bronze screws and epoxy.  We use drywall screws to hold the planks against the bottom while the seam cures with epoxy, thus insuring a strong, watertight join.  Afterwards the drywall screws are removed and the holes filled with epoxy.

Next repeat the process for the middle planks:

And lastly we add the sheer strakes:

As I planned to keep the sheer strakes varnished I did not wish to drill them with holes for the temporary drywall screw, so I constructed little buttons to hold the sheer against the middle planks:

Now the boat is ready to be lifted off of the jig and turned right side up:

Next we add the quarter knees, pieces of timber inserted at each corner of the two transoms (bow and stern).  These serve to add considerable structural strength to the little boat.   Obtaining the correct bevel angles was somewhat challenging, in the end I only obtained them through a process of successive approximations.

Then we add the rubrail, which will later be covered with a shock-absorbing-topside-friendly foam and canvas rail.  But underneath is a 3/4″ square strip of ash (which is what I had on hand at the time, the plans call for fir I think).  This also will add a good deal of structural strength.  Both the quarter knees and rubrail are attached with bronze screws and epoxy. 

Getting there … we now turn the boat back upside down in order to add the keel.   But first the entire hull (up to the sheer strake) is sheathed with 10 oz. fiberglass roving and West System epoxy. 

I used ash for the keel.  Notice how it is tapered aft as well as vertically.   The keel is bedded with 3M 5200, fastened with wood screws from the inside:

Since this is a sailing dinghy, we have to construct the dagger board trunk.  The trunk will also serve as a support for the middle rowing bench. As with the keel, it will be bedded and sealed with 3M 5200. 

The three seats for the dinghy I made out of mahogany and varnished them because varnish looks nice, but that does add weight and work so you may wish to follow the plans and use cedar and paint.  The spars for the sailing rig I made out of sitka spruce.  I purchased the oars ready made, as well as the tan sail (from the woodenboatstore).  Here’s the rowing version of the completed dinghy:

And with the sail she’s even more irresistible:

So have fun, these are great dinghies. If you are new to boatbuilding just remember Moitessier’s motto: “the work will teach you the work”.

Sadly, I have built two of these tenders for Ruth Avery and both of them have ended up in landfills. And both died by the same cause: reckless powerboat drivers. So I now have an 8′ Fatty Knees dinghy which I like very much. It is heavier than the Nutshell which makes stowage more difficult (overturned on the foredeck), but has considerably more volume and is more stable. It’s all a tradeoff. But the Nutshell Pram in my experience is a better tradeoff than most.

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Jordan Wood Boats

$ 74.00 – $ 89.00

SPECIFICATIONS Type  Norwegian Pram Length 10′ Beam 4′ 2″ Hull weight 120 lbs. Crew 1-3 Product #DP

• Description
• Additional information

Dulcibella  is a classic lapstrake pulling boat in the tradition of the renowned Norwegian pram. She is elegant but practical, offering both excellent stability and load carrying capacity in a relatively short length, making her an ideal tender. Two rowing positions provide good balance under various loading conditions and she is very responsive and easily propelled.

Dulcibella is designed to be built using traditional lapstrake construction methods, The pram bow provides an easy shape to build; the thin planks bending easily into place with very little twist in the ends.

The complete, easy-to-follow plans for Dulcibella include detailed large-scale construction drawings for all assemblies, full-size patterns for molds and transoms, and diagrams and instructions for the simple ladder frame jig and set-up procedure, so no lofting is required. To clarify the building process, comprehensive construction notes are number-keyed to the corresponding assemblies in all the drawings. Also included are plans for 7.5 ft. traditional style oars.

Includes Dulcibella plans, patterns, instructions, and US shipping.

~Take advantage of our 20% off special on orders of $75 or more! Apply coupon code: Boatbuilder Special  at checkout. [Valid for US orders only] ~Plans in PDF: Plans can be ordered for email delivery in PDF format, at a discounted price. The plans for Dulcibella include full size patterns. If you order the PDF version, you will need access to a large-format printer for those. (Page Size is 30″ x 48″) ~Consider including my book, Boatbuilding My Way , in your plans order. Available in Hardcopy or discounted PDF Format, it is the ideal companion to plans from Jordan Wood Boats. 

