15 '9" and 19' Ben Garveys

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Here is a pair of boats that will feel right at home on the working waterfront. Both would make fine boat­yard skiffs or small harbor-ferries. Both would be fine for a little recreational fishing or getting around the lake on a summer vacation, or ferrying out to that island camp. The larger boat would make a fine skiff for some entry-level lobstering or shellfish harvesting.

Line drawings for the Ben Garvey design plans.

Drawings

 

Garveys originated as shallow-draft, burdensome, and easily built boats for working the shallow bays and estuaries of the Jersey Shore. The advent of the internal-combustion engine, and later, the outboard motor, ensured their survival since the hull form is actually better suited to mechanical power than to the sailing rigs of the early boats. Doug Hylan has refined the Ben Garveys somewhat from their original form: They show a strong sheer and more rake to the bow transom for good looks, the buttock lines aft have been straightened out for planing speeds, and the construction is updated to make use of plywood and epoxy. But they still display the same characteristics that made their forefathers popular: ease of construction, shallow draft, good stability, and great load capacity.

Ben Garvey design plans.

Plans

 

You build the Ben garveys of plywood, upside down on a ladder frame over temporary molds. Lofting is required, but it is extremely simple. The chines are easily made using epoxy fillers and fiberglass tape. Flotation compartments ensure that a swamped boat will float level and support the motor head above the water.

Layout drawings of the Ben Garvey design plan.

Plans

 

Ben Garvey design plans are printed on five sheets (four for Big Ben) and include lines, construction, details, and building jig. Also included are instruction sheets that cover tool and materials, scarfing plywood, construction, and use. WoodenBoat Plan No. 126 is for the 15′ 9″ Ben Garvey design, BEN, and WoodenBoat Plan No. 127 is for the 19′ BIG BEN Ben Garvey Design. $75.00 each.

Ben Garvey Design Details

15′ 9″ Ben Garvey

LOA – 15′ 9″
LWL – 11′ 9″
Beam – 5′ 7″
Draft – 4″
Displ. – 460 lbs.
Construction: Plywood planking over bulkheads
Skill level: Basic
Lofting is required
Propulsion: 15-35 hp

Click here for a materials list.

19′ BIG BEN Ben Garvey

LOA – 19′
LWL – 14′ 3″
Beam – 6′ 11″
Draft – 6″
Displ. – 810 lbs.
Construction: Plywood planking over bulkheads
Skill level: Basic
Lofting is required
Propulsion: 25-75 hp

Click here for a materials list.

Further Reading About the Ben Garvey Design

Boat Design Quarterly Vol #9

Boat Design Quarterly Vol #50

Completed 15 ‘9″ and 19’ Ben Garveys Images

Ben Garvey boat sits in the water.Photo by Doug Hylan

This Ben Garvey has its outboard motor mounted in an inboard well. Designer Hylan lobbies against building that well for general use as it reduces the boat’s efficiency, occupies space, and adds construction time.

Man pilots a Ben Garvey powerboat while a child rides along wearing a life vest.Photo by Benjamin Mendlowitz

Designer-builder Doug Hylan and his daughter head out across the Benjamin River in his Ben Garvey. The stable boat is easily built with plywood and epoxy, and requires only modest power.

Ben Garvey boat in the water.Photo by Bill Thomas

“They can perform every manner of waterfront task with easy competence and honest grace.”

Profile view of a Ben Garvey boat in the water.Photo by Bill Thomas

Denny Robertson, a Maine waterman, built a house way aft on his 19′ Big Ben Garvey. The boat ferries people and supplies to an island camp in Blue Hill Bay.

Photo by Mike O'Connell

Mike O’Connell built this center-console Big Ben. The husky boat earns its keep by assisting rowing crews near Pittsburgh and working for the local Riverkeepers.