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Free Plywood Pram Plans

The pram is built on a simple form. The bow and transom form remain to be the actual boat.

I have scanned and clarified the pages with the magic of Photoshop. I have also re typed or enlarged most of the dimensions. The original had fairly fuzzy images and scanning did not improve clarity. Because of the large size of the images needed to be legible I have split the plan in several pages. [ PAGE 1 ] [PAGE 2 is the current page] [ PAGE 3 ]

It is possible to modify this pram to be made using the stitch and glue method. If you choose to do this remember to fillet the seams AND you must fiberglass the boat otherwise it will not be strong enough.

The bill of materials is repeated below so it is clearer

>> NEXT Page 3 of the Free Pram Plans

Boatbuilding Books and Stuff

Small print.

I don't claim to be an expert, I'm a fan though. If you want to build a boat do your homework first, learn to use the tools, make a model, work safely. These plans are offered as is. I have not tested them nor do I endorse them.

Boat Profile

Joel White's little packet

From Issue   October 2022

W e have 15 small boats and certainly didn’t need another one, but in talking with Maynard Bray, WoodenBoat ’s Technical Editor, about the best options for small boats that families could build together as well as for introducing our granddaughter to boats, he said, “You should build her a Nutshell Pram.” That planted the idea in our heads, and we bought the plans, to look them over. When we got bored this past winter, we decided to build the little Nutshell. We’re very happy that we did.

The Nutshell was designed in 1983 by naval architect Joel White. “This little packet,” he wrote, “grew out of a discussion with Jon Wilson and Maynard Bray over the winter about why so many designs for plywood boats are complicated, unattractive, and unsuccessful.” He emerged from the conversation with Maynard and Jon, WoodenBoat ’s founder, to design a good-looking pram that would be easy to build with 8′ plywood sheets, consisting of only 27 parts for the rowboat version. Joel built the first of the prams, and almost four decades later Maynard still has the prototype and Jon’s family still has the first production model.

Although kits are available, we chose to build our Nutshell from scratch using the plans and Maynard’s 1987 book, Building the Nutshell Pram, as our guide. Its 32 pages guide the builder through the steps of putting the pram together as well as rigging information for the sailboat model and sailing tips. The Nutshell’s glued lapstrake construction offers tremendous strength to the hull and ease of construction, and the traditional pram shape brings out the attribute of workboat utility.

The pram is 7′ 7″ long and 4′ wide, making it small and portable. It was designed as a tender, one that would row, tow, scull, and sail. And at 90 lbs it is light enough to haul up on a mothership’s deck where it would take up very little space.

The belaying pins on the forward thwart serve to belay the halyard. While they may seem more sentimental than practical, when properly used they can be pulled in an instant to drop the sail. And unlike cleats screwed in place, they can be removed to clear the thwart for rowing. For builders who don’t have a lathe, they’re available for purchase. The function of the long pintle on the transom is explained in the text.

For rowing, the daggerboard, rudder, and tiller fit neatly behind the aft thwart. The lug sail can be rolled up around the spars and laid in the boat; the 8′ 3″ mast will extend past the transom.

The 28″-wide flat bottom and hard chine provide reassuring stability when stepping into and out of the Nutshell. A pair of 6′ oars are a good fit at both rowing stations, with no overlap of the handles. I’m 5′ 8″ and have plenty of knee clearance on both the ’midship and forward seat. The oars tuck off to the side inside the hull when sailing. The oars can also be stowed over the gunwales port and starboard, each pair in oarlocks at the two rowing stations. Rowing the pram is a pleasure; it responds immediately to the slightest flick of an oar and easily spins in its own length, handy when maneuvering around docks and moorings. The hull draws just 5″, useful for getting into puddles of water where no other boats dare to go. The keel, with its integral skeg, keeps the pram tracking straight, and with minimal effort it will carry a boat length or two for each stroke. The Nutshell handles a steep chop well, and the high sides keep it dry. When rowed into a fresh breeze, the boat’s short length and light weight require minimal effort to control.

With a single occupant aboard, the Nutshell sits with the bow transom clear of the water without a lot of overhang shortening the hull’s waterline.

A sculling notch is placed top center of the transom. We are not experienced scullers, but for 40 years Maynard has used his Nutshell to get to and from his boat in a crowded mooring and sculls it almost exclusively.

S ailing the Nutshell is delightful! The daggerboard trunk is offset to starboard; this preserves the uninterrupted length of the keel, which makes it easier to pull the Nutshell onto a dock or a deck. The 37-sq-ft balanced lugsail is set on the lightest mast you’ll ever step, laced to the yard, and set loose-footed on a tiny boom. It is exceptionally easy to rig: one sheet and one halyard, with the halyard secured to a cute belaying pin. The boat draws 1′ 9″ with the daggerboard down and points about as high as you’d expect a balanced lug to point, which is not especially high, but sails well through all other points of sail. Jibes are easy to control, and the tiny boom isn’t likely to do too much damage to the noggin of a skipper who fails to duck. The Nutshell is well suited for junior sailors, yet it has room for two adults to sail comfortably. The pram can be sailed from the aft or middle seat, or the bilge, and when sitting in the bilge the sides of the boat provide comfortable backrests—almost too comfortable if one wants to stay awake. The plans include a way to make the middle thwart removable to free up space for the solo sailor to move closer to the daggerboard trunk to balance the boat fore and aft, although we found it fun to sit a bit aft to raise the bow and spin the pram around in pirouettes on its stern.

The Nutshell comes with an option for a removable center thwart. Here is has been removed from its position aft of the daggerboard trunk to give the sailor more room. Sitting on the bottom of the boat puts the boat in proper trim and gives the tiller its full range of motion.

Joel gave the Nutshell a shape that rides well under tow; the angled bow transom and the V sections of the garboards below it ride over waves easily, and the full-length keel keeps it towing straight. The painter is led through a hole in the bow transom and secured to the laminated fore keel. For towing the sailboat version of the pram, the daggerboard trunk must be plugged to prevent water from spouting through it and swamping the pram. Maynard’s book shows a short board to fill the trunk and a gasketed cap to seal the opening; a pin keeps it in place with the gasket pressed tight.

The rudder hardware has a single long pintle supported by two flanges. The gudgeon set low on the rudderstock is split to engage the long middle section of the pintle when the rudder is held horizontally, then capture it when the rudder is rotated upright. When the rudder slides down on the pintle, the top gudgeon can slip over the short top extension of the pintle. This arrangement allows the rudder to be easily installed while reaching over the stern of a bobbing boat. If the bottom of the rudder hits an obstacle or bottoms out during beaching, the rudder can rise along the pintle and, if the top gudgeon comes free, a tether will ensure that the rudder is not lost overboard. When the sailing rig is dropped for rowing, the daggerboard, rudder, and tiller stow nicely in the gap between the transom and the aft thwart.

This Nutshell’s sail has a row of reef points, described in Maynard Bray’s book as “a prudent step.” He also advises “Hold the sheet; don’t belay it. Being able to instantly let it go in a puff will avoid a capsize.”

The uncluttered interior simplifies cleaning, varnishing, and painting. There are not a lot of nooks and crannies to conceal dirt and water. However, the space under the mast partner needs to be peeked at and kept clean and dry when in storage.

T he Nutshell takes up little storage space and it is extremely portable. We keep ours on a dolly and use our utility trailer to haul it to beaches with ramps so we can access skinny water. Cartopping is also a practical option that offers up additional launch sites that can’t accommodate trailers. The 7′ 7″ × 4′ footprint will fit in the bed of a standard pickup truck, even one with the short bed popular today.

Kent and Audrey Lewis named their Nutshell EXCUSE ME; the pram will seek prizes in the waters of Hampton Roads. Its build log and adventures are found at Small Boat Restoration . They wish to thank to Maynard Bray and Eric Dow for sharing their extensive knowledge of the history, care, and feeding of the Nutshell Pram.

Nutshell Particulars

Length/7′ 7″

Draft, board up/5″

Draft, board down/1′ 9″

Weight/approx. 90 lbs

Sail area/37 sq ft

  The WoodenBoat Store offers Nutshell plans ($75), kits (rowing version $2,500, sailing $3,000), rudder hardware ($154), Bray’s Building the Nutshell Pram , as well as sails and rowing and sailing hardware kits. The same items are available for a 9′6″ version of the Nutshell.

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Magazine readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (12)

An interesting article, I’ve been fortunate enough to have followed the build of the Nutshell Praam EXCUSE ME via emails from Kent and Audrey (Skipper). The build reminded me of the Yealm Praam that I built as a tender to the Wooden Drascombe Lugger SAGA. The Yealm Praam was scratch built without any plans at all, it was all done by eye and the length dictated by a standard 8ft x 4ft sheet of marine plywood. A nice varnished finish impressed the owner’s wife, who upon seeing it for the first time declared “It has a better finish than my sideboard.”

For those who may not know, Doug and his brother John built most of wooden Drascombes under licence from John Watkinson. It’s on my Bucket List to try and replicate a Yealm Praam with Doug’s approval and guidance.

Please feel free to have a go, but you’ll need to remember that I had no plans whatsoever, I don’t have any records of the measurements, not even the length and beam, apart from it being the maximum length that an 8′ x 4′ sheet of marine plywood allowed. I can of course provide a step by step process list and a good guess at the beam and freeboard.

Does the Nutshell pram need lofting to build?

Full size patterns are included with the plans for the molds, transoms, forekeel and amidships keel. The 8 page plans have a sheet dedicated to plank layout that gives sufficient measurement points to trace and draw out the bottom and side planks. There is also a page with lines and offsets but we didn’t have to refer to that very much. Happy to answer any other questions that you may have. Cheers Skipper and Clark

If she’s anything like my Shellback, she’s a keeper. $3000 for the kit? A bit over the top.

Yes, Fall 2022 prices are startling. Pandemic pricing increase due to logistics chain and workforce isolation issues was bad enough, now throw in the Russo-Ukranian war effect on the World economy. If memory serves correct the rowing kit was around $1750 pre-pandemic, not sure what the sailing kit was. In early 2022 we bought our high quality marine grade sapele plywood, mahogany and teak hardwood from World Panel in North Carolina, plus the Sailrite sail kit and paid close to $1500 in those purchases, including the 2-hour drive time each way to World Panel. 2×4 spruce for spars, and not the good stuff, is still almost double the pre-pandemic price. The kit will have the highest quality materials so the builder’s decision comes down to 1) whether quality materials can today be sourced locally for a significantly lower price and/or 2) Does the builder have the skill/tools to cut that expensive material?

Our advice for first time builders, not those who are already well versed in wood boat butchery like us, is to look closely at a kit purchase to flatten the learning curve.

Cheers Clark and Skipper

An interesting bit of trivia, the design didn’t have a type name, but one of the first buyers named hers “Nutshell” because of the shape. It stuck.

I built mine from scratch. I had never built a boat before, nor even sailed, yet I was able to make it from the plans. Sometimes I felt I was out of my depth, particularly as all the measurements are in feet and inches, and in Australia we use the metric system and all materials are sold in metric. Other than that, I prevailed to a completed sailing version.

It’s a great little boat.

Phil Bolger designed at least one boat using metric measures. He advocated metric as a superior system. Do school kids trained in metric even need to learn fractions?

My favorite rowing boat. Thinking of the 12’ version, Passagemaker

I am curious about the sailing characteristics of the wood peanut class? I am not thinking of racing I am thinking of what happens in a capsize event from a novice sailor or a heavy wave from a passing motor boat?

Does the boat lie horizontal on the water or turtle? How much water is in the boat after righting?

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Towing a pram

• Thread starter George Jarvis
• Start date Feb 14, 2023
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

George Jarvis

I am in the process of building a small pram to tow behind my Niagara 26. Any thoughts on how to set up the tow line on the front of the pram?  

Set the bow eye low on the bow, this will tend to lift the bow up and reduce the chance of burying it in a wave filling the pram with water. Needless to say, the bow eye should have a solid backing plate as there could be a lot of stress on it.  

If you are in the process of building it now, put two points to attach a towing bridle a far apart as possible rather than just one in the middle.  

I built and towed a 7' pram through ownership of 3 sailboats. I put two eyes on the foredeck as far forward as possible and as far apart as possible. A tip: build your backing plate into the foredeck prior to attaching it and also put the eyes on before placing the foredeck on the hull. You will have to compromise the forward and apart placement some due to the curvatures of the side panels and stem. Mine towed like a dream. I towed it -engine off- on the downside (Forward) of the second stern wake wave.  

Small world! We used to tow a Ranger 11 dinghy behind our Niagara 26. I later changed back to a Zodiac we could roll up and store on deck. Is the pram something like an El Toro?? If your pram is a sailing version, be sure to have a water tight plug rigged for the dagger board slot!  

If you're not too far along in the building process have you considered a two piece nesting dinghy?  

Hayden Watson

If it is a sailing dingy, make sure to build a locking daggerboard plug. Even though the top of the case is well above water you will still some water coming in through the slot which accumulates.  

I didn't mention that mine was not a sailing version. No daggerboard slot. I opted for simplicity over having to deal with the rig, rudder and daggerboard.  

I built a chesapeake light Craft Eastport pram. I found 2 bronze pad eyes which I positioned on the bow . The height from waterline to top of bow was 13 inches, the designer recommend3d the tow eye Be at 1/3 the height from the waterline or roughly 4 inches above water line. Mine is a row/ sail pram so I do have a removable wooden anti splash plate over the center board slot.  

We're going to need pictures, you know!  

Thanks for all of the responses. My kit is on the way from Angus Boats in BC. I live in Canada. The pram is similar to the Eastport pram. One further question, when attaching the tow rope to the bridle, should it be a fixed loop or a sliding ring on the bridle?  

Sliding from my point of view.  

The commercial towing bridles tow from a fixed ring.  

dlochner said: The commercial towing bridles tow from a fixed ring. Click to expand

FastOlson said: Good point. Strictly in the "fwiw" dept, both of our club's work boats have a strong/braced towing post bolted down to the rear floor of the boat. We have also used member trawlers for towing really large docks,, and with a heavy bridle from both of their quarter cleats, but they did not have a center point to tie to. This worked well for straight line tows, tho. Click to expand

Any suggestion on the proper length for the tow line from sailboat to the pram?  

George Jarvis said: Any suggestion on the proper length for the tow line from sailboat to the pram? Click to expand

2023-02-22_07-22-24

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Any point in scow bow without canting keel?

Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by pironiero , Oct 27, 2020 .

pironiero Coping

Is there Any point in scow bow without canting keel? I can be wrong but for its best performance you need to be as vertical to water as possible, amirite? so in other words its not quite effective to make scow bow on a boat without catning keel OR a very long one  

Will Gilmore Senior Member

pironiero said: ↑ for its best performance you need to be as vertical to water as possible, Click to expand...

Olav naval architect

pironiero, have a look at some of the latest production designs in the Classe Mini 6.50 (i.e. Vector , Maxi , to some extent also Wevo* ). Due to the production classe rules of the Classe Mini they are not allowed to have movable appendages, so no canting keels. Also the draught is quite moderate with a maximum of 1.60 m (in contrast to the 2 m of a prototype Mini). Of course these boats suffer in light conditions. Scows have quite a large wetted surface area when upright, so in very light air it should well pay off to heel the boat to leeward with a canting keel - otherwise you are doomed, especially if there is still some old swell. However, they tend to show a good overall performance, but in case of the Mini they are optimised for downwind sailing and this is where scows do excel. *(yet to be homologated as "bateau du série")  

tlouth7 Senior Member

The entire point of a scow hullshape is to achieve high righting moment and a balanced submerged shape when heeled. Sailing scows flat is often very slow because of the large wetted area and associated drag. Canting keels may be used to deliberately heel the boat in light airs to reduce this. The upshot is that scows can make sense in fixed keel classes where there is a limit on LOA.  

sharpii2 Senior Member

The scow bow, or perhaps more accurately, the pram bow, is a really good down wind shape. It tends to climb up the backs of waves, rather than trying to plow through them. A long, sharp bow can be a terrible thing when going down wind in rough seas. It can have a very bad habit of burying itself, or skewing uncontrollably to port or starboard while sailing fast. Working sailboats, with a few exceptions, had shorter, more blunt bows. The exceptions often were boats that had to be rowed long distances, and ones that had to sail upwind a lot. Part of the reason Joshua Slocum's Spray was able to sail on a 24 hour basis without self stearing, besides her long keel, was probably her blunt bow.  

CT249 Senior Member

Back in the days of scow Moths, one of their weaknesses was actually the fact that they buried downwind in chop far more than conventionally-bowed boats. The scows had lower freeboard (because otherwise they would suffer from excessive weight and windage) and when that fat bow went under chop you were in big trouble.  

CT249 said: ↑ Back in the days of scow Moths, one of their weaknesses was actually the fact that they buried downwind in chop far more than conventionally-bowed boats. The scows had lower freeboard (because otherwise they would suffer from excessive weight and windage) and when that fat bow went under chop you were in big trouble. Click to expand...

Doug Halsey Senior Member

sharpii2 said: ↑ The scow bow, or perhaps more accurately, the pram bow, is a really good down wind shape. It tends to climb up the backs of waves, rather than trying to plow through them. Click to expand...

As far as I've been able to find out, from a LOT of historical digging (see for example Pt 1.14:”A radical departure”: the scow https://sailcraftblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/scows-21-sept/ ) the scow and pram are, at least in racing terms, quite different beasts. When the scow really arrived in racing in the 1890s, their line of development was from the flat Raters. Clinton Crane and George Duggan made the line of development pretty clear, as does the ILYA history. The pram appears to follow a different line of development. While terminology and etymology aren't written in stone and the term has been used in different ways, as far as sailboat development goes they appear to be generally considered quite different; for example in Commonwealth nations we called scow Moths scows, but Mirrors, Cadets etc were called prams, as was the Optimist. I can't actually find anything on Google that calls an Opti a scow, even on the ILYA sites. So as far as I can find out, an Opti style boat with its higher and narrower bow would be called a pram, and the scow Moth with its low freeboard and wide bow was definitely a scow. Certainly, they seem to sail very differently downwind in chop.  

waikikin Senior Member

CT249 said: ↑ As far as I've been able to find out, from a LOT of historical digging (see for example Pt 1.14:”A radical departure”: the scow https://sailcraftblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/scows-21-sept/ ) the scow and pram are, at least in racing terms, quite different beasts. When the scow really arrived in racing in the 1890s, their line of development was from the flat Raters. Clinton Crane and George Duggan made the line of development pretty clear, as does the ILYA history. The pram appears to follow a different line of development. While terminology and etymology aren't written in stone and the term has been used in different ways, as far as sailboat development goes they appear to be generally considered quite different; for example in Commonwealth nations we called scow Moths scows, but Mirrors, Cadets etc were called prams, as was the Optimist. I can't actually find anything on Google that calls an Opti a scow, even on the ILYA sites. So as far as I can find out, an Opti style boat with its higher and narrower bow would be called a pram, and the scow Moth with its low freeboard and wide bow was definitely a scow. Certainly, they seem to sail very differently downwind in chop. Click to expand...

messabout Senior Member

For whatever it is worth, Inland Lakes Scows are designed such that the are at their best when in heeled attitude. Herreshoff figured that out a long time ago and was criticized for producing a boat that could easily defeat conventional ballasted boats. His scows were barred from gentleman's competition thereafter. A canting keel might be of some advantage only if controlled so as to adjust the scow to its most efficient heel angle.  

jehardiman Senior Member

messabout said: ↑ For whatever it is worth, Inland Lakes Scows are designed such that the are at their best when in heeled attitude. Herreshoff figured that out a long time ago and was criticized for producing a boat that could easily defeat conventional ballasted boats. His scows were barred from gentleman's competition thereafter. A canting keel might be of some advantage only if controlled so as to adjust the scow to its most efficient heel angle. Click to expand...

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tspeer Senior Member

Prams and inland lake scows are two completely different animals. All they have in common is their bows are not pointed. An inland lake scow is basically dinghy that is being morphed into a catamaran by grabbing the bilges and gunwales and pulling outboard, with the transition stopped before the demihulls actually separate. This is even more apparent when you look at the M-20/I-20, where the bottom comes up on centerline. Upwind and in light air, an inland lakes scow is sailed like a catamaran, too, heeled to leeward to get the windward hull out of the water, leaving a narrow, parallel-sided shape in the water. A pram is basically a hull form with a long overhang, in which the overhang has been chopped off. Prams are sailed upright like most dinghies.  

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